How to focus the mind
We live in an age of unprecedented distraction. When our mind is being so fiercely targeted, how can we focus it? Here are two time-tested [...]
Why is it so difficult to focus?
When we want to do anything important, why do we often find it so difficult to focus? Due to the combined consequence of three forceful [...]
Thoughtfulness amid crisis (Why the Gita’s first chapter matters 6)
Thoughtfulness amid crisis - Suppose the CEO of a company loses their job because their company goes bankrupt due to a recession. The CEO will [...]
No time to think? (Why the Gita’s first chapter matters 4)
No time to think? - The Bhagavad-gita’s first chapter describes its setting: a battlefield where two huge armies were assembled, ready to fight. Wars are [...]
How to mentor the mind? (Managing the mind series 7)
How to mentor the mind? - Our mind is restless like a child (Bhagavad-gita 06.34). To help it outgrow its fickleness, we need to mentor [...]
Why monitoring the mind is so important (Managing the mind series 6)
Why monitoring the mind is so important - Suppose we are piloting a plane, taking it on an important mission. Suppose further we have been [...]
Two principles for making our mind our friend (Managing the mind series 5)
Two principles for making our mind our friend - Suppose we are named guardians of the son of some old friends who have suddenly passed [...]
Developing a healthy relationship with our mind (Managing the mind series 4)
Developing a healthy relationship with our mind - We don’t usually realize how much our mind controls us. Nonetheless, we do get some glimpses of [...]
What’s wrong with treating the mind as an enemy (Managing the mind 3)
What’s wrong with treating the mind as an enemy - Suppose we live in a house whose accessway is controlled by a neighbor. Though they [...]
Are we the fisherman or the fish? (Managing the mind 2)
Are we the fisherman or the fish? - Suppose a fisherman casts a bait in a river to catch a fish. The fisherman stands to [...]
Watch your mental input (Managing the mind series 1)
Watch your mental input - Suppose we are going on tour, riding a strong swift horse. Suppose the horse catches sight of a juicy vegetable [...]
Avoid hell in the mind avoid hell in the world
Avoid hell in the mind avoid hell in the world - Some people think of hell as merely a belief of some religious groups. Others [...]
Our mind as an Alzheimer’s patient
Our mind as an Alzheimer’s patient - Suppose we are the main caregiver for a dear relative suffering from Alzheimer's. When they become non-communicative or [...]
Why counting our blessings is so transformational
Why counting our blessings is so transformational - Count your blessings – this oft-repeated exhortation can seem cliched. To appreciate its potency, let’s consider two [...]
Three ways to avoid being misdirected by our mind
Three ways to avoid being misdirected by our mind - Suppose we are walking toward a destination and some passerby suggests we go somewhere else. [...]
Dealing with the mind’s negativities (Why we need inner redesigning 3)
Dealing with the mind’s negativities - Suppose we are trapped in a cell with a cellmate who constantly draws our attention to the many terrible [...]
How to change our inner imagery (Why we all need inner redesigning 2)
How to change our inner imagery - Suppose we were confined in a room filled with the darkest images of our life. The first thing [...]
The mind as our inner cell and inner cellmate (Why we all need interior redesigning – 1)
The mind as our inner cell and inner cellmate - Suppose we are confined in a cell whose walls are filled with pictures of all [...]
Let the mind be
Let the mind be - Suppose we have to work with a colleague who tends to hyperventilate. Once they calm down, it’s possible to work [...]
Are we training our mind in distraction or in concentration?
Are we training our mind in distraction or in concentration?- We all have noticed times when we get distracted, sometimes from important things. If only [...]
When living in the present helps and when it harms
When living in the present helps and when it harms - “Live in the present” is valuable advice to counter our mind’s tendency to wander [...]