The power of inspiration and motivation
Whenever we try to do something wonderful or even worthwhile, we often get caught in ourselves: our struggles, our successes, our failures. Being thus caught, [...]
How to use the fault-finding mentality constructively
Some of us may have an innate tendency to notice the things that are wrong in anything we see. Significantly, this tendency can be seen [...]
Why imposing our spirituality on others is wrong
Suppose a boy proposes to a girl. Suppose further that she refuses — and he reacts by threatening her with a gun, thus compelling her [...]
Failing to learn from our failures?
Suppose we try to do something important and make a mistake that leads to our failure. But that failure, no matter how severe, won’t ruin [...]
Should we expose things that don’t work?
Suppose we have a sense of social responsibility and a zeal for social reform — we will naturally observe things in the world around us [...]
How to face overwhelming problems
When we face a huge problem, we may feel overwhelmed: “How can I ever tackle this?” What makes a problem seem overwhelming? Frequently, our perception [...]
When life seems to say ‘no’ to us
Suppose we invest a lot of effort in actualizing a particular aspiration — be it a career or a relationship or a calling — but [...]
Why arrogance is worse than the mere absence of humility
The Mahabharata describes how Duryodhana had lived lifelong with habitual hubris, neglecting or rejecting the counsel of wise elders, and choosing to pursue his own [...]
Aiming to be trouble-free? Think again
We don’t like trouble. To try to avoid problems reflects not only a sound survival instinct, but also an alert intelligence. For example, if we [...]
Gita 5.16 explained
Now in next verse Lord Sri Krishna will tell us how we become free from ignorance: Bg 5.16 jñānena tu tad ajñānaṁ yeṣāṁ nāśitam ātmanaḥ [...]
The power of words: be aware and beware
When we use something regularly, we may forget how powerful it is. Consider electricity. As it is widely available, we tend to forget its importance [...]
How atheism affects our actions
We all pursue the things that we desire and we avoid the things that we fear. Let’s consider how desire and fear are affected by [...]
Slaying the enemy of self-doubt
Whenever we try to do anything worthwhile, be it external or internal, we are often confronted by some people who doubt us: “You won’t be [...]
Spitting at destiny? Bad idea
Suppose we are walking peacefully on a road and are suddenly hit by a hailstone. Suppose we get angry at the sky and decide to [...]
Dealing with temptation — a positive approach
When dealing with temptation, we often focus on saying no to it; we may even define our self-worth by our success in resisting it. Thereafter, [...]
Three benefits of hearing open-mindedly
When someone disagrees with us, especially on an issue that is important to us, we may feel threatened. Consequently, we may hear them primarily to [...]
Why we fall to temptation — a deeper analysis
Suppose we resolve repeatedly to give up some temptation, but still succumb again and again. Becoming dejected, we may conclude, “This temptation is too strong; [...]
The problem with doing whatever we like
Suppose we are studying for an important exam the next day. Suppose further that success in this exam can launch our career in a field [...]
Are you someone you would want to live with lifelong?
If our partner is someone we can’t live with, that would make our life miserable. How much greater would be our misery if we had [...]
When the mind’s greed masquerades as the body’s need …
Suppose our car fuel indicator alerted us that our gas tank was becoming empty. We would naturally seek a gas station. But suppose we noticed [...]
How to boost our self-esteem
Suppose a person is suffering from a disease and is feeling gloomy. Suppose they assure themselves, “I am alright.” Such words may trigger some positive [...]