The power of inspiration and motivation
Whenever we try to do something wonderful or even worthwhile, we often get caught in ourselves: our struggles, our successes, our failures. Being thus caught, [...]
How to use the fault-finding mentality constructively
Some of us may have an innate tendency to notice the things that are wrong in anything we see. Significantly, this tendency can be seen [...]
Failing to learn from our failures?
Suppose we try to do something important and make a mistake that leads to our failure. But that failure, no matter how severe, won’t ruin [...]
Should we expose things that don’t work?
Suppose we have a sense of social responsibility and a zeal for social reform — we will naturally observe things in the world around us [...]
Aiming to be trouble-free? Think again
We don’t like trouble. To try to avoid problems reflects not only a sound survival instinct, but also an alert intelligence. For example, if we [...]
Three benefits of hearing open-mindedly
When someone disagrees with us, especially on an issue that is important to us, we may feel threatened. Consequently, we may hear them primarily to [...]
Are you someone you would want to live with lifelong?
If our partner is someone we can’t live with, that would make our life miserable. How much greater would be our misery if we had [...]
How to boost our self-esteem
Suppose a person is suffering from a disease and is feeling gloomy. Suppose they assure themselves, “I am alright.” Such words may trigger some positive [...]
How to raise the quality of our questions
Most of our questions arise from our circumstances — and therein, we usually find answers too. But some questions have no answers at the circumstantial [...]
Raising the quality of our questions
If we wish to improve the quality of our life, we need to begin by improving the quality of our questions. We may classify the [...]
Does gratitude decrease our motivation to make things better?
Some people fear, “If I keep feeling good about the present, won’t it take away my motivation for seeking a better future?” Not necessarily; just [...]
The difference between humiliation and humility
Humility is sometimes seen negatively because it is equated with humiliation. But they are hugely different – as different as are starving and fasting. Starving [...]
Four stages in self-transformation
How can we assess our progress toward self-transformation? By noting the process we go through before making choices, both healthy and unhealthy. If we identify [...]
How to feel grateful when we don’t feel grateful
To cultivate gratitude, we need to expand our conception of what it is. Gratitude as an emotion: While gratitude is certainly an emotion, it is [...]
Why focusing on relapse prevention can be unhelpful
When we seek self-transformation by giving up an unhealthy habit, we often assess our progress based on whether we can prevent relapses. However, such an [...]
When contemplating our mistakes helps and when it doesn’t …
Humility, which is lauded as a prime virtue in the Bhagavad-gita (13.08), is often misunderstood. One such misunderstanding centers on how it can be developed: [...]
How purification and willpower relate with self-transformation
Whenever we try to change ourselves for the better, we often feel that we need willpower. And we may think of purification as something other-worldly, [...]
Does self-improvement center on fighting against our desires?
Our desires often obstruct us in our efforts to improve ourselves; for example, we may resolve to regulate our diet, but may be sabotaged by [...]
How to assist our intelligence to support our endeavors for self-discipline
The Bhagavad-gita (18.38) outlines a vital life-truth: things that taste like nectar initially will taste like poison eventually. For example, when we eat fatty food, [...]
When discipline feels like self-deprivation …
We often think of discipline as something that deprives us of life’s pleasures and comforts. For example, we may fear that waking up early to [...]
Why discipline is important — and not just for self-improvement
We often presume that discipline is something we need to adopt if we want to improve ourselves: say, become fitter, more well-read or more skilled. [...]