Feckless? Reckless? Fearless
Fear is often a significant inhibitor, preventing us from engaging in enterprising activities that may be necessary to fulfill our potentials and do justice to [...]
Two steps to develop inner accountability
When we strive for inner change through purification, it can be a long and laborious journey with many twists, turns, and even u-turns. Sometimes negative [...]
Is this relationship healthy or unhealthy?
When we are trying to develop a closer relationship with someone, we may naturally ask ourselves: Is this relationship healthy or unhealthy? To answer, we [...]
A free entry-pass into our consciousness?
Suppose we were organizing a special event at an elite theater. Would we give a free entry pass to everyone wandering around that area? Certainly [...]
The second test of friendship
When we form a friendship with someone, we will sooner or later face the first test of friendship: our readiness to sacrifice for that friendship. [...]
Three kinds of misdeeds
When we commit a wrong, especially after resolving not to, we can become disturbed and discouraged. To atone for our errors and prevent their recurrence, [...]
The difference between consciousness and conscience
Consciousness is the fundamental energy of the soul. The Sanskrit word for it is chetana. If we compare the soul to a flashlight, consciousness is [...]
Two kinds of contentment — and how they are opposite
The sentiment of contentment is sometimes seen negatively. Some people think of it as the symptom of laziness and the cause of stagnation — they [...]
How to deal with trauma
There has been an alarming increase in the number of people, especially war veterans, suffering from PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder). The cause of PTSD is [...]
How to make judgments without being judgmental
Making judgments is a functional necessity in life. We need to make judgments about the kind of people we want to befriend, the habits or [...]
Why self-discipline is essential nowadays …
Our society offers us many avenues for self-destruction. Multiple technological developments have made the exercise of individual freedom much easier. Unfortunately, they have also made [...]
Might mindfulness be more than just awareness?
Mindfulness is often thought of as living in the present: being aware of the various stimuli around us and experiencing life fully. And being present [...]
Forcing ourselves to be grateful?
Cultivating an attitude of gratitude is primarily an internal endeavor, wherein we try to change the default direction of our thoughts. Still, such cultivation can [...]
What does taking shelter of Krishna mean?
We are often conscious of many things in life, and consciousness can be said to be the energy that enables us to become aware of [...]
A mindful autopilot mode?
We often go into an autopilot mode when the things we do during our daily routines don’t require much of our conscious attention — things [...]
Three steps to mindfulness
We may want to become mindful, but may not know clearly how to do so. Here are three tangible steps that we all can adopt [...]
See discipline as a fight for freedom
If someone were to externally impose restraints on us, preventing us from doing something that is important to us, we would vigorously fight to regain [...]
Beyond stereotypes of a wrathful God
Some religious groups portray God as a mighty and scary entity who sits above the clouds and casts thunderbolts to punish sinners. According to them, [...]
Grateful for our weaknesses?
When we strive to cultivate gratitude, one of the most disheartening pitfalls on our path may be our struggles with our weaknesses, especially if those [...]
Gratitude for the past
If we want to cultivate gratitude, we need to review not just the way we look at our present, but also the way we look [...]
Revising what we feel grateful for
When we decide to prioritize the cultivation of gratitude after understanding its importance, we may still run into a significant roadblock. That roadblock may center [...]