OUR PROBLEMS ARE SELF MADE

The mind plays a havoc. Mostly, the severity of the issues which we worry about is not so severe in reality. When we don't find a solution to our imaginary problems, it becomes more complex. A situation which doesn't even exists occupies a lot of our mind space and kills our time too. There is no remedy to a problem which is non-existent. As such, the time spent on finding a solution actually exaggerate the size of the problem. The only way to handle such a situation is to take your mind off it. The only way to kill the disturbing thought is to starve it of your attention. The mind is the cause as well as the solution

VALUE OF MONEY

Money is the only variable you will have in life. It might take some time but you will get rich one day for sure. So, the important thing is to focus on other things in life; like health, relationships, learning, and self-development. The function of money is to give you mental comfort as a major part of your wealth will remain unused. On the contrary, if you look for peace, happiness, and self-development, it will pay rich dividends every day of your life. Today, the uncertainty of money may make you insecure but tomorrow the value of happiness and peace will be valued much more

ALIGN YOUR EXPECTATIONS WITH YOUR ACTIONS

Life is anything but predictable. We keep on trying to control the events and secure our future. Still, the outcome could be very different. Yes, what we do today definitely makes an impact on tomorrows. Still, the results could surprise us. Sometimes, they are better than expected. Sometimes, it's nowhere near what we hoped. It is because, many times, our expectations are not aligned with our own action and we simply pray for things to fall in place. Also, a part of our life is dependent upon other people's action and behavior which we can't control. We know we can't fix tomorrows. Still, we spend a major part of life trying to do exactly that.

ARE WE INDEPENDENT?

We have everything but independence. Living in a free country or having power, wealth, position and respect is in no way a proof of freedom. When we fake our personality for some shallow appreciation, when we support the company we work for in public though we are privy to its misconduct, when we speak in favor of those whom we are fundamentally against just because we derive some personal benefit, we compromise our freedom. The modern society is the ruler and we all are its slave and the paradox is; no one is aware and no one is complaining

FOCUS AND BE THE BEST

I was not sure I wanted to be self-dependent or rely on the outside world. From cleaning my room to cooking food; from coding my website to booking my travel tickets; from learning my own dance moves to fixing the faulty cabinet; there was so much to do. When I tried to do it all by myself, I was short on time and expertise. When I relied on others, many a time the results were not as per my expectations. Over time, I decided to focus on a few things in which I can be the world's best and leave everything else to others. I think being the best in something is the best use of life

LISTEN TO YOUR CONSCIENCE

Harness the power of the mind. It can change crisis into opportunity in a matter of seconds. Avail the strength of focus. It can make a huge task look a boy's day out. Preserve the calmness of humility. It can win you respect from the whole world. Believe in the effectiveness of discipline. It makes impossible very much doable. Surrender to the beats of your heart. It will fill your life with love. Respect the voice of your soul. It will ensure that you always walk on the right track

LIVE LIFE ON YOUR TERMS

No matter who you are and what you do, you have a choice to spend a part of your life the way you want it. I call it 'Independent Life'. Reading, watching movies, spending time with family and friends, playing a sport, pursuing a hobby, volunteering for social work, etc; are all examples of things we can do without being dependent on anyone else. So, rather than complaining and being consumed by your targets, responsibilities, reporting, and duties; increase the part of your independent life. Once you are able to live many hours a day on your own terms, you will even enjoy the part which is dependent and more challenging

BENEFITS OF TAKING INFORMED DECISION

I don't suffer from indecision. Many times, I intentionally postpone them. I understand my responsibility and so I make informed decisions.

People may misunderstand my silence but I know what I am doing. Mine will be the last word on many things and so I evaluate all consequences which only I could see. Sometimes, delaying a decision affects me negatively. Still, I try to look at the long-term picture taking everyone into account. When I ignore certain things it doesn't mean I am blind. It is my courage to restrain the use of my power to decide as I could see a better long-term benefit for everyone involved.

START TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE CHOICES

Life is simply a product of what we have always wanted. When things fall in place we take credit for the same saying we worked hard for it. Yes, that's true. When certain results are not as per our expectations, we blame luck and circumstances for it. Well, could be. But mostly, it is because of the choices we made in the past and things we did unconsciously. Reflect on your actions, habits, routine and you will find a logical reason for everything that is happening in life. When we start taking responsibility for the results, we will start making better choices

FOCUS ON POSITIVITY

t starts with a single disturbing thought. It carries with it a storm of unending thoughts about things that can go wrong in life. The mind gets engulfed with negative vibrations. Every time unpleasant examples and experiences start revolving in front of eyes. We all face it at times. The best way to overcome this is to fight back as soon as you see the first symptom. Engage the mind somewhere else. Get involved in an activity. Think about the good times and the promise that the future holds. It is not so easy though. It needs a lot of practice.

ENJOY YOUR STRENGTHS AND ACCEPT YOUR WEAKNESSES

have my strength and weaknesses. I will admit, I tried hard to overcome my shortcomings all my life. I was able to improve too. However, I started noticing that there was no end to improvement. For every weakness I overcame, two new issues surfaced. I kept working on them. I became obsessed with it. It was endless. It came to a point where it became a burden. Then I stopped. I made peace with myself that I am not perfect. I stopped trying hard. I decided not to consume my entire life just to become better and better at everything. I decided to enjoy my strength and accept my weaknesses. Life is peaceful ever since

PAY ATTENTION TO OTHERS

Stop telling. No one is interested in your story. Even if someone is listening, it's because they want to share their story with you. No one is interested in your success. If they appreciate you, it's because they are being courteous to you. Actually, they are already thinking how should they get ahead of you. People are focused on their own life. Change your stance. Instead of talking about yourself, pay attention to others. Help them achieve their goals. Be genuinely interested in their success. Maybe it will start a movement. Be the change.

THE MEDIUM CAN CHANGE THE MESSAGE

Years ago an elderly illiterate carpenter received some mail and he was very upset about it. A letter was a very unusual thing in his life and he was worried about what might be in it. So he hurried over to the butcher shop and the rough-voice muscle man behind the counter read it aloud.
“This is a letter from your son,” he shouted, “and it says: “Dear Dad, I am sick and haven’t a single cent. Send me some money quick. Your son, Bill.”
Influenced by the hard tones of the reader, the carpenter became red with rage and exploded, “Who does the kid think he is, telling me what to do? I won’t give him a cent.”
In a fit of anger the carpenter walked back home. But along the way, he met his friend the tailor. He stopped him and confided, “I want to show you this letter my boy sent to me.”
The tailor took the letter and read it aloud in his usual calm and cultured way. Suddenly the message sounded different from the carpenter. It came across and appealing and plaintive. It left the carpenter extremely saddened. “Poor Bill,” he said with worry in his voice. “He’s in bad shape. I’d better send him some cash - fast!
So off he went to wire some money for his son.

The message can often depend on the medium!

ASK FOR HELP, IT IS NOT A SIGN OF WEAKNESS

Asking for help doesn't mean weakness. It may be a sign of strength. Tears don't always mean pain. It could be a reward for lifelong sacrifice. Saying sorry doesn't mean someone is wrong. It could be a sign of giving respect. Silence should not be taken as defeat. It could be a winning statement. Surrender is not always a loss. It could be the highest point in love. Negotiating peace is not a reflection of being fearful. It could be a sign of courage for the greater good.

LEAVE A LEGACY

As you grow old, there will come a moment in your life when you will grapple with this thought; 'what did I do in my life'? What did I give to this world? While you may boast of the accomplishments outside, you will feel a hollowness inside. You will start questioning the purpose of your existence. The social image you created will seem insignificant. The wealth you amassed will not give you peace. The medals you won will become an old story. Ultimately, the urge to make a difference in people's life will surround you. The day you feel this, your life begins

TINK BEFORE GIVING ADVICE

People are not looking for advice. People are not looking for feedback. They are looking for an endorsement of their own view. Even when they ask for guidance and opinion, they don't really mean it. Mostly, it's an eyewash. They want to look good in the eyes of the world. Yes, there are few who really want to improve and care for advice. Such people are humble, forward-looking and achieve magical growth. So, before you offer your advice to someone, be sure who is asking

GIVE UP THE NEED TO PROVE YOURSELF

It's good to believe in self. It's good to perform your best. It's good to take up challenges. It's good to beat the benchmark. However, becoming obsessed to prove your worth again and again to the world is a blind race. It will never end. If you try to win the praise of everyone over and over again, your focus will shift from performance to winning. Winning is not bad but the underlying objective is far more important. Never give up the urge to do your best. But giving up the need to prove again and again is called courage

SERVE SELFLESSLY

There are few but they exist. They put other people's interest first. So much so that they forget their own benefit. The general world calls them fools. Still, they are happy doing what they think is right. The value they create is immense but they don't know their own worth. They sell their expertise for stones though they are worth more than diamonds. They may look fragile from outside but their resilience is difficult to conquer. They look poor to many but their soul is rich. In a world which is directionless, they live with a purpose. They are here to do the right thing for the people they serve

LET GO OF YOUR EGO

There is a fine line between self-respect and ego. I always thought I knew this line but I didn't. Every time I breached the line and ego took over, I still called it my self-respect. I always become offensive when someone points at my mistake. I consider it to be an attack on my personality. My self-respect is my identity and before I could realize, it grew in size by leaps and bounds and took the shape of ego. I know it's not right but I am unable to handle it. Now, if I cut my ego, people will take it as a sign of weakness. Initially, I didn't take it seriously and allowed it to flourish. Now it has taken control over me and I seem to have become a slave of my ego

ARE YOU TRYING TO PRETEND YOURSELF?

A unique competition is going on. To hide our real self and pretend what we are not. We know that other people are also playing hide and seek and yet, we try to beat them. Over time, we become such an expert in this game that we start believing it to be real. Our acting becomes so natural that even we get confused as to what is real and what is fake. When someone recognizes our masks, we cut our ties with him. Our real feelings are considered to be a weakness and our acting is appreciated by many. We don't like to be exposed and so, we are all participating in the play

PAIN MAKES US STRONGER

We need to stop complaining about our circumstances. We need to understand that we are not the only one to feel the pain. Before we question why we are going through a tough time, we should find out if everyone else is better off than us. When we go through the cycle of pain we feel we did not deserve it. It seems it's not fair play by the divine force. But it's there for a reason; to make us stronger. It reminds us of the value of happiness. We happily accept the part of good times. We must be prepared to pass through the difficult times.

WHAT IS MY CONTRIBUTION TO THE WORLD?

Days, months and years pass very quickly. In no time, it's time to go. It's important that we engage in meaningful things. We should aim at creating something which can last a long time. Our contribution should make people's lives better. We should progress from being mediocre to extraordinary. It's time to cut loose. It's time to cross the safety net. It's time to change the routine. It's time to do more. It's time to ask 'what is my contribution to the world?'

INTROSPECT

I taught them a thing or two. One day, I reviewed myself and the results were revealing. I had so many flaws. It was a setback. I took a step back. I changed my opinion about self; from knowing a lot to being ignorant about many things. I stopped giving them advice. Rather, I started introspecting more. As I started my journey from being ignorant to becoming wise, life became so much more peaceful and fulfilling. I realized, being called intelligent was so funny though I was a fool. The path to wisdom is so invigorating that I wish it never ends.

THE CHALLENGE IS TO REMAIN FOCUSSED

The struggle exists only till we don't know what we want. When we are doubtful about our goals, there is a lack of sharpness in our action. When our vision is not clear, our conviction falters. When our aspirations change every now and then, it becomes difficult to choose a way. The problem is not that we can't achieve what we want. The challenge is to fix what we desire. Once we know what we are looking for, we have already covered half the distance

SHARE YOUR EXPERTISE

We are obsessed with our innovation, expertise, skills, and knowledge. We live in a competitive world and so we want to keep it a closely guarded secret. We want to monetize it to the maximum. There is nothing wrong with it. However, at some point in time, we need to let go of our control and share our expertise with the world more freely. If God has chosen us to have special skills, we must pass it on to others before we pass this world. The ultimate objective must be to leave this world a better place than we inherited. It's not a matter a choice. It's an obligation to our forefathers who gave us a better place to live than they inherited and we need to carry on the tradition

DON'T BECOME A SLAVE OF TIME

Finally. I have made the discovery. The reason for stress is time. I do everything by the watch. Eating, working, sleeping; everything runs by the clock. Because there is a clock, there is no time. Even if I ignore it, others remind me of its existence and dependability. Everything is measured in time. They say time is money. They say to be on time shows character. All this puts me more under pressure to use it well. The more I use it, the less I live. Before I could enjoy my freedom, I became a slave of time

LOOKOUT FOR SILVER LINING

Nobody likes to fall but there is a silver lining when we hit the lowest point. We can't fall any further. When we are at the bottom, the next thing that can happen is that we rise from there. Yes, it is difficult to remain motivated when it seems that everything is lost. It is challenging to have faith that things will improve when nothing seems to be going our way. Still, we must know that dark clouds do not exist forever and the sun shines the brightest after the dark night

LEARN TO MAKE RIGHT CHOICES, EVERY DAY

A simple way to live a great life is to make good choices as and when we have to. This way we won't require to plan anything for tomorrow and make strategies for distant future. We make several choices every day. The easiest way to cruise well is to make a good choice every time we come across a decision. Offering a seat to an elderly person in a train, replacing two cubes of sugar with one in your evening tea, saying sorry instantly rather than sticking to the ego are good examples. These choices might seem small at the time we make them but will compound very quickly. A great life starts with a good choice

PRIORITIZE YOUR ACTIONS

There are just two things we need to learn and do. Feed our mind with good stuff and keep our body fit. That's all. We need not worry about other things like success, society, recognition, future, etc.

Everything will fall in place. If for some reason we think something is missing, a good mind and health will get us through.

If we are able to attain wisdom everything else will seem unworthy of attention. If we are able to maintain good health, we will be able to enjoy the fruits of wisdom longer.

WORK ON YOUR CORE AREAS

We all have a personality. We may have inherited it or created it sub-consciously. Some of us are aggressive by nature. Some are defensive. Some are extroverts. Some are introverts. Some live life king-size. Some like to remain anonymous. We sometimes become judgemental about others behavior, unhappy with our own personality or try to change the nature and preference of people who are very close to us. Well, it may not be the right thing to do. The world is full of happy and successful people of all type of personalities. It's better to work on areas rather than change the core of your existence

STRUGGLE IS GOOD

A struggle is good. It precedes innovation and discovery. When we are struggling with our pain, we eventually discover new ways of handling it as life has to go on. When we are struggling with finding our place in the world, it eventually leads to building a newer world where we fit in. When we struggle to find a purpose in life, it eventually leads to knowing a little more about yourself. A struggle is good. It gives us new perspectives. It makes us stronger.

REACH OUT AND CREATE A MEANINGFUL IMPACT

The mantra to grow exponentially, personally or professionally, is to get engaged in an activity through which you can reach and create a meaningful impact on a large audience. If you develop a product, make sure it reaches to millions. If you happen to serve others, make sure your organization has no geographical limits. If you are teaching your skills, make sure you scale it up beyond a few. Don't think about short-term revenue or success. When you touch lives of a large number of people, you will eventually be rewarded with compounding effect