Sunday 24 June 2012

Spirituality & Fun



"The danger that people on the spiritual path have is that they tend to become dead serious, and once they become like that, there will be no spiritual process for them. They will only be doing spiritual exercise. So it is very important that you loosen your body and mind. The psychological and physiological structures have to be loosened, and this can be done by just playing a game, singing a song or dancing." – Sadhguru (Isha Foundation)

The typical image which comes to our minds when we talk about spirituality is – serious meditators, sitting in the lotus position or in other difficult postures –  a serene, calm facial expression, probably middle aged or elderly people – slow in their body and mind and finding solace in their spiritual practice. People who have completed their lives, fulfilled their duties and have nothing more to do, except relax and spend the last few years of their life in comfort.

When we read Sadhguru’s words above, we clearly see him suggesting “singing” or “dancing”. Those who know or have read & understood Osho’s teachings will see the similarity here. Osho always said – “the divine is fun”. When we are doing something that is enjoyable, out of choice and completely absorbed in that activity – whether it is a game we are playing or simply singing a song with our complete being, all our faculties are in that activity and the mind is completely free from thoughts. There are pleasant feelings in the body, the body feels light, easy and flexible. Of course, this also brings about good chemical changes in the body and that helps the body function better.

Many spiritual guru’s have given us the message in different ways – our “mind” is the barrier to reaching and experiencing the “god” within us.

Having pure fun, without any goals or objectives, when we get so involved in that activity that we sometimes forget ourselves – the only thing at that moment is the fun activity we are engaged in – is an easy and effective way to experience the “truth”.

A very interesting point here. As children, we were able to do this easily. Doing something just because it makes us happy and for no other reason. Do you remember this? Atleast some distant memories of what we used to do as a child, what games we played, the pranks and mischief we got into, the trouble we caused for others. Yet, all this was so much fun, there was no motive behind it, no plans and whatever happened was pure fun. Surely, we all will admit this much to ourselves – you were happier as a child than after growing up and getting older.

Children are very close to god. They are spontaneous, do the things they want to whenever they feel like it, have fun and the next moment they may be crying. After sometime they are again having fun. “only children can enter the kingdom of God”.

True - we can’t reverse our biological age to our childhood but yes, in spirit and thoughts, we can surely engage in fun activities. Are we too young to have fun or too old to have fun? No such thing. Anyone and everyone can, at any age. 

For many of us, this could well be an easy path to “spirituality” and knowing ourselves.

Friday 22 June 2012

Are you Resisting?


From experience I have come to realise this - when you resist something, it persists. The universal Law of Attraction working. Resistance breeds more resistance. Our conscious mind keeps us preoccupied with similar thoughts of resistance. In turn, the subconscious mind is influenced by these thoughts and continues to create and maintain situations which causes more resistance in life. All of these point to the same basic fact – the key is our “attitude” or our “thoughts”. It's a vicious circle.

On the other hand, when we accept something with understanding and not in defeat or resignation, accept that it is happening for a reason, that there is a learning in it, what is it I am supposed to learn, and work on this basis, suddenly our approach, thoughts, energy changes, resistance drops away and the same cycle described above starts working in a positive way - the external situations start changing. I have also experienced this many times in my life.

We resist only the things which we don't want in our life. Not wanting something is actually introducing a negative thought process and life only magnifies that more and more.

Focussing on what you like, enjoy doing and being in gratitude for all the things you already have in your life - introduces a positive thought process and life magnifies it similarly. This cannot be understood intellectually, has to be experienced and then you will know what I am saying and also see that it works.

Where are you in this, a positive track or negative one? Are the situations in your life telling you or pointing you towards what actions you ought to take? If some things are coming through to you with clarity, then just be with the thoughts and clarity - day in and day out. Believe and have faith the things you want has already happened, are happening even as you think and dream about it - believe with all your energy, passion and heart. Know that once what you want has happened in your own mind, it will follow automatically in the outside world of matter and energy. Give some time for it to manifest

Once you understand this and see how it works, you can use it for introspection and guidance.  As you practice awareness and become conscious of the process – a thought pattern triggering off similar thought patterns and events in your life – you will start realising the power you actually have to change things. All you need to do is “Change your thoughts and the world changes”.

Life can be changed, Life can be lived – as a Master and not a Prisoner !

Sunday 10 June 2012

Change your Thoughts and You Change your World

"Change your thoughts and you change your world" - Norman Vincent Peale.

A great video - Animated student short inspired by Asian philosophy, a samurai seeks inner peace. But as he tries to rid himself of distractions, he discovers that they seem to be coming at him harder and faster...






Saturday 9 June 2012

Life is a constant Teacher - I salute you

This came up as I was sharing about my experiences with someone. I know some things, have learnt and gathered some experience over time. Suddenly I realised that over time I had started feeling I know a lot. And this was the feeling that stopped further learning.

I remained in this mode that "I know a lot" for sometime, before life in its usual way brought me to my senses  and showed me - yes, you know a little, you still have lots to learn, understand and experience.

When life started pushing me in all the directions that I did'nt want to go - I felt uncomfortable and I was being forced to learn again and experience different and new things in my life - and this started my learning process again.

As we experience something in our life, many a time it just does not seem to make any sense at all - why is it happening, what does it mean for me, is it good or bad or useful or useless etc. Such questions are valid and everyone generally has similar thoughts. I too have them as I continue with my life journey.

But one truth is hitting me time and again - and impressing upon me. When I look back at my life, I can see clearly nothing was ever lost, there were really no mistakes - what seemed a mistake then does not seem so any longer, the journey at times was difficult, but  life carried on. I  felt overwhelmed at times, but things never reached a breaking point, never a situation where I was forced to give up.

It is becoming more and more apparent to me - life chooses to teach us the lessons we need in its own way. And until we understand life's ways, we keep doubting and this doubt actually increases our effort in learning.

Is it possible for me to learn to Trust Life and know that the best that I need to help me learn my lessons is happening? I am learning to be aware and trust life simply. And as I do this more and more in my life, things are getting easier and falling into place easily, without my having to make elaborate plans.

Another great lesson from life.


Understand the Basics - Using Knowledge

In our life, knowledge is easily available. It comes to us through our education or handed down to us by way of advice from our parents, elders, society, friends, co-workers etc. In addition, we are ourselves learning constantly through our experiences. All this seems excellent - learning is happening, growth is assured and everything is going on fine.

Let's take a step back to look at the situation a little differently. All the "knowledge" and "learnings" that we have, are we using them in the right way in our life. Or for that matter, have we learnt how  are we supposed to use the knowledge that we gather? Are we using them effectively to promote our happiness, wellbeing or for others. Or is it that we feel the knowledge is "mine" to be used for my own "selfish" needs and desires and that means growth.

Growth can never be "alone". It has to be inclusive. If I grow to a great height, and no one around me or connected with me grows at all, then I am in a situation where I am "alone". I am the "only one" there while the rest are somewhere else.

Just imagine how it would feel and the answer would come to you automatically.

Even if we look at our daily lives, most of the things we do supposedly for our own happiness, growth etc - is based on our perceptions of happiness, growth, wellbeing. This is of course further conditioned by what others around us feel about the same things. Even for us to function in this "normal" way, we need the perceptions and if there is no one with us or around us, how would we be getting the "knowledge" or "learnings" or even the "perceptions"?

We are all interdependent and need each other - even to form perceptions. Can you imagine a world where you are the only human, all around you can see plants, trees, insects and animals moving around. No other man in sight, no one to talk to and you know you are the only one. Take a moment to imagine this for yourself and see how you feel.

Generally, we do not realise the value of something we have, something essential to our existence, until that is lost, and then we notice the absence or loss and lament. Can we start looking at some of these basics and see what we have, what is available, what is valuable? and feel grateful for that. This could be a good starting point, where we start making that shift towards a better way of living.

About the Basics

I am in the habit of reading, understanding, gathering wisdom and putting things together in my mind so it becomes useful. But suddenly it struck me - it can happen that we start something, lose our way or focus along the journey and land somewhere else. It would be good to remember and remind ourselves of the "basics" so we know where we are, where we want to go and how we can get there. As I find pieces of wisdom for myself, I will share them here - for those who want it, need it or feel drawn to come here in their search.

My intention is fulfilled if someone somewhere reads and benefits from this. Thank you.

Thursday 7 June 2012

How to become a Leader

How does one become a Leader?

To answer this question, lets see some events which happened in the Mahabharata:

Draupadi had asked a question:"Does a man who has gambled himself have the right to gamble his wife" 

But the real questions to be answered are:
  • Does a king have the right to gamble his kingdom?
  • What gives Yudhishtira the right to gamble his kingdom?


A king is not the owner of the kingdom; he is its custodian.

What is the role of a king? 
  • If the kingdom is a cow that gives milk, then the king is the cowherd. 
  • The king takes care of the kingdom and the kingdom nourishes him. 
  • He defends the kingdom and the kingdom empowers him. 
  • A cowherd cannot exist without a cow and a cow is not safe without a cowherd. 

This is the essence of a king’s role: 
  • to protect the cow 
  • help it produce more calves
  • enable her to multiply and thrive and in the process create more cowherds

This is growth – growth for the cow and growth for the cowherd.

The Pandavas had to suffer 12 years of exile in the forest living in abject poverty followed by a year of humiliation when the former kings had to live in hiding as servants in another king’s palace. During this time, the brothers reach a lake where a heron warns against drinking water until they answer its question; however, the impatient Pandavas drink and die, all expect Yudhishtira. Yudhishtira pauses, answers the questions, and is then allowed to drink. This displays a shift in character. The man who without thinking gambled away his kingdom, is now ready to pause and think and question his actions and listen to good counsel before taking an action. He is suddenly more patient and prudent.

The heron then tells Yudhishtira that only one of his brothers will be brought back from the dead. He is asked to choose. He says “Save Nakula”. The heron asks “Why a weak step-brother, when you might as well save a strong brother like Bhima or a skilled one like Arjuna.” To this Yudhishtira replies, “My father had two wives. I am the son of his first wife (Kunti) and I am alive. Hence, let one son of the second wife (Madri) also live.” 

Here again we see a transformation. Nakula was the first of the five brothers to be gambled away in the game of dice. Thus the unwanted step-brother, who mattered least in the gambling hall, matters most in the forest. 

Yudhishtira has learnt the lessons of Raj-dharma i.e.

It is not about his greatness and grandeur that the crown is placed on his head. He exists for others; he exists for the weakest in his kingdom; he exists to help the helpless. Otherwise, his kingdom is no different from the jungle where might is right.

(Thus, it is all about attitude and to shift attitude one has to be dragged through misery – 13 years of forest exile)


Tuesday 5 June 2012

Paths Are Made By Walking


A rather long article, but my earnest request - please read this to the end, it will take probably 10-15 min of your time. But read this when you are able to give 100% undiluted attention to this wisdom (shared by my friend dr Khushi Varma from Chennai). It will for sure touch you and change you in some way, as it has touched and changed me. 

A simple truth goes straight to the heart and universal truths are always simple. Increasingly, life is teaching me the power and joy of simplicity and how life acquires a different and sacred taste in "simplicity".  

I am dedicating this to all my teachers, masters, friends, colleagues and people in every capacity who have helped me learn and experience what life really is. And I am still learning...the journey goes on.
_____________________________________________________________
Paths Are Made By Walking
--by Nipun Mehta, May 14, 2012

[Offbeat Graduation Speech Gets Standing Ovation: 2012's Baccalaureate speaker at the University of Pennsylvania was an unconventional choice for an Ivy League school. To address their newly-minted graduates, aspiring to dazzling careers, they picked a man who has never in his adult life, applied for a job. A man who hasn't worked for pay in nearly a decade, and whose self-stated mission is simply "to bring smiles to the world and stillness to my heart". This off-the-radar speaker launched his address with a startling piece of advice. Following up with four key insights gleaned from a radical 1000 km walking pilgrimage through the villages of India. As he closed his one-of-a-kind Graduation Day speech, the sea of cap and gowned students rose to their feet for a standing Thank you to my distinguished friends, President Amy Gutmann, Provost Vincent Price and Rev. Charles Howard for inviting me to share a few reflections on this ovation. What follows is the full transcript of the talk by Nipun Mehta. --DailyGood Editors]
 
joyous occasion.  It is an honor and privilege to congratulate you -- UPenn’s class of 2012. 
 
Right now each one of you is sitting on the runway of life primed for takeoff. You are some of the world's most gifted, elite, and driven college graduates – and you are undeniably ready to fly.  So what I’m about to say next may sound a bit crazy.  I want to urge you, not to fly, but to – walk.  Four years ago, you walked into this marvelous laboratory of higher learning. Today, heads held high, you walk to receive your diplomas.  Tomorrow, you will walk into a world of infinite possibilities. 
 
But walking, in our high-speed world, has unfortunately fallen out of favor.  The word “pedestrian” itself is used to describe something ordinary and commonplace.  Yet, walking with intention has deep roots.  Australia's aboriginal youth go on walkabouts as a rite of passage; Native American tribes conduct vision quests in the wilderness; in Europe, for centuries, people have walked the Camino de Santiago, which spans the breadth of Spain.  Such pilgrims place one foot firmly in front of the other, to fall in step with the rhythms of the universe and the cadence of their own hearts. 
 
Back in 2005, six months into our marriage, my wife and I decided to “step it up” ourselves and go on a walking pilgrimage.  At the peak of our efforts with ServiceSpace, we wondered if we had the capacity to put aside our worldly success and seek higher truths.  Have you ever  thought of something and then just known that it had to happen? It was one of those things.  So we sold all our major belongings, and bought a one-way ticket to India.  Our plan was to head to Mahatma Gandhi’s ashram, since he had always been an inspiration to us, and then walk South.  Between the two of us, we budgeted a dollar a day, mostly for incidentals -- which meant that for our survival we had to depend utterly on the kindness of strangers.  We ate whatever food was offered and slept wherever place was offered.  
 
Now, I do have to say, such ideas come with a warning: do not try this at home, because your partner might not exactly welcome this kind of honeymoon. :-)
 
For us, this walk was a pilgrimage -- and our goal was simply to be in a space larger than our egos, and to allow that compassion to guide us in unscripted acts of service along the way.  Stripped entirely of our comfort zone and accustomed identities, could we still “keep it real”?  That was our challenge.
 
We ended up walking 1000 kilometers over three months. In that period, we encountered the very best and the very worst of human nature -- not just in others, but also within ourselves.
 
Soon after we ended the pilgrimage, my uncle casually popped the million dollar question at the dinner table: "So, Nipun, what did you learn from this walk?"  I didn't know where to begin.  But quite spontaneously, an acronym -- W-A-L-K -- came to mind, which encompassed the key lessons we had learned, and continue to relearn, even to this day.  As you start the next phase of your journey, I want to share those nuggets with the hope that it might illuminate your path in some small way too.
 
The W in WALK stands for Witness.  When you walk, you quite literally see more.  Your field of vision is nearly 180 degrees, compared to 40 degrees when you’re traveling at 62 mph.  Higher speeds smudge our peripheral vision, whereas walking actually broadens your canvas and dramatically shifts the objects of your attention.  For instance, on our pilgrimage, we would notice the sunrise everyday, and how, at sunset, the birds would congregate for a little party of their own.  Instead of adding Facebook friends online, we were actually making friends in person, often over a cup of hot “chai”.   Life around us came alive in a new way.   
 
A walking pace is the speed of community.  Where high speeds facilitate separation, a slower pace gifts us an opportunity to commune.  
 
As we traversed rural India at the speed of a couple of miles per hour, it became clear how much we could learn simply by bearing witness to the villagers' way of life.   Their entire mental model is different -- the multiplication of wants is replaced by the basic fulfillment of human needs.When you are no longer preoccupied with asking for more and more stuff; then you just take what is given and give what is taken.  Life is simple again.  A farmer explained it to us this way: "You cannot make the clouds rain more, you cannot make the sun shine less.  They are just nature's gifts -- take it or leave it."  
 
When the things around you are seen as gifts, they are no longer a means to an end; they are the meansand the end.  And thus, a cow-herder will tend to his animals with the compassion of a father, a village woman will wait 3 hours for a delayed bus without a trace of anger, a child will spend countless hours fascinated by stars in the galaxy, and finding his place in the vast cosmos.
 
So with today's modernized tools at your ready disposal, don’t let yourself zoom obliviously from point A to point B on the highways of life; try walking the backroads of the world, where you will witness a profoundly inextricable connection with all living things. 
 
The A in WALK stands for Accept.   When walking in this way, you place yourself in the palm of the universe, and face its realities head on. We walked at the peak of summer, in merciless temperatures hovering above 120 degrees.  Sometimes we were hungry, exhausted and even frustrated. Our bodies ached for just that extra drink of water, a few more moments in the shade, or just that little spark of human kindness. Many times we received that extra bit, and our hearts would overflow with gratitude.  But sometimes we were abruptly refused, and we had to cultivate the capacity to accept the gifts hidden in even the most challenging of moments.
 
I remember one such day, when we approached a rest house along a barren highway.  As heavy trucks whizzed past, we saw a sign, announcing that guests were hosted at no charge. “Ah, our lucky day,” we thought in delight.  I stepped inside eagerly.  The man behind the desk looked up and asked sharply, “Are you here to see the temple?” A simple yes from my lips would have instantly granted us a full meal and a room for the night.  But it wouldn’t have been the truth. So instead, I said, “Well, technically, no sir. We’re on a walking pilgrimage to become better people. But we would be glad to visit the temple.”  Rather abruptly, he retorted: “Um, sorry, we can’t host you.”  Something about his curt arrogance triggered a slew of negative emotions. I wanted to make a snide remark in return and slam the door on my way out.  Instead, I held my raging ego in check.  In that state of physical and mental exhaustion, it felt like a Herculean task-- but through the inner turmoil a voice surfaced within, telling me to accept the reality of this moment.
 
There was a quiet metamorphosis in me.  I humbly let go of my defenses, accepted my fate that day, and turned to leave without a murmur.  Perhaps the man behind the counter sensed this shift in me, because he yelled out just then, “So what exactly are you doing again?”  After my brief explanation he said, “Look, I can’t feed you or host you, because rules are rules.  But there are restrooms out in the back.  You could sleep outside the male restroom and your wife can sleep outside the female restroom.”  Though he was being kind, his offer felt like salt in my wounds.  We had no choice but to accept. 
 
That day we fasted and that night, we slept by the bathrooms.  A small lie could’ve bought us an upgrade, but that would’ve been no pilgrimage.  As I went to sleep with a wall separating me from my wife, I had this beautiful, unbidden vision of a couple climbing to the top of a mountain from two different sides.  Midway through this difficult ascent, as the man contemplated giving up, a small sparrow flew by with this counsel, “Don’t quit now, friend.  Your wife is eager to see you at the top.”  He kept climbing. A few days later, when the wife found herself on the brink of quitting, the little sparrow showed up with the same message.  Step by step, their love sustained their journey all the way to the mountaintop. Visited by the timely grace of this vision, I shed a few grateful tears -- and this story became a touchstone not only in our relationship, but many other noble friendships as well.
 
So I encourage you to cultivate equanimity and accept whatever life tosses into your laps -- when you do that, you will be blessed with the insight of an inner transformation that is yours to keep for all of time.
 
The L in WALK stands for Love.  The more we learned from nature, and built a kind of inner resilience to external circumstances, the more we fell into our natural state -- which was to be loving.  In our dominant paradigm, Hollywood has insidiously co-opted the word, but the love I’m talking about here is the kind of love that only knows one thing -- to give with no strings attached.  Purely.  Selflessly. 
 
Most of us believe that to give, we first need to have something to give.  The trouble with that is, that when we are taking stock of what we have, we almost always make accounting errors.  Oscar Wilde once quipped, “Now-a-days, people know the price of everything, but the value of nothing.”  We have forgotten how to value things without a price tag.  Hence, when we get to our most abundant gifts -- like attention, insight, compassion -- we confuse their worth because they’re, well, priceless.  
 
On our walking pilgrimage, we noticed that those who had the least were most readily equipped to honor the priceless.  In urban cities, the people we encountered began with an unspoken wariness: “Why are you doing this?  What do you want from me?”   In the countryside, on the other hand, villagers almost always met us with an open-hearted curiosity launching straight in with: “Hey buddy, you don’t look local.  What’s your story?”  
 
In the villages, your worth wasn’t assessed by your business card, professional network or your salary. That innate simplicity allowed them to love life and cherish all its connections.  
 
Extremely poor villagers, who couldn’t even afford their own meals, would often borrow food from their neighbors to feed us.  When we tried to refuse, they would simply explain: “To us, the guest is God.  This is our offering to the divine in you that connects us to each other.”  Now, how could one refuse that?  Street vendors often gifted us vegetables; in a very touching moment, an armless fruit-seller once insisted on giving us a slice of watermelon.  Everyone, no matter how old, would be overjoyed to give us directions, even when they weren’t fully sure of them. :)  And I still remember the woman who generously  gave us water when we were extremely thirsty -- only to later discover that she had to walk 10 kilometers at 4AM to get that one bucket of water. These people knew how to give, not because they had a lot, but because they knew how to love life.  They didn’t need any credit or assurance that you would ever return to pay them back.  Rather, they just trusted in the pay-it-forward circle of giving.
 
When you come alive in this way, you'll realize that true generosity doesn’t start when you have something to give, but rather when there’s nothing in you that’s trying to take.  So I hope that you will make all your precious moments an expression of loving life.
 
And lastly, the K in WALK stands for Know Thyself. 
 
Sages have long informed us that when we serve others unconditionally, we shift from the me-to-the-we and connect more deeply with the other.  That matrix of inter-connections allows for a profound quality of mental quietude.  Like a still lake undisturbed by waves or ripples, we are then able to see clearly into who we are and how we can live in deep harmony with the environment around us.
 
When one foot walks, the other rests.  Doing and being have to be in balance. 
 
Our rational mind wants to rightfully ensure progress, but our intuitive mind also needs space for the emergent, unknown and unplanned to arise.   Doing is certainly important, but when we aren't aware of our internal ecosystem, we get so vested in our plans and actions, that we don't notice the buildup of mental residue.  Over time, that unconscious internal noise starts polluting our motivations, our ethics and our spirit.  And so, it is critical to still the mind. A melody, after all, can only be created with the silence in between the notes. 
  
As we walked -- witnessed, accepted, loved -- our vision of the world indeed grew clearer.  That clarity, paradoxically enough, blurred our previous distinctions between me versus we, inner transformation versus external impact, and selfishness versus selflessness. They were inextricably connected. When a poor farmer gave me a tomato as a parting gift, with tears rolling down his eyes, was I receiving or giving?  When sat for hours in silent meditation, was the benefit solely mine or would it ripple out into the world?  When I lifted the haystack off an old man's head and carried it for a kilometer, was I serving him or serving myself?
 
Which is to say, don't just go through life -- grow through life. It will be easy and tempting for you to arrive at reflexive answers -- but make it a point, instead, to acknowledge mystery and welcome richquestions ... questions that nudge you towards a greater understanding of this world and your place in it.
 
That’s W-A-L-K.  And today, at this momentous milestone of your life, you came in walking and you will go out walking.   As you walk on into a world that is increasingly aiming to move beyond the speed of thought, I hope you will each remember the importance of traveling at the speed of thoughtfulness. I hope that you will take time to witness our magnificent interconnections. That you will accept the beautiful gifts of life even when they aren’t pretty, that you will practice loving selflessly and strive to know your deepest nature. 
 
I want to close with a story about my great grandfather.  He was a man of little wealth who still managed to give every single day of his life.  Each morning, he had a ritual of going on a walk -- and as he walked, he diligently fed the ant hills along his path with small pinches of wheat flour.  Now that is an act of micro generosity so small that it might seem utterly negligible, in the grand scheme of the universe.  How does it matter?  It matters in that it changed him inside.  And my great grandfather's goodness shaped the worldview of my grandparents who in turn influenced that of their children -- my parents.   Today those ants and the ant hills are gone, but my great grandpa’s spirit is very much embedded in all my actions and their future ripples. It is precisely these small, often invisible, acts of inner transformation that mold the stuff of our being, and bend the arc of our shared destiny. 
 
__._,_.___On your walk, today and always, I wish you the eyes to see the anthills and the heart to feed them with joy. 
 
May you be blessed. Change yourself -- change the world.

Saturday 2 June 2012

Are You Really Successful?


Are You Really Successful?
Check Out Your Score of Success After Reading This Article
Success: Wide Spectrum Paradigm
Success paradigms have a very wide spectrum. Seen as rich, turning into celebrity, becoming popular, getting known, seen as influential or recognition of your high status are pretty common success criteria for a very large number of people. In a way, this means that you tend to feel successful when other people acknowledge that you are successful. It may be out of your approval addiction. Even if you are not approval addict, you, on your own (irrespective of what others think), may also feel successful if you achieve certain degrees of any one or more of these things. However, even in here, if large majority of others think that achieving the degrees of success you have achieved in the parameters listed above are not good enough for you to be recognized as successful, your own assessment of yourself as being successful may get diminished in your own mind. Again, approval addiction, may be of lower order.
Also, if you have all of these (rich, celebrity, popular, known, influential, status) as per your assessment and others also recognize that you have achieved all of these but your own child thinks that you have neglected him/her all through his/her life and he/she hates you for that; are you really successful?
You have all of these (rich, celebrity, popular, known, influential, status) as per your and others’ assessment but you have treated your spouse in a such a derogatory manner that she/he is on the brink of asking for divorce or running away with another person; are you really successful?
You have all of these (rich, celebrity, popular, known, influential, status) but when your father or mother needs you most in his/her sickness or any other trying situation and you are away on your business all the time and grossly neglect him/her; are you really successful?
You have all of these (rich, celebrity, popular, known, influential, status), but fight tooth and nail with your brother(s) and/or sister(s) to meet some selfish ends and severe all the relationships, are you really successful?
You have all of these (rich, celebrity, popular, known, influential, status), but you did not look after your children's education, development and growth and because of this negligence, they ended up without any decent education, grew with skewed values, got into drugs and other bad habits, have become irresponsible and undisciplined, are you really successful?
You have all of these (rich, celebrity, popular, known, influential, status), but you wife has not grown much after her marriage with you since you have not supported her enough as a husband, are you really successful?
You have all of these (rich, celebrity, popular, known, influential, status), but you have not acquired and assimilated the proper education to develop yourself into a cultured and refined human being and constantly brag about yourself, belittle others and are in a habit of ill-treating and insulting the people, are you really successful?
You have all of these (rich, celebrity, popular, known, influential, status), but you have fallen into becoming a drunkard, a junkie, a womanizer, smuggler, bootlegger etc (even though the charges might not have been legally or socially acknowledged or confirmed), are you really successful?
You have all of these (rich, celebrity, popular, known, influential, status), but you have got into habit of saving your face by impressing upon people that you are successful or better than them or many others and in the process you have to act, pretend, fake or camouflage (meaning that you are not a genuine person), are you really successful?
You have all of these (rich, celebrity, popular, known, influential, status) but a large section of people also throw rotten eggs or shoes at you or in extreme case, plan to kill you or even kill you because you have antagonized them harshly, unreasonably and unethically; are you really successful?
You have all these (rich, celebrity, popular, known, influential, status) but you have been corrupt and greedy and have amassed money illegitimately (though may or may not have been caught doing so by law or by people); are you really successful?
You have all these (rich, celebrity, popular, known, influential, status) but have misguided the people dependent on you, manipulated and exploited them to achieve your personal interests, took wrong decisions affecting the people (and have not been caught by law or by people), are you really successful?
You have all these (rich, celebrity, popular, known, influential, status) but you have been responsible for hurting people physically or mentally or financially because of which those people suffered grossly in their life (and you have not been caught by law or people and you still live a high brow life shamelessly), are you really successful?
You have all these (rich, celebrity, popular, known, influential, status) but your thinking, advices, decisions and actions have led to careless accidents, skirmishes, battles and wars killing civilian and military people, are you really successful?
You have all these (rich, celebrity, popular, known, influential, status) but your thinking, advices, decisions and actions have led to provide, illegally or legally, such goods and services whose production, distribution, disposal and consumption pollute the environment and adversely affect the people health wise and economically, are you really successful?
You have all these (rich, celebrity, popular, known, influential, status) but your thinking, advices, decisions and actions have led the prices of basic human requirements like essential food stuff, water, education and health care soar sky high to the extent that the citizens of the country/world cannot afford them, are you really successful?
You have all these (rich, celebrity, popular, known, influential, status) but you have, in fact, bought all of these by manipulating/lobbying unscrupulously the power, the people and the media and it has not come to you by adopting natural, ethical and legal course, are you really successful?
You have all these (rich, celebrity, popular, known, influential, status) but you are not able to look after your health due to variety of reasons though within your control and therefore, you are perennially physically, intellectually, mentally, emotionally or spiritually sick causing troubles to yourself and people around you, are you really successful?

URL: http://wow-idea.blogspot.com/
author Shyam Bhatawdekar

Cheers!

Sulochana
Any day above ground is a good day! :-)

Friday 1 June 2012

Two Wolves


One evening an old Cherokee Indian told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people. He  said, "My son, the battle is between two "wolves" inside us all…

One is Evil. It is:
  • anger
  • arrogance
  • ego
  • envy
  • false pride
  • fear
  • greed
  • guilt
  • inferiority
  • jealousy
  • lies
  • regret
  • resentment
  • self-pity
  • sorrow
  • superiority
 
The other is Good. It is:
  • benevolence
  • compassion
  • empathy
  • ethics
  • faith
  • generosity
  • humility
  • integrity
  • joy
  • kindness
  • laughter
  • love
  • passion
  • peace
  • serenity
  • trust
  • truthfulness

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: "Which wolf wins?"

The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."

Monday 28 May 2012

My Scooty.... My Teacher


Hi Friends,
Sharing with you something  very simple and practical. In case, there is a bit of skeptism in your mind about the theory, I hope this experience will wipe it off. It was indeed an AH-HA factor for me!

The theory of what I am going to share with you is not new at all however, the experience surely is.
With the roads , metro work and the rickshaw drivers refusing to ply short distance, I decided to take up  scooty riding lessons. It’s been 5 days now and the experience has been quite interesting.

So, here I go……..I take the scooty in an open ground and practice on it for half an hour. One the first day, it was quite scary and I would look at the stones and other hurdles. The first thought that would come to my mind  “Oh, I should Not go over it” and  this happened quite often not only with the stones, but with the craters, roots of trees , water hose to name a few and invariably I would go over them(I am sure this happened with all of us) .  I also dashed into a teenage boy who did not get hurt but I got utterly shaken up. In retrospect, this was quite interesting ….I thought. The next day, I came up with a plan to save myself and others from the terror of  a terrified rider on a  teeny weeny scooty.

Next day, I started off as usual and in the entire half and hour I did not bump on any of the stones , roots,  water hose or any uncles and aunts who were on their morning walks.

What was the reason.. not that I have mastered riding the scooty..

The tactic was very simple. I simply had to replace the command triggers from  my mind of  “ I should not go over it”  to   “ I will go on the smooth path ” at the sight of the smallest of the hurdles.  So, replacing the  “NO” with “what I wanted”  did the trick. It was all about where I put my energies in! And this is  precisely what  POSITIVE THINKING was and is all about as a very simple and real life example. One can extrapolate it to any of the life’s wants and drives and am sure "living kingsize" would not be a dream anymore!
So dear friends, let’s start asking for what we want to the universe instead of What should NOT have happened to us or What we DO NOT WANT”
Negative Thoughts
Replace with Positive ones
So much problems and miseries I have to face. Pls GOD get the miseries out of my life
I want peace and happiness always
Why don’t you understand
Let’s see how we can understand better/ I want a beautiful relationship.
It’s not my fault
Let’s look for solutions/ I want win win  solutions
I am being treated very badly by my spouse, mother in law, son, teacher etc..
I am happy to have a home, a family an educator, an offspring. I will make my life beautiful.
Oh GOD , I don’t want to flunk the exams
I want to pass with flying colours

Food for Thought: Before signing off as good read,  ask yourself  a question: Where will I put my energies today?

Cheers to Life
Sulochana Prashant Amin


Sunday 27 May 2012

Dementia


Most of us start worrying about dementia after retirement - and that may be too little, too late. Experts say that if you really want to ward off dementia, you need to start taking care of your brain in your 30s and 40s - or even earlier.

"More and more research is suggesting that lifestyle is very important to your brain's health," says Dr. Paul Nussbaum, a neuropsychologist and an adjunct associate professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. "If you want to live a long, healthy life, then many of us need to start as early as we can."

So what can you do to beef up your brain - and possibly ward off dementia?  Nussbaum, who recently gave a speech on the topic for the Winter Park (Fla.) Health Foundation, offers 20 tips that may help.



1.
Join clubs or organizations that need volunteers.  If you start  volunteering now, you won't feel lost and unneeded after you retire. 

2.
Develop a hobby or two.  Hobbies help you develop a robust brain because you're trying something new and complex. 

3.
Practise writing with your non-dominant hand several minutes everyday.  This will exercise the opposite side of your brain and fire up those neurons. 

4.
Take dance lessons. In a study of nearly 500 people, dancing was the only regular physical activity associated with a significant decrease in the incidence of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease.  The people who danced three or four times a week showed 76 percent less incidence of dementia than those who danced only once a week or not at all. 

5.
Need a hobby? Start gardening.  Researchers in New Zealand found that, of 1,000 people, those who gardened regularly were less likely to suffer from dementia!  Not only does gardening reduce stress, but gardeners use their brains to plan gardens; they use visual and spatial reasoning to lay out a garden. 

6.
Walking daily can reduce the risk of dementia because cardiovascular health is important to maintain blood flow to the brain.  Or...Buy a pedometer and walk 10,000 steps a day. 

7.
Read and write daily. Reading stimulates a wide variety of brain areas that process and store information.  Likewise, writing (not copying) stimulates many areas of the brain as well. 

8.
Start knitting. Using both hands works both sides of your brain.  And it's a stress reducer. 

9.
Learn a new language. Whether it's a foreign language or sign language,you are working your brain by making it go back and forth between one language and the other.  A researcher in England found that being bilingual seemed to delay symptoms of Alzheimer's disease for four years.  And some research suggests that the earlier a child learns sign language, the higher his IQ - and people with high IQs are less likely to have dementia. So start them early. 

10.
Play board games such as Scrabble and Monopoly.  Not only are you taxing your brain, you're socializing too.  Playing solo games, such as solitaire or online computer brain games can be helpful, but Nussbaum prefers games that encourage you to socialize too. 

11.
Take classes throughout your lifetime.  Learning produces structural and chemical changes in the brain, and education appears to help people live longer.  Brain researchers have found that people with advanced degrees live longer - and if they do have Alzheimer's, it often becomes apparent only in the very later stages of the disease. 

12.
Listen to classical music.  A growing volume of research suggests that music may hard wire the brain, building links between the two hemispheres. Any kind of music may work, but there's some research thatshows positive effects for classical music, though researchers don't understand why. 

13.
Learn a musical instrument. It may be harder than it was when you were a kid, but you'll be developing a dormant part of your brain. 

14.
Travel. When you travel (whether it's to a distant vacation spot or on a different route across town), you're forcing your brain to navigate a new and complex environment.  A study of London taxi drivers found experienced drivers had larger brains because they have to store lots of information about locations and how to navigate there. 

15.
Pray. Daily prayer appears to help your immune system.  And people who attend a formal worship service regularly live longer and report happier, healthier lives. 

16.
Learn to meditate.  It's important for your brain that you learn to shut out the stresses of everyday life. 

17.
Get enough sleep. Studies have shown a link between interrupted sleep and dementia. 

18.
Eat more foods containing Omega-3 fatty acids: Salmon, sardines, tuna, ocean trout, mackerel or herring, plus walnuts (which are higher in omega 3sthan salmon) and flaxseed. Flaxseed oil, cod liver oil and walnut oil are good sources too. 

19.
Eat more fruits and vegetables. Antioxidants in fruits and vegetables mop up some of the damage caused by free radicals, one of the leading killers of brain cells.

20.
Eat at least one meal a day with family and friends.  You'll slow down, socialize, and research shows you'll eat healthier food than if you ate alone or on the go.

           
Doing all 20 things listed above and you will not find enough time in your life to fit in dementia as well: in other words, "continue to do all the things that you already do and you will have covered most of the things listed!"

Are you inviting Pain in your life?


Don't feel the work you are doing is pain, because there is always a 
reason for that pain or work.


"Don't ask for a lighter load, but pray god for a stronger back" 
Every pain brings with it suffering, possibility to learn and grow in life. 

________________________________________________________________________

What is Pain. Simply speaking, a magnified form of any emotion can be regarded as Pain. It could be physical or emotional.

Body Injuries, dysfunctions and even working out in the Gym or excessive physical activity can result in physical pain. Rest normally restores the body and pain disappears. Body dysfunctions may require treatments.

Emotional pain – loss of a dear one, major disappointments in life, not getting what you yearn for, insults, boredom etc all of these can cause varying degrees of emotional pain. How do you deal with this pain. The source here is our own thoughts. Of course the triggering factor could be an external event, but what next. Do we need to continue suffering this pain or is there a way out.

Simply - pain is nothing but trapped energy. Whether emotional or physical, life energy trapped and not flowing smoothly through our energy channels (Chakra’s and Naadi’s) causes pain. Once the organs and parts of our body get depleted because of the blockages, functional problems and diseases come in. 

So what can you do about it. Various holistic methods like Yoga, energy healing (reiki, pranic healing, bioenergetics), massages, working on the conscious and subconscious mind levels, meditations etc can provide a way to understand these blockages and the causes. Sometimes the awareness & understanding that comes out of practising these techniques is enough to restore balance and pain disappears magically. Depending on how severe the pain is, how long it has taken to manifest in your system, healing may take more or less time.

Look at pain as a learning opportunity. It is pointing to something in your life, daily schedule, thoughts etc which is not ok and not good for you. 

P -  Pay 
A -  Attention
 I  -  In The 
N -  Now

It is giving you a message - look at me, correct what needs to be corrected and then I don't need to be here. 


Saturday 26 May 2012

Life as a Journey

Hi my friends....for a long time, I was planning to have a forum where we can all as a group start interacting and sharing and learning and growing - all at the same time.

Life is a great journey. Most of us don't understand some basic truths about life and as a result, feel trapped and struggle with life. Life becomes a miserable experience for them.

Can I do something about it. Or am I destined to remain trapped and miserable forever. Is this how life is meant to be. Do I have any freedom to have a different life.

The answers to such questions come when we embark upon our own journey to embrace life in its totality, accept everything the way it is and then work on changing things one at a time and start looking at life differently.

I know of people who have experienced nothing short of miracles in their journey, so have I.

I would like to dedicate this so people can share, help & support each other - we all grow together.

Life is fun. Doing things together is fun. Relationships add great depth to life experiences. I welcome you all to join me on this life journey.

We don't know where we are going, where we will be at the end of our life. But we know this for sure, unless we take charge and get things in order, we will not be able to enjoy life.

Love & Light
Ramesh

Popular Posts