Focus on life, not on the mind’s commentary about life
Suppose a cricket match is accompanied by a special kind of commentary that is heard not just by the spectators, but also by the players. [...]
Our expectation that nothing should come in our way, often comes in our way
Our culture often glamorizes go-getters who achieve great goals without letting anything come in their way. Captivated by such portrayals, we may resolve to rigidly [...]
Hold your plans lightly, not tightly
Suppose we catch a beautiful butterfly and hold it in our fingers. If we hold it too tightly, fearing that it may slip away, we [...]
To decrease unhealthy reactions, increase healthy reminders
Suppose we have some unhealthy habit such as impulsive overeating. Once some behavior becomes ingrained as a habit, we often react without thinking. If some [...]
Living for the moment is a prescription for chaos at best and calamity at worst
While driving along an expressway, suppose we see something attractive nearby and suddenly take a turn toward it. Other drivers will have to brake forcefully [...]
Never lose faith in your potential to improve, or you will court cowardice and malice
Suppose a patient loses faith in the potential of any treatment to cure them. They will become sicker, suffer more and soon die. What applies [...]
Words are not just vehicles of thought, but also engines of thought
We often think of words as tools for expressing our thoughts. When we expand our vocabulary by memorizing new words, we usually desire to express [...]
Respect the dark within you, to keep it within you
Suppose we had a serious enemy out to destroy us. We couldn’t afford to take them lightly; we would need to treat them with respect. [...]
Even if we can’t control our emotions, we can control the attention we give to our emotions
Suppose some hawker comes near our property and starts peddling their wares. If we pay attention to them, they will start promoting more loudly, excitedly, [...]
Regulate emotion with reason, animate reason with emotion
Reason and emotion are two of our fundamental human faculties. By reason, we can be orderly, logical, consistent. By emotion, we can be creative, intuitive, [...]
To keep fighting battles that are already lost is to be lost
Suppose in a cricket match a batsman had a great opportunity to score on a loose delivery, but somehow they missed that opportunity. They would [...]
Those who fight their inner devils are the ultimate daredevils
Many people like to be daredevils. Wanting a sense of adventure and achievement, they dive into extreme sports. While those living on the edge may [...]
The lesser the structure in our life, the greater the rupture the mind can cause in our life
Our mind is restless (Bhagavad-gita 06.34) – it’s like a child. Children can spend their entire day or even their entire life playing with toys. [...]
To be thoughtful, attribute every thought first to the mind
Our mind is like a thought-factory that churns out thoughts constantly. Most of these thoughts are irrelevant and unproductive, some are dark and destructive, and [...]
Exploiting others’ weaknesses doesn’t make us strong – overcoming our own weaknesses does
Some people see the world primarily in terms of power struggles. They center their life on maneuvering and manipulating to get the upper hand over [...]
Intelligence means to know which thoughts are to be pinned and which to be binned
Suppose we regularly use sticky notes. If too many notes clutter our notice board, we would need to sort them. We would pin those that [...]
The mind is restless, reasonless, ruthless, relentless
Why is controlling the mind so difficult? The Bhagavad-gita (06.34) explains using four describers, which can be summarized as four R’s: Restless (canchala): The mind [...]
Love becomes blind when lust becomes the blindfold
Love is the heart’s deepest aspiration; we all want to love and be loved. Through love, we can establish the sweetest connections with others. Yet, [...]
When a danger is less visible, it leaves us more vulnerable
If we are afflicted by some disease with visible symptoms such as TB, we would seek diagnosis and treatment. But suppose we are afflicted by [...]
Impulse may run over intelligence, but don’t let it take over intelligence
Suppose some invaders attack a fort suddenly. The defenders, being caught unawares, are stunned, and the invaders start plundering the fort. Nonetheless, the defenders soon [...]
Intelligence is the last defense against indulgence – and also the first defense
An important fort usually has multiple layers of defense. The best security is placed at the innermost layer to protect the king. Simultaneously, strong security [...]