When we feel powerless …
The world may make our power less, but it is our mind that makes us feel powerless. Sometimes, the world may put us in situations [...]
Self-importance or importance of the self?
Self-important people are obsessed with the idea of their own greatness in everything that they do. Their sole concern is that everybody knows and remembers [...]
How to not be discouraged by our imperfections
As we function in life, we quickly come to realize our deficiencies and defects. Deficiencies refer to areas in which we can't do things as [...]
Indian Independence Day Special: The Fulfillment of Freedom
The idea of freedom captivates the human mind. Stories of freedom fighters frequently become legends. National independence struggles often become inspirational memories for citizens. Most [...]
Conviction due to courage of conviction?
Suppose we have the courage of conviction — that is, we are convinced about the greatness of a cause and ready to endure difficulties for [...]
Unmasking the sinister strategy of fear
Suppose we are lost in a dangerous forest, trying in vain to find a way back to safety. Suppose further we find a way that [...]
Courage by regulated and regular exposure to fear
Suppose someone has claustrophobia. Whenever they come near an enclosed space such as an elevator, they start feeling immense dread internally, and their body starts [...]
When fear locks our consciousness …
Suppose we face some outer danger, which makes us feel overwhelmed by fear. That a cautionary note sounds inside us in such situations is natural, [...]
Stopping the mind’s horror movie
Suppose we are in our home theater, and we find a horror movie playing on our TV when we had no desire to watch such [...]
How to grow in courage
When we seek to become more courageous, we may believe that we have to uproot fear from our heart. But courage doesn’t require fear to [...]
Courage in the absence of danger?
We all sometimes dream of situations in which we act bravely and offer great help, even life-saving help, to someone in need. Whenever we think [...]
How to be courageous in the presence of fear
Whenever we strive to be courageous, we may think that we need to be free from fear. But this conception of courage and fear as [...]
How to see failure positively
When we strive to do anything in life, we naturally want to be successful. It is delightful when we succeed, and our capacity to persevere [...]
When our mind doesn’t cooperate, what can we do?
Suppose we are working on an important project, and we have a clear vision of how that project will be executed most efficiently and effectively. [...]
Karma: resignation or responsibility?
When we study the Bhagavad-gita teachings on karma, we may often read into it ideas that are prevalent in contemporary conceptions about karma. Such ideas [...]
How bhakti helps us balance destiny and responsibility
When we adopt a spiritual worldview, especially a devotional theistic worldview, it changes our approach to life, specifically in terms of how we view destiny [...]
How to balance destiny and responsibility
When we face a difficult situation, to what extent do we accept that situation as destiny and to what extent do we take responsibility for [...]
The difference between cleverness and wisdom
When we interact with others, we often like to be perceived as lively and witty. Accordingly, we may aspire to come up with clever comments [...]
Effective education: what to NOT focus on
Education requires a dynamic awareness of the level of those being educated. Suppose a math teacher with a triple PhD in calculus is teaching children [...]
Taking things positively vs taking things nonchalantly
Suppose something bad happens, be it due to our own mistakes or due to factors beyond our control, or due to a combination of both, [...]
Taking responsibility for the effects of our speech
When a doctor gives a medicine to a patient, the doctor's intent may be good: to help the patient heal. Though the doctor may carefully [...]