Did Arjuna exhibit fight-or-flight response at the start of the Bhagavad-gita?
When we encounter something unfamiliar, we often try to make sense of it by placing it in some familiar conceptual framework. Using such an approach, [...]
How the Gita’s provocative setting tests the readiness of its readers
The Bhagavad-gita’s setting can seem provocative. A warrior, Arjuna, has second thoughts about fighting a fratricidal war. Arjuna seems so considerate, even compassionate. In disturbing [...]
How to raise the quality of our questions
Most of our questions arise from our circumstances — and therein, we usually find answers too. But some questions have no answers at the circumstantial [...]
Raising the quality of our questions
If we wish to improve the quality of our life, we need to begin by improving the quality of our questions. We may classify the [...]
Does gratitude decrease our motivation to make things better?
Some people fear, “If I keep feeling good about the present, won’t it take away my motivation for seeking a better future?” Not necessarily; just [...]
When the world is a place of distress how should we deal with distress in our life?
When the Bhagavad-gita (08.15) deems the world a place of distress (dukhalaya), what does this imply for our efforts to combat distress in our life? [...]
Responding to adversity — Resentful? Regretful? Or grateful?
When adversity befalls us, we don’t have much choice about what has already happened. But we do have a choice about how we respond. Our [...]
The difference between humiliation and humility
Humility is sometimes seen negatively because it is equated with humiliation. But they are hugely different – as different as are starving and fasting. Starving [...]
Thinking tanking thanking — moving from pessimism to optimism
At any given time in our life, we all can list several things that are wrong. And we often need to be aware of those [...]
When appreciating life’s good things doesn’t foster gratitude …
We may have heard that gratitude arises when we appreciate the good things in our life. But what if such appreciation doesn’t foster gratitude? We [...]
How our worldview shapes our capacity to be grateful
Many people recognize that gratitude is a quality worth cherishing, for it promotes emotional health and overall well-being. But not many people recognize that our [...]
How to feel grateful when we are not successful
When our endeavors don’t lead to success, how can we cultivate gratitude? By contemplating what really matters for us. Aiding such contemplation, Gita wisdom offers [...]
Dissatisfaction: cause and cure
We could divide the world around us into two categories: the things we have and the things we don’t have. Whenever we see something desirable [...]
Four stages in self-transformation
How can we assess our progress toward self-transformation? By noting the process we go through before making choices, both healthy and unhealthy. If we identify [...]
How to feel grateful when we don’t feel grateful
To cultivate gratitude, we need to expand our conception of what it is. Gratitude as an emotion: While gratitude is certainly an emotion, it is [...]
Wanting our wants or valuing our values?
When we try to improve ourselves, we often need to fight against our wants, especially those that are unhealthy or disproportionate. Yet we seem to [...]
How not to cultivate gratitude
We all know the importance of cultivating gratitude. And we all have in our life at least some good things that we should feel grateful [...]
When we can’t give up an unhealthy habit …
If an unhealthy habit keeps recurring despite our best efforts, how can we progress in self-transformation? By changing our attitude toward that habit: we can [...]
Holding on to the Krishna anchor
Suppose someone is lost in an ocean and is being tossed around by the waves. If they are fortunate enough to find an anchor that [...]
Why we may relapse into unhealthy behaviors
When we succeed in giving up some unhealthy behavior, we usually feel encouraged, even delighted. But then seemingly out of the blue, we relapse. When [...]
When self-talk is counterproductive and when productive
Self-talk can refer to two broad things: Something inside us talks to us: We all have a voice inside us that keeps commenting about the [...]