How are thoughts and emotions related
Thoughts and emotions are sometimes seen as sequential — when we think steadily about something, we feel emotions in relationship with it. Pertinently, the Bhagavad-gita [...]
Do bad thoughts comprise bad karma?
At one level, yes. Because thinking is also a form of activity, and every activity comes under the jurisdiction of karma, we are accountable for [...]
The law of attraction and Gita wisdom
The law of attraction holds that we attract positive and negative things respectively by cultivating positive or negative thoughts. Is this law true? Why does [...]
Will negative imagination lead to self-fulfilling prophecies?
When a person having unhealthy habits is told to imagine the disasters that may result if they continue with those habits, they worry, “Won’t such [...]
The power of negative imagination
Biologically, we are wired more to fear pain than to savor pleasure. In most enjoyable situations, there’s a self-evident limit to how much pleasure we [...]
Use imagination to reinforce resolution
We sometimes resolve to not do something, yet end up doing that very thing. For example, we may resolve to avoid binging on food, entertainment [...]
How desires differ from emotions — and why the difference matters
When we make resolutions for self-mastery, we are often thwarted by our emotions and desires. Emotions are largely reactive, arising from the things we perceive [...]
How purpose makes pain bearable
Suppose a person dear to us is sick and in great pain. Suppose further the only available doctor is in a noisy, filthy, smelly place [...]
The way to a better future
The future can be better than the present and we can play a part in bringing about that future — this hope empowers us to [...]
When God doesn’t seem to help us …
Suppose we pray to God for help amid difficulty but the difficulty remains. Does that mean God doesn’t care? God does care. However, any care [...]
If we lack freedom or willpower, what can we do?
When we try to do something worthwhile, if external situations hamper us, we may lament our lack of freedom. Or if internal conditionings hamper us, [...]
How our mind can be a double agent
Suppose a country’s intelligence agency needs to do a vital mission for which they need a particular spy. Suppose further they suspect that spy to [...]
The pleasure of being miserable
Pleasure and misery are opposites — how, then, can there be any pleasure in being miserable? Because the mind is a peculiar thing; it can [...]
On parenting the mind
When parents decide to have a child, they know they are taking up a serious responsibility. Undoubtedly, parenting can be enormously fulfilling; yet it can [...]
How our mind misdirects our energies
Suppose a child is trying to heat some water on a stove and starts stoking the fire. But somehow the fire starts spreading beyond the [...]
Are we using our intelligence intelligently?
When we see someone with intelligence far greater than ours (as measured by some parameter such as IQ), we may feel inferior or insecure. We [...]
What does growing up mean?
If someone is whiny, a candid well-wisher may exhort them: “Grow up.” What does it mean? It refers not to physical growth but to emotional [...]
Two ways to deal with resentment
Resentment is a toxic but telling emotion. To understand what it is telling us, we need to attentively analyze its cause. Usually resentment arises from [...]
How can we be grateful when we don’t feel grateful?
When we strive to cultivate gratitude, we often find it elusive. At one moment, we feel grateful; sometime later, we feel the opposite: fearful, fretful, [...]
How to feel grateful when life gets tough?
Here are two thought-exercises: Dwell on the wonders of life: Though life can be demanding, even devastating, it also features much beauty, artistry and sublimity. [...]
Why gratitude is especially difficult in today’s world
Even when we have enough of the things we need, we don’t always feel grateful for them. Why is that? Because we don’t see the [...]