Sensual pleasure touts itself as free and then takes toll forever
Many drug dealers give drugs free to gullible kids. Though the drugs may be delivered free, those dealers do take a price: the price of [...]
The world may not value our individuality, but we can and should
Each one of us is an individual, with our own strengths and weaknesses, interests and blind spots, aspirations and anxieties. The constellation of all these [...]
There is more to us than what faces us
Suppose an unarmed civilian is facing an armed aggressor. The odds may seem hopeless. But if they discover that they have a weapon more powerful [...]
Even if we can’t close the door to temptation permanently, we can close it presently
Suppose we live in a thief-infested locality. We will want a strong, permanent lock for our home door. But if somehow we can’t have such [...]
Those who think they aren’t prone to evil are the most prone to evil
When we see someone doing something horrible, we may feel revolted, “How disgusting! I would never do anything like that.” Shock at seeing people do [...]
Stop struggling to turn off the inner darkness, start striving to turn on the inner light
Suppose we are lost in a dark room. We stumble over various things, hurting ourselves. To avoid such trouble, do we try to turn off [...]
If we repeatedly let our mind take us to hell, eventually it won’t let us come back
Addicts often live in their own mental hell. Their mind subjects them to tormenting emotions: unbearable cravings, crippling self-flagellation, utter hopelessness. How do addicts enter [...]
Worrying about the world’s problems is often an excuse for not working on our own problems
Many people worry constantly about world problems such as climate change or discrimination. While these are serious problems that require dedicated action, we need to [...]
Watch yourself as if you are someone you don’t know – self-observation opens the door to self-transformation
Suppose we want to develop a relationship with someone. We will observe them carefully, noting how they behave in various situations, especially in difficult situations. [...]
During our idle time, the mind works overtime
We often look forward to holidays when we can just relax, free from life’s daily grind. But unfortunately, during such breaks, small things get to [...]
Even if we have a million reasons to be resentful, still resentment remains utterly unhelpful and can be horribly harmful
Life is tough. People let us down. Things go downhill for no apparent reason. We ourselves make a mess of things, often against our better [...]
As long as we hide behind ourselves, we can’t challenge ourselves
Suppose we are afraid of some aggressor and choose to hide behind some protector. Later, if our protector starts oppressing us, we won’t be able [...]
Pleasure and pain are both life’s ringtones – don’t keep hearing the tone, start picking up the phone
Suppose our phone rings. Some ringtones are soothing; some, jarring. However, how the ringtone sounds is not as important as what it indicates: that someone [...]
Life may be full of problems, but we don’t have to be one of them
Life is tough. We all face problems. When multiple problems attack us, we may feel overwhelmed, resentful, hopeless. These feelings can induce knee-jerk reactions that [...]
In dealing with our urges, if we don’t consciously choose responsibility, we unconsciously choose slavery
We all treasure our freedom and would fight if someone tried to enslave us. Yet many of us unconsciously let ourselves get enslaved. How? By [...]
We can’t eliminate suffering, but we can cultivate a purpose that makes suffering bearable and meaningful
Consider soldiers fighting to free their country from tyrannical invaders. They are ready to face pain, even death, because the war is deeply meaningful for [...]
Amidst unmanageably distressing times, reduce your working frame to manageable units of time
Sometimes, we face such huge distress that everything seems dark. How can we deal with such times? By reducing our working frame. If we start [...]
Life is a school in which everyone thinks their exam is the toughest
Suppose a school has an examination system in which each student gets a different question paper. The system might seem unfair, but actually, it is [...]
To put ourselves together, put aside the things that pull us apart
Suppose we are driving and come across an intersection with many roads ahead. We need to choose the road that takes us to our destination. [...]
When time becomes unfavorable, don’t become unfavorable to the Lord beyond time
We all go through phases in our life when many things go wrong. While going through such bad times, if we let our attitude go [...]
Even if we can’t see adversity as opportunity, we can still see opportunity in adversity
Some people say, “See every adversity as an opportunity.” While such an exhortation to think positive sounds good and can be helpful, it can be [...]