Be Courageous like Christ

Be Courageous like Christ

Maya Angelou has well said: “Courage is the most important of all the virtues because without courage you cannot practise any other virtue consistently.” Those, who have made history, have been people of great courage and conviction. Courage has nothing to do with physical strength. It is the will to fight fearlessly any wrong that is happening around you. Raising your voice against all sorts of injustices, anomalies and discriminations is courage. It is the strength to express one’s views fearlessly and to listen to other’s view-point patiently. Courageous are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.

Generally, the world thinks that violent people are more courageous and powerful. But more courage and inner strength is needed to be non-violent. Forgiveness needs more courage than revenge. It is not easy to forgive one’s enemy. After the emergence of the new democratic South Africa, Nelson Mandela, who was imprisoned for twenty eight long years for opposing apartheid, appealed to fellow blacks to forgive the whites for the atrocities and brutalities they had committed while in power. Was it courage or cowardliness? It needs great spiritual strength to say like Jesus Christ, “O Lord! Forgive them for they know not what they are doing.”

Saying yes to the right thing and saying no to the wrong thing demand indomitable courage. Very few people support even the right thing if it is against their selfish interest. Similarly, saying no to the wrong thing is to expose oneself to the danger of displeasing the wrong doer. Hence, courage is the moral power to stand for the right and oppose the wrong.

Declutter: The Mantra of Diwali

Declutter: The Mantra of Diwali

We are in the habit of collecting useless and unnecessary things around us. In our houses, there are so many old, broken and dysfunctional things which have lost their utility and value. To welcome Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, we declutter during Diwali. We dispose off those unwanted articles to create more space. Clear space allows the vital energy to flow unhindered. Prosperity suffocates in a congested atmosphere. It needs openness and freedom to grow and flourish. So, there is a custom of cleaning the house and its surroundings. But this should not be a one-day habit. The concept of cleanliness should be cultivated right from the childhood so that it can become our second nature. Only then can we expect a continuous and perennial prosperity. Swachh Bharat Campaign is a welcome step in this direction to make our country clean and green once again. 

                      But much more important than physical clutter is our mental clutter. We are treating our mind like a garbage-pit. We have piled up negative emotions like vanity, anxiety, pessimism etc. in our mind. In this modern electronic world when we are constantly being bombarded by a lot of information, we have to be extremely careful and selective. Instead of running faster and faster on the materialistic treadmill, we must stop and introspect. We have to filter all the dirt and filth like an aquaguard. We have to disallow all types of negativity from entering our mind. Only pure thoughts of positivity should be permitted. If we allow negative thoughts and feelings to take roots in our mind, they will destroy our chances of success and rob us of our mental peace. A frequent dusting of the mental dirt will make us feel lighter and happier.

                                                                         After the cleaning operation is over, we decorate our houses with earthen lamps, candles or electric bulbs. Similarly, for mental illumination, we should brighten it with the neon lights of positivity. It is the only way to imbibe the spirit of this festival and celebrate it in its true sense.

Power of Patience

Power of Patience

In this vast world, there is no one who does not have a problem, big or small. There is no place where there is no problem except the grave. Problems are the proof of life. We have to learn the art of coping with the problems patiently. How poor we are without patience!

Patience is the strength of the soul. It is the courage to bear, tolerate and endure even in the worst circumstances. It is the parachute which can land us safely in case of air crash. It is the panacea to fight all adversities and hardships, calamities and misfortunes. “Patience is not about how long someone can wait. It is about how well he behaves while he waits.” Even big trees are uprooted in the wild wind. Grasses, which bow down and lie close to the ground, survive. Dark clouds do not hover over the sky forever. All lean patches pass. All sorry states and situations can be surmounted. Tough times don’t last. Tough people do. All that you need is infinite patience in your heart.

You cannot get a full grown baby before nine months. A certain period of gestation and incubation is needed for the embryo of an idea to grow and mature. People have the passion to start but not the patience to finish. To begin a thing is one thing. But to stay on and continue it till the end is another thing. Most of the failures in the world are the result of such half-hearted adventures. Those, who don’t quit and wait till the end, win the marathon race of life. Milton said: “They also serve who only stand and wait.” So, park your car in the parking zone of patience and wait for the right time to come.

Magic of Gratitude

 Magic of Gratitude

 Gratitude means being thankful to all those who help you. It is the sweetness of your personality which uplifts you. You owe a sense of gratefulness for all those who have given you something valuable in life. A prayer is also an act of thankfulness to God for all His bounties. You should be greatly obliged to your parents who have given you birth and brought you up with a lot of hardship and pain. You must be thankful to Nature which gives you all the essentials of life free of cost. You owe a deep sense of indebtedness to Mother Earth which sustains and supports you. You cannot repay the debt of the teacher who has showered the blessings of knowledge and wisdom on you. You must be grateful to your wife who is a constant source of care, comfort and companionship. Whosoever has provided you a little moment of joy and happiness in your life deserves your appreciation. It is well said “When someone hurts us, we should write it down in sand where the winds of forgiveness can erase it. But when someone does good for us, we must engrave it on stone so that no wind can ever erase it.”

                                           If you have this attitude of thankfulness in your personality, you will befriend the whole world. A heart felt thank you with a warm smile is like an icing on the cake. It is magical in its effect and appeal. It is the sweetest and purest expression of your soul, the fairest and loveliest blossom of your heart and the choicest and finest fragrance of your existence. 

Sorry, I Am Offline.

Sometimes Be Offline

Switching on the smart phone is the first thing that you do when you get up from your bed. Switching off the mobile phone is the last thing that you do before going to sleep. A sleek and sophisticated smart phone in your hand is a style statement. The access of internet is from bedroom to bathroom. People shop online even from their toilets. We entertain a large number of e-mails, chat notifications, comments and likes every day. The more they are there, the higher is your status. E-mails, facebook, apps, chat, video games have become addictions. Knowingly or unknowingly, we are slave to technology which is a good servant but a bad master.

Be always connected is the new mantra of the modern generation. People want to show off that they are busy. Replying e-mails, updating facebook, waiting for other’s reaction on your latest updates have become fashionable. We get irritated if an e-mail or a message does not come for some time. How many mails come to us daily, how many friends are there on the social media and how many likes or positive comments come on our post are matters of social status and professional prestige. We feel incomplete or imperfect without being on-line. We have become an inalienable and integral part of the virtual world.

Being always connected keeps your mind unnecessarily busy all the time. You lose your mental peace and emotional balance. Give rest to your mind. Let it relax. Multi-tasking also badly affects the quality of your work. You do not concentrate on one work at a time. You have created your own little world within this vast world. Relationship is seriously affected. You are so engaged in the virtual world that you have no time even for your family and kids.

                                                                                                                                                       Get rid of this bad habit which is as dangerous as drug-addiction. Sometimes be off-line. You can connect with yourself in a better way. Disconnect to reconnect.

Respect Is Reciprocal

Respect Is Reciprocal

Everyone, whether rich or poor, deserves respect. Craving for respect is the natural urge and the eternal quest of mankind. Every individual, however petty his post or position may be, has a dignified existence and human dignity has to be respected and honoured. “I speak to everyone in the same way, whether he is the garbage man or the president of the university”, said Albert Einstein.

Courtesy costs nothing but pays much. In my college days at Patna, I used to have tea in a thatched tea stall. An old man served tea. Students generally addressed him disrespectfully. I called him ‘Baba’. He always offered me special tea without any extra charge. Even if he was busy with other customers, he used to hint me with his hand to wait. It was nothing but my courtesy which pleased him and I got special treatment from him. After a long time, when I was well settled in life, I once again visited his shop during my stay at Patna. He, at once, recognized me and greeted with the same hospitality. I was ready to give five hundred rupees for a cup of tea but he said, “No, my son, it is from my side.” My single word of respect won his heart for ever. Such is the magical power of politeness. If you are well-behaved with the waiter in a hotel, he will serve food more joyfully. Your politeness to a rickshaw puller can make his burden bearable and pleasurable.

Give respect if you want respect. Respect cannot be forced or snatched. It has to be earned with good behaviour. Hazrat Ali beautifully says, “I respect elders because they have prayed more and I respect youngers because they have sinned less.” If the world follows his wise advice, all distinctions of the rich and the poor, the high and the low will diminish. All will be the children of God and all will be equal. This will pave the way for a truly egalitarian society.

Pleasures of Parenting

Pleasures of Parenting

The best moments of your life are the moments which you spend with those whom you love very much. Who else do you love more than your family and kids? But in young age, we are so engrossed in making money that we have no time for them. In the end, we realize that we have missed the most beautiful and most blessed thing in life.

Children do not need your money. They need your time and attention. They don’t need your presents; they need your presence. Spend time with them. Talk to them. Play with them. Appreciate and encourage them. Help them when they fall, support them when they fail and cheer them when they win. Correct them when they commit mistakes and discipline them when they deviate from the right path. Teach them what to do and what not to do in life. Give them the confidence that you are always with them in all ups and downs. Develop them as winners and achievers, innovators and leaders who will rock the world.

Effective parenting is a great responsibility. Like a good gardener, you have to patiently watch the sapling grow day by day. Water it, nourish it, nurture it and tend it with love and care. Trim and prune all unnecessary outgrowths. Weed out negative emotions and feed it with the fertilizer of positive values. A day will come when beautiful flowers will bloom. They will dance gorgeously in the morning breeze and spread their sweet fragrance far and wide. You will also feel pride, joy, contentment and fulfillment, watching them from your verandah.

A child who is brought up with love and care will radiate affection and warmth around himself. There is no greater pleasure than re-living your childhood with your kids and there is no greater loss than missing your kid’s childhood.

Schedule your time

Schedule your time

Nature gives twenty four hours to everyone; neither more nor less to anyone. Time is the scarcest resource. It is at once the most valuable and the most perishable of all our possessions. Those who make the worse use of it always complain of its shortage. Enough time is there for the people who know the art of proper utilization and management of it. Not lack of time but lack of direction is the real problem. Optimum utilization of time alone can take to great heights. Ordinary people spend time but great people use it.

The great craft of time management his in systematic time planning. If you fail to man, you plan to fail. Devote most of your time to the most important things in life. Invest this capital in the wisest way.

There should be a daily plan and a long term plan. Make a to-do-list for every day. Note it in a diary or a calendar or program it in your mobile or computer. Always see that your daily plan leads you nearer to your long term goal. There should be a time limit for achieving your target. It will always remind you of the value of fleeting time. Try to do your work with full devotion and honesty within the time frame. Success is the result of the maximum utilization of time. Unexpected problems may crop up but you have to be ready to face them.

There is a biological clock in your body. You have to find out your own biological time when your potential is at its peak. Make the most productive and creative use of that hour.

Learn to say a strong no to those activities which waste your precious time. You cannot recycle wasted time. Lost time is never found again. Saving time is also a sound technique of time management. It enhances your productivity. There is no wrong time to do a right thing. So, just short doing it now. Go the extra mile before your time runs out.

Different Levels of Mind

Different Levels of Mind

Weak minds are interested in gossips. Goodness is rarely discussed. Critising, condemning, back-biting and mud-slinging are the favourite pastime of feeble-minded persons. Personality-dissection and character assassination are relished by the rumour-mongers. Spicy stories and concocted tales about friends, relatives and neighbours are circulated and enjoyed. Recently, a new phenomenon of chatting on social media has become the latest craze. Photos, recipes jokes etc. are shared and like and dislike comments are counted. Your good deeds can be forgotten but the scandalous and frivolous stories are not erased from the public memory. The skeletons of bad name and evil reputation often come out of the cupboard.

Events, incidences and occurrences are the subject matter of the talk of the average people. Every day, newspapers supply such information and material in plenty. Mediocre people gulp down those stories of day-to-day happenings with their morning tea and masquerade all day long as pseudo-intellectuals among their friends and colleagues. Media, both electronic and print, have also degenerated into yellow journalism. They present a distorted picture of reality and do not bring out the inner truth behind any event or action.

There are a few strong minds and superior intellects who discuss ideas and concepts. Ideas rule the world. Thoughts live long and travel far and wide. Men of reason try to discover and deduce the principles and philosophies underlying any event or action. Formulas are more important than examples. Application of knowledge is not possible without knowing the fundamental rule. Such creative thoughts and expressions give something new to the world. Those towering personalities are like light-houses which show the right path to the misdirected ships in the vast ocean.

Craving for Importance

Craving for Importance

The desire to be important is the natural urge of a human being. Everyone wants to be important in his own little world. After the gratification of your biological wants, you need the feeling of importance. You wear expensive dresses, buy latest mobile phones and purchase luxury cars. You build houses bigger than your requirement and furnish it tastefully. Children want the exclusive attention of their parents. Parents also feel proud in showing off the intelligence of their sons and daughters. Wives like to be appreciated for their cooking skill and good house-keeping. In this male-dominated society of ours, husbands have taken the position of parmeshwar (God) to feel exalted. They even beat their wives or ill-treat their in-laws to show their supremacy. You love to give English names to your pets. Moti has become Monty and Sheru is now Caesar. In jobs and work-place also, you crave for importance and attention of your boss and seniors. You may have read a story in your school text book which narrates that a boy meets an accident in order to get his name and photograph published in the newspaper. All these are disguised attempts to give you the feeling of self-importance. Cut-throat competition, jealousy, malice and criticism- all these are also endeavours to make you more important than others.

There is nothing wrong in it if it is taken in the right spirit. The craving for importance can be a positive motivation. If you improve your work performance or accelerate your productivity, you will get the appreciation and admiration of everyone. And praise is the most precious and prized possession which even saints can rarely deny.

Get Engaged to Your Dreams

Get Engaged to Your Dreams

Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam once said: “Dream is not that which you see while sleeping, it is something that does not let you sleep.” When eyes are closed, dreams are mere illusions. They are made of unreal stuff. They are our disguised wish-fulfillment. The dreams which we see with our waking eyes are, in fact, our goal, aim or target. They are our vision. The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty and truth of their dreams. If you have dreams in your eyes and courage in your heart, the sky is the limit for you. Chase your dreams. Go confidently and relentlessly in the direction of your dream. Like Arjuna, you have to hit the eye of the revolving fish. Patience, perseverance and perspiration are the three arrows in the quiver of a veteran archer. So dream big. See lofty dreams. We need dreamers. But we need such dreamers who are also doers. Dreams, if not translated into reality, will be mere castles in the air. Desiring to get the moon is one thing and getting the moon is another thing. Hence, give a strong foundation of hard work to your dream-building. Otherwise it will crumble like a house of cards with the slightest gust of wind. All dreamers are not achievers but all achievers are great dreamers. As you dream, so you become. Memories take us back. Dreams take us forward. Novelist Longston Hughes had this to say: “Hold fast to dreams for if dreams die, life is a broken-winged bird that cannot fly.” So, love your dreams, get engaged to your dreams and marry your dreams.

Come Out of Your Comfort Zone

Come Out of Your Comfort Zone

Difficulties defeat the weak. The brave emerge stronger in odd circumstances. Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam said: “Difficulties in your life do not come to destroy you. They come to help you to realize your hidden potential and power. Let difficulties know you too are difficult.” Paper boats drown; wooden boats sail. Adversity awakens you. It makes you realize your dormant strength. If difficulty is a mountain, you have to be Dasrath Manjhi. If it is a dancing floor, you have to be Sudha  Chandran. Books are replete with thousands of examples of people who have excelled in life despite great difficulties, disabilities and deformities. Like Shakespear’s Caesar, you have to proclaim: “Danger knows full well that Caesar is more dangerous than he. We are two lions littered in one day and I the elder and more terrible.”

So, do not fear dangers and difficulties. They are like sand paper. They scratch you and hurt you. But, in the end, you get polished. Come out of your comfort zone, dare and defeat difficulties. The harder is the conflict, the more glorious is the triumph. There is an old saying that a pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity but an optimist sees opportunity in every difficulty. Easy times do not make you better. Hard times test your mettle. Pressure enhances your performance. “A diamond is merely a lump of coal that has transformed itself under pressure.” What a brilliant idea for achievers, winners and victors!

Be a Fan of Yourself

Be a Fan of Yourself

            Like others but love yourself. It gives an impetus to improve. Instead of seeing one’s face and finding faults in others, people should find their faults and see the beauty of others. All time is a great time for a new beginning. In the journey of self-discovery, you have to shed your masks and identify your true self. Figure out your limitations and weaknesses. Re-invent and re-define yourself. Small modifications everyday can bring big changes in life. It is very easy to click a selfie but it is very difficult to create a long lasting image. It takes years to build a reputation but it can be tarnished or ruined in a few minutes. Reputation is like a glass house which can easily be broken by a throw of stone. Even if it cracks, it gives an ugly look.

            Be a diehard fan of yourself. Go on improving your personality and refurbishing your image. Change not only from outside but also from inside. Keep spiky hair. But, at the same time, make your brain sharp, pointed and witty. If your body is six packs, your mind should be eight packs and heart not less than ten packs. Follow fashion freely but don’t compromise with your culture, tradition value and character. Enjoy the delicious pizzas of Dominos but don’t forget the taste of your mother’s hand. The worth and flavour of Mac Donald’s burger lies in its rich stuffing. Internal material is always much more important than external appearance. A book is judged not by its cover but by its contents. Poor quality is never the hall mark of big brands. You can also become a mini-brand if you don’t compromise with quality and standard. Mediocrity should be unacceptable to you. An awesome life is awaiting you. Just stake your claim.

6 Ways to Be Happy

6 Ways to Be Happy

People often ask me, "What is the key to happiness?" To them, I must say that there is no lock or latch on the door of delight. You just have to push or pull it. It will open wide and you can easily enter the treasure land of joy. Happiness is a mental state which has to be cultivated. It cannot be bought or sold, weighed or measured. It has nothing to do with your material possessions or your professional status. It comes from inside. It is the song of the soul and the music of the heart.

Here, in this article, let me take the privilege of suggesting some of the ways to be happy. It is my way. So don't get swayed away by my broad generalisations. Everyone has to discover his own way.

1.      Log on to inner net - Instead of fruitlessly searching the mysterious word on the google, it is much better to log on to your inner net. Probe your mind to find the feeling within. It is very easy to travel thousands of kilometres from one end of the globe to another. But the inner journey is very tedious. The smallest distance is the hardest to cover. But that is the surest way to happiness. Without inner connect, you cannot experience everlasting blissfulness.

2.      Follow your passion – Do whatever you like. Make your passion your profession. But many a time, there is a discrepancy between your choice and your career. In that case also, try to love what you do and find sometime for your hobby. It can be anything like games, music, painting, photography, travelling, sight-seeing, keeping pets or watching movies. Liking what you do & being satisfied with what you have — these are the two best sources of happiness.

3.      Read many things and write something – Reading good literature is also very enjoyable and pleasurable. It is informative as well as enlightening. Interaction with great minds of different ages always provides valuable insights and life-lessons. I know that everyone cannot pen down his thoughts and feelings in a creative and artistic way but I am sure that everyone can jot down his sweet and sour experiences in a diary. You will love your personal treasure as a child loves his crude and clumsy drawing.

4.      Be a nature lover and a beauty watcher – Watch beauty that is spread all around you so abundantly. “A thing of beauty is a joy for ever”, says Keats. Smell the sweet fragrance of flowers. It is more enchanting than perfumes. Feel the soft caress of the gentle wind that kisses your cheeks. Hear the musical melody of the winged wonders of the world. Dew drops on the colourful petals are prettier than pearls. In fact, beautiful things give more pleasure than functional things. When you are in the company of nature, a feeling of unity and oneness with the vast and varied forms of life suddenly descends upon you and a heightened sense of awareness engulfs your consciousness.

5.      Spend time with family and friends - Spend some quality time with your family, friends and children. I must suggest that everyone should marry because it is the most beautiful experience of togetherness. Re-live your childhood with your kids. Plan a holiday or go for outing. Snatch happy moments from your busy schedules to enjoy with your loved ones. Chat with your friends. Sharing old memories is like going into the flashback of pleasant times. Relaxation with close relatives and friends breaks the monotony of routine life and refreshes and rejuvenates you. Meet even strangers with a friendly smile. Don’t wear a fake smile like an air-hostess or a hotel receptionist. Genuine smile on your lips is a powerful weapon which can disarm even your enemies.

6.      Be a selfless giver – Real joy is in giving. Do something for others without any expectation. Service is the rent which you pay for your existence on this earth. Share with others whatever you have – whether it is knowledge, money or time. Even if you don’t have knowledge or wealth, you still have enough time to do some fruitful and philanthropic work. Nothing else is more satisfying and fulfilling than generosity. Winston Churchill rightly said, “We make a living by what we get but we make a life by what we give.”

            

           Follow these principles and feel immense and immeasurable joy in life. Happiness is like scented sandal paste. If you apply it on the forehead of others as tilak, your fingers will also get fragrant.

Sparks of Greatness

Geniuses are rarely born. Great philosophers, scientists, poets, painters, musicians or statesmen are very few. The world remembers them with reverence for their extraordinary achievements. We, ordinary mortals, cannot do great things like them. But every one of us has the capacity to do small things with great love and compassion. Who knows better than a mother how many sleepless nights she has passed in upbringing her child? It is the love for her baby that enables her to do all sorts of things without any complaint. Mother Teresa said: “It is not how much we do but how much love we put in doing.” Doing becomes a burden because generally we do not love what we do. Doing a work with love and interest makes it enjoyable and satisfying. 

Job-dissatisfaction is a serious problem of the modern generation. They get fed up with their work and working conditions. They often switch over from one job to another. Changing your work will not lead to satisfaction. Changing the way of doing your work can make it a burden or relaxation. You should not only like your work but also love it. “When you like a flower, you pluck it; but when you love it, you water it.”

If you are a teacher and you do not feel that God has given you an opportunity to train young minds and hearts and make them good human beings, you will not enjoy the task of teaching. If you are a doctor and you do not have the urge to serve the sick people and bring them back to health and happiness, you will miss the joy of healing and curing. Similar is the case with all the professions and businesses of the world. Mere money spinning will not lead to contentment and fulfillment. Everybody cannot bring happiness and prosperity in other’s life but all have the capacity to lessen the pain and suffering of their fellow beings. I read somewhere that if you cannot be a pencil to write someone’s happiness, be a nice eraser to remove his sadness. Your small acts of goodness and charity and little deeds of love and kindness are the sparks of greatness in you.

Doing Things Differently!!

Very few people know what to do in life. Even fewer people know how to do it. The way of doing a thing makes all the difference. Shiv Khera says: “Winners don’t do different things. They do things differently.” Work becomes worship if it is done with devotion. And worship becomes mere work if it is done like a routine affair. If you cage a bird, it can fly away; if you tame a squirrel, it can run away. It is much better to plant a big tree. Both will return to sing and play. This is what doing differently means.

If a tiny mosquito in the mosquito-net buzzes in your ears and disturbs your sleep, why cannot you, with your feeble voice, break the slumber of the world and wake it up? Even ordinary people can do extraordinary things. Small acts and deeds can also make a big impact on the world around you. But you have to adjust your focus and see things in a different light. Change your perspective and you will find a new purpose in life. Comforts and conveniences do not prove a man’s worth. Challenges and crises test the mettle of a man. So, convert occasions into opportunities, problems into possibilities and challenges into chances. If you have the ability to make your stumbling blocks as your stepping stones, you can be called a real hero. Winners never quit and quitters never win. You are born to win and you have to win the battle of life. Someone said beautifully: “Great people build monuments from the stones that their critics throw at them.” You can also build the Taj Mahal of your victory and triumph. Just start and do your part. Come out of your comfort zone, take calculated risks, plan and prepare, visualize and actualize and make a world of difference.