Stop expecting the mind to give up trying to make us give up
When we resolve to do something positive and fail, the mind may dishearten us, “You can’t do it. Just give up.” We may still persevere, [...]
The mind’s triggering may be uncontrollable, but our triggering can be controllable
When a mother and a child are going out for some work, the child may become fearful on seeing something. But the mother needs to [...]
Move from mindlessness to mindfulness by minding the mind
We sometimes act mindlessly, that is, we act without thinking, being impelled by our impulsive mind. The word mind has many meanings: in mindless, the [...]
Tap the mind’s power – don’t be trapped by the mind’s power
We all know of powerful things that can help or harm. Consider electricity, for example. It can heat, cool, cook, transport and illuminate. But if [...]
Tolerance towards the mind’s intolerance imprisons us in impotence
Suppose a tolerant group is interacting with an intolerant group. The tolerant may say, “You can do what you want; I won’t impose my way [...]
The instrumental self is not the self – it is the instrument to the self
One of the most intriguing Bhagavad-gita verses states: Elevate the self with the self, don’t degrade the self with the self; the self is the [...]
The mind makes us serious about the frivolous and frivolous about the serious
Our mind often skews our sense of perspective – it makes us serious about the frivolous and frivolous about the serious. Serious about the frivolous: [...]
The mind may be confused, but we don’t have to let it confuse us
Suppose while we are working we find a colleague suddenly starts mumbling something. If what they are saying doesn’t make sense, we might try to [...]
The mind should do our work, not make us do its work
Suppose we need to know some information and so open the browser on our phone to visit a particular site. But while going there, suppose [...]
The mind often acts mindlessly – mind it
In common parlance, the word “mind” has multiple meanings such as attention (“Mind your head”) or intelligence (“Don’t act mindlessly”). In the Bhagavad-gita, the mind [...]
Don’t give the mind monopoly over your inner conversation
Our mind carries on a continuous one-way conversation inside us. It allures, grumbles, distracts. Using subtle suggestions or imperious instructions or anything in between, it [...]
The mind is like a dog that barks but can’t bite – unless we let it
A dog that barks ferociously can terrify passers-by. Their fear disappears, however, if they come to know that the dog barks loudly, but can’t bite. [...]
Build roads, not roadblocks
Suppose someone had to go to a place that wasn’t accessible by road. We would expect them to clear a path to get there. If [...]
Don’t just talk about yourself – talk to yourself
People who like to talk about themselves can come off as egotistic when they describe their successes and as whiners when they explain (away) their [...]
Unconscious decisions are usually unhealthy decisions
Suppose we suddenly feel hungry. Nearby, we might have some snacks – some fatty, some non-fatty. If we consciously contemplate what we are doing, we [...]
Use breaks to break the mind’s spell on you
Our mind is like a spell-casting magician. When a magician spell-binds a person, the victim simply does whatever the magician orders: “Stand, jump; walk on [...]
If Krishna is not our goal, we hit self-goals
We all want success and happiness. But just the desire or even the ability to succeed is not enough – we need to have the [...]
The mind is a universe – not everything in it is relevant
The universe’s vastness and our smallness render irrelevant much of what happens in the universe. We don’t let, say, a comet shooting through the solar [...]
Absent-minded means not that the mind is absent, but that our control on it is absent
In common parlance, the word ‘mind’ refers to one’s attention, as in, “Give your full mind to what you are doing.” In the Bhagavad-gita’s philosophical [...]
Don’t just hear the mind – mind what you hear
The mind often misdirects our energy. It makes us crave for trivial things or makes us worry about things that haven’t materialized and may never [...]
We are in the driver’s seat – but are we?
In the well-known body-car metaphor, the soul is the driver of the bodily car. Though we are in the driver’s position, we aren’t always in [...]