Focus on life not on the mind’s commentary about life
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 [...]
Our expectation that nothing should come in our way, often comes in our way
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 [...]
Hold your plans lightly not tightly
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 [...]
To decrease unhealthy reactions increase healthy reminders
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, [...]
Living for the moment is a prescription for chaos at best and calamity at worst
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 [...]
Never lose faith in your potential to improve or you will court cowardice and malice
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 [...]
Words are not just vehicles of thought but also engines of thought
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 [...]
Respect the dark within you to keep it within you
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 [...]
Even if we can’t control our emotions we can control the attention we give to our emotions
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 [...]
Regulate emotion with reason animate reason with emotion
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, [...]
To keep fighting battles that are already lost is to be lost
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 [...]
Those who fight their inner devils are the ultimate daredevils
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 [...]
The lesser the structure in our life the greater the rupture the mind can cause in our life
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) – [...]
To be thoughtful attribute every thought first to the mind
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 [...]
Exploiting others’ weaknesses doesn’t make us strong – overcoming our own weaknesses does
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 [...]
Intelligence means to know which thoughts are to be pinned and which to be binned
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 [...]
The mind is restless, reasonless, ruthless, relentless
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 [...]
Love becomes blind when lust becomes the blindfold
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 [...]
When a danger is less visible, it leaves us more vulnerable
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 [...]
Impulse may run over intelligence but don’t let it take over intelligence
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 [...]
Intelligence is the last defense against indulgence – and also the first defense
Intelligence is the last defense against indulgence – and also the first defense An important fort usually has multiple layers of defense. The best security [...]