Educated about desires or educated for desires? — Desire management series 7
Suppose we come to know that a pulmonologist died due to chain smoking. Such not atypical news makes us ask: “When they were better educated [...]
What’s wrong with desirelessness? — Desire management series 6
Desires often make us do things we regret. On understanding how desires sabotage us, we may seek to become desireless. However, desirelessness is self-contradictory in [...]
How desire is both the lock and the key — Desire Management series 5
Suppose we are locked in a prison. Suppose further that the lock doubles as a key — say, it is touch locks that if operated [...]
Three ways sensual desires imprison us in misery — Desire management series 4
A prison is essentially a place of restriction — a prisoner’s movements are restricted by the prison walls. But if the restrictions are not as [...]
Why self-awareness matters more than self-discipline — Desire management series 3
Whenever a desire drives us into doing something regrettable, we may think that desire is the problem and self-discipline, the solution. However, the root problem [...]
How our desires shape us far more than we realize — Desire management series 2
Suppose we are driving a car through dark, difficult, dangerous terrain. To drive safely, we need the car’s engine and front lights both to function [...]
How desire takes control of our life — Desire management series 1
Suppose we get into a car and start it to go somewhere. Suppose further that next time when we get into that car, it starts [...]
Why applying what we know is so important
As is often said, knowledge is power. But where exactly does the power of knowledge lie? Not just in its informational content, but in its [...]
How being courageous is different from being fearless
Suppose someone shows no fear even in the presence of great danger. We may appreciate that person as incredibly courageous, but would that lack of [...]
A likely feature of our likely future
Few technological advances have changed our daily lives as much as smartphones. Though phones have made many routine activities easier for us, we may have [...]
Going beyond counting our blessings
Counting our blessings is an oft-recommended activity for cultivating gratitude and positivity: When we count our blessings, we learn to appreciate what we have and [...]
Why counting our blessings is so transformational
Count your blessings – this oft-repeated exhortation can seem cliched. To appreciate its potency, let’s consider two significant benefits of counting our blessings. Feeling enriched: [...]
Three ways to live more effectively
Suppose we are driving a car. If our car map is unclear, if a distracting partner is sitting next to us and if excess baggage [...]
Three practical benefits of remembering Krishna
The Bhagavad-gita repeatedly recommends that we remember the ultimate reality, Krishna. Let’s consider three practical benefits of such remembrance: Clarity: Our inner world is often [...]
Three principles for managing stress
Stress is becoming alarmingly widespread in today’s world. Naturally, people are seeking effective ways to deal with it. Sometimes, acute stress needs to be treated [...]
How to overcome spiritual weakness
When we are spiritually weak, we can’t resist the world's allurements and we get caught in things that don't really matter to us. To overcome [...]
Why spiritual weakness is tougher to detect than physical weakness
What happens when we become physically weak? Many of our normal activities become difficult or even impossible. We can't lift heavy weights; we can’t even [...]
When achievement translates into fulfillment
We all want to do something worthwhile, something that the world will notice and appreciate. Unfortunately, that isn’t easy. What is even more perplexing and [...]
How can we redefine our relationship with failure
Suppose a bully has been terrorizing us for a long time. Suppose further that they are always going to be a part of our life. [...]
Are we living in a hall of mirrors?
Suppose we were in a hall filled with mirrors, most of which are deliberately designed to give a distorted reflection of us. By looking at [...]
How to stop struggling with our feelings?
We often find ourselves obstructed by our feelings, as when we feel bored, annoyed, perplexed, frustrated, enraged, lonely, misunderstood, neglected, rejected, tormented, discouraged or defeated. [...]