Happiness comes not by maximizing our possessions, but by minimizing our attachments
Today’s materialistic culture makes us believe that the more possessions we have, the happier we will be. However, such “happiness” lasts only as long as [...]
Doing things efficiently is good, but doing unnecessary things efficiently isn’t
Suppose we are traveling by a flight that allows us 50 pounds luggage. We meticulously organize the things that we need to carry, placing them [...]
Those who stay upset about what they don’t have waste what they do have
Suppose a person with artistic talent craves and slaves to become an engineer. But if they just don’t get mathematics or physics and somehow struggle [...]
Bring out the best within, not the beast within
We all would like to improve ourselves, become better – and yet we sometimes act regrettably, worse than ourselves. What makes us act like that? [...]
Desires go away not by gratification or repression but by purification
Desires that we know are undesirable sometimes impel us. If repeatedly impelled, we may feel, “Let me just indulge and get it over with. At [...]
The value of what we drive doesn’t matter as much as the values that drive us
We live in a materialistic culture that determines our stature by externals such as the cars we drive, the clothes we wear and the phones [...]
We live in a broken world, but we don’t have to live broken lives
The world we live in is a broken place. No matter how hard we work and how well we plan, even the best work that [...]
Our caliber is seen not just when we give our best but also when life gives us its worst
The caliber of sports players is revealed when they are in a flow, when they exhibit their peak performances. Their caliber is also revealed in [...]
Even in paradise, the mind will say, “Yes, but …”
We may know people who are habitual faultfinders. No matter how well a thing is done, they harp on some wrong that is irrelevant, insignificant or even imaginary. Being with such people is a recipe for misery. Unfortunately, we have to live with one such inveterate faultfinder: our own mind. It finds faults with the things we have, with the way people treat us, with the way life turns out.
Whenever things seem to fall apart, remember when things have fallen in place
Sometimes, life seems to hand out one reversal after another and all that we are doing seems to be falling apart. We may feel that the universe is hostile; we may question the benevolence or even the existence of God. At such times, it’s important to note that life hasn’t always given us a raw deal – we have had things fall in place for us. Whenever we have achieved anything substantial,
Be not fretful or fearful – be faithful
The present is all that we have – and all that we will ever have. But our mind often distracts us towards the past and the future through fretfulness and fearfulness. Fretful: The mind misdirected towards the past makes us fretful. We agonize over the many things that have gone wrong in our life
Life’s misfortunes are like thorns – don’t press on them; pass through them
Suppose we are walking barefoot and the path turns thorny. If that is the only way to our destination, we will gird ourselves to endure the pain. But we won’t press our foot on the thorns – we will take it off as quickly as possible and pass through.
If we let our imagination toy with temptation, we become toys of temptation
Few temptations are as tempting as the temptation to toy with temptation. When we encounter a temptation, we are often held back from physical indulgence [...]
Just because something is persistent doesn’t make it pertinent
Advertising blitzes that repeatedly expose us to particular products exploit an innate weakness in human psychology: familiarity is the gateway to credibility. That is, when [...]
Worry is the interest we pay on loans we haven’t yet taken
Suppose a friend is worried about paying the interest on a loan. On enquiry, we come to know that they haven’t yet taken that loan. [...]
To be distracted is to be disempowered
Whatever power we have to do anything depends on our foundational power to focus. For example, a batsman may have phenomenal talent, but if he [...]
Happiness comes not by making money, but by making something worthwhile with money
Money is a matter of anxiety for most people. Concern for money is understandable because we need money to survive. But what actuates and aggravates [...]
We can’t lose weight just by reading books on how to lose weight
Learning is foundational for doing, but learning itself is not doing. The difference between the two is evident for activities such as weight loss: reading [...]
Don’t just be active – be aware
Some people question the utility of meditation: “Why spend so much time sitting at one place doing nothing except thinking? Why not use that time [...]
Even a go-getter needs to know where to go and what to get
Some people refuse to study spiritual books such as the Bhagavad-gita, arguing, “I am a go-getter. I have many things to do in life – [...]
Break free from the small desires that have held you hostage for lifetimes
Abductors who take control of a plane often force it to a destination other than its intended one and hold the passengers hostage there. The [...]