How to see failure positively
When we strive to do anything in life, we naturally want to be successful. It is delightful when we succeed, and our capacity to persevere [...]
When our mind doesn’t cooperate what can we do?
Suppose we are working on an important project, and we have a clear vision of how that project will be executed most efficiently and effectively. [...]
Karma: resignation or responsibility?
When we study the Bhagavad-gita teachings on karma, we may often read into it ideas that are prevalent in contemporary conceptions about karma. Such ideas [...]
How bhakti helps us balance destiny and responsibility
When we adopt a spiritual worldview, especially a devotional theistic worldview, it changes our approach to life, specifically in terms of how we view destiny [...]
How to balance destiny and responsibility
When we face a difficult situation, to what extent do we accept that situation as destiny and to what extent do we take responsibility for [...]
Taking things positively vs taking things nonchalantly
Suppose something bad happens, be it due to our own mistakes or due to factors beyond our control, or due to a combination of both, [...]
How humility empowers amid difficulties
Amid difficulties, our mind tends to propel us between extremes, akin to the extremes of a pendulum. For example, when we are faced with a [...]
Why measurement matters for improvement
When we seek to improve ourselves by developing virtues such as self-control, politeness, or kindness, we often make resolutions that don't sufficiently translate into transformative [...]
Why all motivators don’t have to be models
When we want to change ourselves for the better, we can have two powerful aids: motivators and models. Let's understand their significant and distinct roles. [...]
Why we are NOT defined by our desires
One of the Bhagavad Gita’s most life-transforming insights is its clear, categorical, and consistent emphasis on differentiating between us and our mind. While some of [...]
Fearless = Shameless?
When shame is used to deter people from destructive activities, it can be considered constructive and even desirable. For instance, a few decades ago, smoking [...]
Authentic = Shameless?
When we strive to be authentic by aligning with our true nature, we may face the world’s disapproval or even censure. People around us may [...]
Suppressing emotions vs repressing emotions
When we are trying to discipline and elevate ourselves, we may resort to two unhealthy approaches toward emotions: suppress them or repress them. Although these [...]
What to pray for amid distress
When confronted with a huge problem, especially one that causes acute or unbearable distress, we often desperately turn to God for help. We pray for [...]
Unsustainable and sustainable approaches to purification
When we try to purify ourselves, we soon become acutely aware that there are two parts within us: one part of us — our higher [...]
Insight into inside
Insight usually refers to acquiring a clear vision of something that was previously unclear or inaccessible to our perception. This concept of insight can be [...]
Surviving the earthquake drowning in the tsunami — why suppressing emotions is dangerous
In social circles that value self-control, those people are highly respected who remain calm in a highly provocative situation caused by another person’s outrageous behavior. [...]
When the mind repeats things we don’t want to repeat …
Suppose we try to give up an unwanted habit to indulge in some unhealthy pleasure. Unfortunately, we are often undermined and even sabotaged by the [...]
Why the mind automates repeated actions
Our mind tends to make the repetition of frequently performed actions easier. For example, when we are learning to drive, we may be told to [...]
Two functions of the mind – and its two malfunctions
There is much mystery associated with the mind: what it exactly is and what it exactly does. The Bhagavad-gita's teachings offer us a three-level model [...]
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 [...]