Always help a person in distress; If you can't help her, do not hurt her...

I will start this post by stating that you must never take undue advantage of any-one. Time slips away from our hands just like sand. The good and bad phases of our life are just the two sides of a coin. They keep interchanging their positions and this happens in every household, in general. No-one is an exception to this law of nature.

We do not realize this till we practically face it. During our good times, we are filled with attitude, ego reigns over our heart and mind and we presume ourselves to be the Queen. We are no longer compassionate, humble, sensitive towards others, even close relations. While reading this, I know most of you will disagree saying that, '' We never do this''; but in reality, we practice it religiously. This is human tendency that we keep lying to ourselves and continue donning the garb of a noble figure, receiving the goodwill of the public. Whatever you do you have to be true to yourself. Having a falsifying image on the society will not make your inner conscience clear and pure, so why do that? When the hour glass is turned upside down, and we encounter a bad phase, then we realize how much embarrassment and humiliation, our actions have caused to others. This is how the situations change and so does the time.

What matters is that you keep yourself grounded to the roots and never lose your humility, kindheartedness, compassion, generosity and sensitiveness, irrespective of how successful you are, the riches you have accumulated or the social status you enjoy in the society. These things are external and momentary but your character and nature will remain with you throughout your life and will always be talked about, long after you have left this world.

As human beings, we should never forget, that if time favours us today, tomorrow it may be against us. Hence, we must always try to be of some help to people who are in distress or need some assistance, rather than take advantage of their situation, kicking them under your feet and moving on. Your intention should be not to harm them, if you can't help them.

Never replace your good demeanour and upbringing with external momentary things, which will be the source of your short-lived happiness...

The role that values and ethics play in our life..

''The true grandeur of humanity is in moral elevation, sustained, enlightened and decorated by the intellect of man.''

Since times immemorial, your home has been your primary institution where the moral and value-based learning starts. Our parents, grand-parents and other family members always keep a tab on us and ensure that we imbibe the right values and principles, till we attain maturity to differentiate between what is right and what is wrong.

This learning is not only confined to the four walls of the house but is a continuous process and we gain this value-based and ethical learning by practically confronting diverse situations under different circumstances, which guide us to deal with them successfully.

Most of the decisions that we make in this life are based on our principles and values that we have picked up through our experiences.

As a child when we undergo moral education or value based learning, it seems very boring, but the same teaching takes us a long way in making very rightful decisions and showing us the right direction. These values and principles deter us from going on the wrong path as our inner conscience also does not support the wrong move.

If at any point of time, you have to make a crucial decision, but are not able to set your eyes on a specific course of action, do not panic, just listen to your heart. It will always help you make a wise choice and will never let you go astray.

At times, when faced with a challenging situation most of us, bound strictly by the values and ethics imbibed during the childhood days as well as gained through practical experiences, are forced to make an unwise decision, which we regret throughout our life.

Thus, values, ethics, morals and principles help us to keep to the right path, never indulge in wrong activities and always assist us to sail smoothly through difficult and challenging times; not to bind us rigidly and lead us in the wrong direction.

As the idiom truly enumerates, '' Our principles are the springs of our actions; our actions, the springs of our happiness and misery. Too much care, therefore cannot be taken in forming our principles.''

As you sow, so shall you reap..

As individuals, we all have this mind-set that we are never rewarded for our good or noble deeds. Do you ever think why this mentality governs our mind and heart. This is primarily because most of the time, we are under the influence of the society that we move in, which impacts our thought process. The idiom, ''As you sow, so shall you reap'' has a very deep meaning attached to it. The moment we hear this phrase, our first reaction is ''Oh! please..all this is absolute nonsense''; but it is not so.

You will get what you give. Whatever work you do or undertake sincerely and wholeheartedly, it is bound to fetch you rewards; not necessarily there and then, but maybe a few years down the line, when you need it the most.

Any act of yours will not go unrewarded, be it good or bad. The thoughts that I am penning down in this post are not mere excerpts from a book but are based on my personal experiences. Always keep in mind that work always pays, whether good or bad.

A simple example will help you in understanding this concept better. when a farmer sows good quality grains in the farms, he reaps a good harvest. But when due to paucity of funds or for other reasons, the quality of grains is poor, his harvest will not be very good. Then you realize the significance of the phrase, ''you receive what you give.''

The same formula applies to the human race as well. Your future depends on your past and present acts and deeds. What you did in the past will determine your present, which in turn will sow the seeds of the future course of action.

This example has made it evident that you should never regret the outcome of your deeds because it is the result of your past actions, which has borne either fruits or thorns.

A robust future can be built on a sturdy foundation...

Define the priorities of your life in order to live life king size

You know what – we presume our life to be a long journey where we will have ample time to do things that we want to. But we are mistaken. Life is too short and by the time this truth dawns on us, it is too late to start anew.

To live life to the hilt, it is mandated that you must know how to live life complete in all aspects. The next question that arises is how to go about it? The answer is very simple and obvious, but the catch is that we procrastinate things for later, thinking why to take pains when it can be done afterwards.

To live life king-size, you need to list out the things or activities or pursuits that you want to indulge in or are passionate about and want to taste these things at least once in this short blissful life that we are blessed with. You must list them in the order in which they hold significance for you or in order of their precedence over other activities. Please understand that these priorities differ with every individual. What is of significance to me will be of no concern to you.

Let’s illustrate this with the help of an example. Suppose an empty glass jar is placed on a table. You get white marbles, somewhat big in size and put them in the jar until it is full. Now, you get some smaller marbles and put them in the jar. Still, there is unfilled space in the jar, so you fill these spaces in the jar with small granules. Lastly, you fill the jar with white sand which covers all the empty gaps filling the jar completely.

This is a reflection of how incomplete our life is and shows us the path to make it complete and satisfying. The glass jar is a reflection of our life and the ingredients in it reflect our priorities, based on the importance they enjoy in our life. Once we have defined the priorities, we must work on taking them up one by one and doing them with perfection and enthusiasm, as if there is no tomorrow.

‘’Sailing in two boats at the same time will take us nowhere’’. Hence it is imperative to work on your life’s objectives and priorities, and once you are clear on it, chalk out a plan of action, and going forward make it a reality. With every passing day and your coming closer to fulfilling the life’s priorities, will fill you with inner joy and satisfaction, making your life complete.

Be specific with respect to your priorities in life and work towards accomplishing them, making your life meaningful.

Relationships – Can two walk together, except they be agreed?

Let’s talk about relationships in a general context – be it with friends, parents, spouse or siblings. All of us experience bitterness in relationships at some point of time in our lives. Do we ever ponder over the cause of such bitterness creeping into our relationship and making it void.

When I thought about it, I realized that we are so obsessed with ourselves – our ambitions, our feelings, our thoughts that we barely give room to other’s feelings, which creates hollowness in the relationship.

In the fast paced life of today, we hardly get time to mingle with our near and dear ones; but it is not about the number of hours you give them, but the quality time you spend with them. This is your time and you must shower your love, care, affection and respect on them. These are the emotions that make your bond stronger with time. Loving someone and showing it by doing something for them is good, but it is also important to express love by way of words and gestures. It gives vent to your emotions and lets the other person know of your hidden feelings, letting that bitterness disappear within fraction of a second. 

Another important factor, in a relationship is hurt management. It is normal to get hurt very easily, but what matters is your knowing how to manage it. Say for instance, someone tells you, ‘’you are a monkey’’, and you get hurt, thinking all the while how can anyone call you a monkey. This gets into your mind and you feel hurt and offended. This is because you are a slave to your mind. On the contrary, you must have full control over your mind, to avoid being a victim to such problems. This is where meditation comes in which helps you regain control over your mind and make you stronger to handle these situations tactfully. Have you ever seen a wind blowing in your face and then moving away? In the same way, we should not let these issues enter our mind and heart. The moment these hurting issues hit us, without finding a place in our mind and heart they should go away. Once, we bring it into practice in our day-to-day affairs, all other lower emotions springing from it such as anger, frustration, irritation, depression will vanish into thin air. The absence of these lower emotions will help in nurturing and nourishing our relationships and making them fulfilling and satisfying.

One last point I will like to outline is that you must always patiently listen to what other have to say on any subject or topic, even if you are not in harmony with it. This will help in fostering a strong bonding and can also give vital inputs on the topic that may prove to be of great help to you.

Always remember, that your efforts must be directed towards making your relationship ‘’BETTER’’, not ‘’BITTER’’…..

Simplicity: In Character, In Manners, In Style, In All Things the Supreme Excellence Is Simplicity

"The most agreeable of all companions is a simple, frank man without any high pretensions to an oppressive greatness – one who loves life, and understands the use of it; obliging alike at all hours; above all, of a golden temper, and steadfast as an anchor. For such an one we gladly exchange the greatest genius, the most brilliant wit, the profoundest thinker."

Have you ever observed that in the fast paced life of today, we are so busy trying to keep up with all the changes and developments taking place all around us, that we fall prey to these external objects, in turn compromising on our simple demeanour. When everyone in our social circle is talking about new gadgets in the market, different brands and maintaining the social status among other things, we cannot help but give in to such social pressures, keeping our simplicity at bay. This is the real challenge wherein we need to keep our simple nature intact and unaffected by the complexities and commercialization of the outside world. This does not mean that you stop socializing, mixing with people and having fun. At a deeper level, it means that you should have an active social life, have discussions about everything, for instance – any new brand that has been launched, today’s fashion statement because this is the age of information. You should be well-informed with respect to anything and everything that is taking place around you. The bottom line is that you must not be influenced by it to the extent that it transforms you from a simple person to a complex individual. For this, you have to be judgmental as to what is important should be imbibed and what is superficial should be left out.

What is most important in today's times is just "BEING YOURSELF". Happiness and joy is not limited to your going to big restaurants and splurging money on expensive objects. You can derive pleasure by taking your family or friends for a surprise outing to an eating joint selling Pao Bhaji or Chaat. It need not be expensive, but the cheerful faces of your close relations will give you joy and satisfaction.

Do what makes you happy. Any work that you undertake, you must enjoy it, then only it will give you inner satisfaction and joy. When you take up any task as a burden, it will generate boredom and monotony, and will not be done in a perfect manner.

Your innocence and simplicity will help you live this life to the full with zeal and enthusiasm, bringing forth that "small child" within you, which is always playful and happy. Never let that "Small Child" within you go away because then only you can take in the beauty, this world offers you.

Our simplicity upholds the trueness of the idiom "Simple Living High Thinking".

Experience the magic of simplicity once, and you will be addicted to it…..

LIFE: Living In Freedom - an Enquiry

"Managing Life Creatively"

''Let your life lightly dance on the edges of time like dew on the tip of a leaf.''

This two-day workshop chaired by Swami Sukhbodhananda, better known as "Corporate Guru" and "International Spiritual Guru" was for the first time hosted in Lucknow, the capital city of Uttar Pradesh. I was quite lucky to be a part of this interactive workshop and get some valuable insights to lead a balanced and fulfilling life. I will share these valuable inputs with you which will help transform your life, assisting you to make the most of this divine life and revel in the beauty of the nature, the ultimate creation of the Lord.

There are five basic zones that as an individual we need to manage to lead a satisfying life. We will discuss each one of them separately. Let's start with the "Family Zone" which has been your pillar of strength and support throughout. Family does not simply imply your parents, siblings and spouse, but it also broadly incorporates your friends, relations, and your social circle. Apart from fulfilling your designated responsibilities towards them, you must take some time out from your busy schedule to spend with them and have fun. This will help in generating a positive aura and blissful surroundings with happy and joyful faces all around.

The next zone that we have to manage tactfully is the "Work Zone". There is a very well-known idiom, "Work is Worship" but that does not mean that you become a workaholic. This means that whatever work you undertake or is assigned to you, you must do it with complete dedication and give it your 100 percent.  Your focus should be on finishing your official responsibilities within the stipulated working hours, post which you are free to do what you want. Many a times I see that during the working hours, people while away their time in unproductive activities such as gossiping with co-workers or spending time in the cafeteria; and when it is time to leave they suddenly get charged-up, promoting late or extended working hours. This leads to a dis-balanced routine impacting all the spheres of your life. Whether you are self-employed or employed with an enterprise, self-discipline and commitment go a long way in helping you to manage the work zone. At times, late working is required based on work contingencies, but a regular with it is a strict "NO". Never say "YES" for it if you are asked to stay back on a daily basis.

Now we will talk about one of the very important areas of our life, that is the "Financial Zone". Finance is very important to manage our day-to-day affairs. But it is not wise if you spend all your energy in doubling and tripling your financial gain. It is absolutely okay as long as it does not interfere with the other important aspects of your life. Making yourself financially sound and taking care of your family's financial needs is a pre-requisite, no doubt, but it should not have an adverse effect on your other focus areas. Always remember that  "Finance is a means of life, not an end of life".

There are times when each one of us wants to spend some time alone, introspect on the past incidents, think about the future course of action with respect to any activity, or simply sit in silence and just be yourself. This is the "Intimate Zone" in which we are only aware of our own self or being. Whenever I sit in silence alone in my room, it gives clarity to my thoughts, fills me with joy and makes me feel lighter. With our lifestyles being so hectic and demanding, we are always in a rush, doing something or the other, in the midst of which, forget our own self. Taking out some time for yourself from your busy schedule will prove to be a very satisfying and enriching experience.

Last but not the least, there is the "Spiritual Zone", which is the mother of all zones. Practicing meditation daily will keep you calm, composed, relaxed, make you more productive so that you are able to fulfill all the responsibilities and duties with perfection, enabling you to manage all the spheres of life successfully; thus leading a complete, satisfying and fulfilling life.

These five zones in totality, sum up our entire life and we should give equal attention to all these zones so as to strike a balance among them, and manage life creatively making creative adjustments.

So, are you all set to rock the world?????