The mind may give us a flashback, but we don’t have to turn back
When we strive to lead a principle-centered life, we sometimes get sudden flashbacks. Some flashbacks are joyful, some painful. The unpleasant flashbacks are often of [...]
Failure is not the enemy of success – it is the entry to success
Some people ask, “When we try to improve ourselves, if we fail repeatedly, how can we avoid becoming discouraged?” By reconceptualizing failure – instead of [...]
Second-guessing ourselves doesn’t reflect caution – it reflects confusion
Suppose we are driving to a particular place and have ascertained the path to get there. If we keep stopping repeatedly on the deserted road [...]
Life is too precious to be wasted in doing perpetual post-mortem operations
When someone dies because of unknown causes, legal authorities often do a post-mortem operation to determine the cause. Similarly, in our life, when things go [...]
We can’t choose our past, but we can choose our memories
When we meet someone who has an ugly scar, that sight may jar us. But once we get to know them and see their good [...]
Don’t let hindsight hinder foresight
Hindsight refers to the lessons we learn from life; it emerges from our reflectiveness to evaluate what we did and what we could have done [...]
Fixing a leaking tank is more important than filling the tank
Suppose we had a leaking tank that we want to keep filled with water. If we keep filling it without fixing the leak, our effort [...]
To have our needs met by being unhappy is unhealthy
Children who have neglectful parents may find that their parents’ give them attention only when they cry. Damaged by such parental neglect, they may develop [...]
Life’s misfortunes are like thorns – don’t press on them; pass through them
Suppose we are walking barefoot and the path turns thorny. If that is the only way to our destination, we will gird ourselves to endure the pain. But we won’t press our foot on the thorns – we will take it off as quickly as possible and pass through.
Worry is the interest we pay on loans we haven’t yet taken
Suppose a friend is worried about paying the interest on a loan. On enquiry, we come to know that they haven’t yet taken that loan. [...]
In worrying about what all may go wrong, we go wrong
Worrying hurts us even before things go wrong, while things are going wrong and after things have gone wrong. Consider a student with a decent [...]
Live in the light of Krishna, not the shadow of death
On hearing the scriptural directive that we should always remember that we might die at any moment, some people ask: “Won’t such morbid thinking make [...]
Set your sight and don’t let phantoms deflect your flight
When a plane streaks through the sky, its speed is often impressive. It achieves that trajectory by setting its sight on the destination right at [...]
Our attachments reflect our capacity for determination
When we are unable to give up our attachments, we may become disheartened, thinking, “I have read so many books, heard so many talks, made [...]
Learning is driven by purposefulness; lamenting, by pointlessness
We all can and should learn from the past. By reviewing what we did, we can analyze what we did right and what we could [...]
Fear is not the problem – fear of what comes after fear is
Fear is a natural human response to danger. When seen as an impetus to be cautious, fear can check us from recklessly charging into danger. [...]
Don’t beat yourself down – pick yourself up
When we make mistakes, we naturally feel annoyed, even infuriated, with ourselves. While these feelings can help if they prompt us to self-improvement, they can [...]
Don’t let imagined problems become real
Suppose a person worries excessively about future financial problems, thereby becoming emotionally paralyzed and unable to work and earn in the present. If we were [...]