SELF DISCOVERY

 

                              

                                                FINDING OURSELVES

                      TO FIND YOUR PURPOSE IN LIFE, YOU MUST GO ON A JOURNEY OF                                  SELF- DISCOVERY.

              SOMETIMES THE WORRIOR FEELS AS IF HE WERE LIVING TWO

              LIVES AT ONCE... THERE IS A BRIDGE THAT LINKS WHAT I DO WITH WHAT 

              I WOULD LIKE TO DO, HE THINKS. SLOWLY, HIS DREAMS TAKE OVER HIS        

              EVERYDAY LIFE, AND THEN HE REALIZES THAT HE IS READY FOR THE THING 

              HE ALWAYS WANTED. THEN ALL THAT IS NEEDED IS A LITTLE DARING, AND 

              HIS TWO LIVES BECOME ONE.

                                                                                                                      ---- PAULO COELHO

                                           UNDERSTANDING OURSELVES

                  WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND OURSELVES TO BE ABLE TO COMPETE WITH OURSELVES. WHAT ARE OUR TENDENCIES? WHAT DO WE LIKE? WHAT DO WE NOT LIKE? WHERE DO WE WANT TO BE IN THE FUTURE? THESE ARE ONLY A FEW PRELIMINARY QUESTIONS WE NEED TO ANSWER TO SUCCEED. AND THIS PROCESS OF INQUIRY BEGINS OUR JOURNEY OF SELF-DISCOVERY.

                WE KNOW BY NOW THAT GIVING AND RECEIVING GIFTS CAN STRENGTHEN OUR RELATIONSHIPS. ONE STORY ABOUT GIVING GIFTS WHICH I FIND HILARIOUS IS ABOUT A COUPLE ON THEIR WEDDING ANNIVERSARY. A WOMAN TOLD HER HUSBAND AS SHE WISHED HIM, I JUST DREAMT THAT YOU GAVE ME A BEAUTIFUL DIAMOND NECKLACE. WHAT DO YOU THINK IT MEANS? SHE ASKED HIM. YOU'LL KNOW TONIGHT, HE SAID WITH A SMILE ON HIS FACE. HER EYES LIT UP IN ANTICIPATION. THAT EVENING THE HUSBAND CAME HOME WITH A BEAUTIFULLY WRAPPED PRESENT AND GAVE IT TO HIS WIFE. COULD IT BE WHAT I DREAM OF? SHE THOUGHT TO HERSELF. DELIGHTED, SHE OPENED IT, ONLY TO FIND A BOOK ENTITLED THE MEANING OF DREAMS!

 

                    I USED TO ALWAYS WONDER WHY ONE WOULD PUT IN SO MUCH EFFORT USING FANCY PAPER, BOWS AND RIBBONS TO WRAP A GIFT. WHY CAN WE NOT JUST GIVE THE GIFT UPFRONT TO THE PERSON WHOM WE WANT TO EXPRESS OUR LOVE FOR? I CAME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT IF WE OFFER A GIFT TO SOMEONE WITHOUT WRAPPING IT, THERE IS NO ELEMENT OF EXCITEMENT INVOLVED. CONCEALING A GIFT CREATES SUSPENSE, AND WHEN IT IS OPENED THERE IS EXCITEMENT AND THUS GREAT JOY. NOT ONLY DOES THE PERSON WHO RECEIVES THE GIFT FEEL HAPPY BUT SP DOES THE ONE WHO GIVES IT.

                  IN THE SAME WAY, EVERYONE HAS BEEN GIFTED WITH SPECIAL TALENTS AN SKILLS. EVERY INDIVIDUAL HAS SOMETHING UNIQUE IN THEM. IF GOD WERE TO REVEAL THAT TALENT TO US STRAIGHT AWAY, FROM THE VERY DAY WE WERE BORN, THERE WOULD BE NO EXCITEMENT IN OUR JOURNEY. GOD COVERS OUR TALENT, SKILLS AND POTENTIALLY ONLY SO THAT WE HAVE THE CHANCE TO DISCOVER IT. AND IN THE PROCESS OF DOING SO, IN TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WE WANT TO DO WITH OUR LIVES, THERE IS A TREMENDOUS SENSE OF SATISFACTION. SELF-DISCOVERY IS NOT A ONE-TIME EVENT BUT AN ONGOING EVOLUTION, AND US LIFE GOES ON WE DISCOVER  HOW MUCH WE ARE CAPABLE OF ACHIEVING.

                    HAVE YOU EVER PLAYED PASS THE PARCEL AS A CHILD? A CLASSIC AT BIRTHDAY PARTIES, THE GAME IS CENTERED AROUND A PRIZE WRAPPED UP IN A LARGE NUMBER OF GIFT WRAPPERS. BETWEEN EACH LAYER OF WRAPPING THERE IS A SMALLER GIFT. AS THE MUSIC STARTS PLAYING, THE PARCEL IS PASSED AROUND A GROUP OF PEOPLE, IN ANTICIPATION FOR THE MUSIC TO STOP. WHEN IT DOES, THE PERSON WHO NOW HAS THE PARCEL IN THEIR HAND REMOVES ONE LAYER OF WRAPPING PAPER AND CLAIMS THE SMALL PRIZE. THE SAME PROCESS CONTINUES UNTIL THE PENULTIMATE WRAPPER, WHEN ALL THE SMALL PRIZES ARE GONE AND FINALLY THE MAIN PRIZE IS REVEALED TO THE ONE WHO HOLDS AND UNWRAPS THE LAST LAYER.

                NOW, WHAT HAS THIS CHILDREN'S GAME GOT TO DO WITH UNDERSTANDING OURSELVES? WE NEED TO UNWRAP MULTIPLE LAYERS BEFORE WE CAN ACTUALLY DISCOVER OUR TRUE POTENTIAL. THE FURTHER WE DELVE TOWARDS REALIZING OUR POTENTIAL, THE MORE LAYERS WE START TO UNCOVER, AND WITH EVERY LAYER WE COME ACROSS SMALLER GIFTS THAT WE WERE HIDDEN WITHIN US. WE DO NOT HAVE TO WAIT TO EXPERIENCE HAPPINESS UNTILL ALL THE LAYERS ARE TAKEN OFF AND THE LARGE GIFT - OUR TRUE POTENTIAL - IS REVEALED TO US. THE JOURNEY ITSELF IS VERY EXCITING AND BRINGS AND BRINGS DEEP SATISFACTION. WHEN I THINK ABOUT THIS, IT REMINDS ME ABOUT THE STORY OF MY YOUNG FRIEND SAIRAJ.

                 SUMMARY

                 * WE SHOULD UNDERSTAND OURSELVES TO KNOW WHAT IS MEANINGFUL TO US, AND WHAT WE WANT TO DEVOTE OUR TIME TO. THIS CAN BE DONE BY UNDERSTANDING OUR PURPOSE, WHICH TAKES DEDICATION AND PATIENCE. 

              

                * DISCOVERING OUR PURPOSE IS EXCITING, JUST AS OPENING A GIFT GIVES THE FEELING OF ANTICIPATION AND JOY. REACHING OUR PURPOSE IN LIFE IS A JOURNEY, NOT AN EVENT.

                * THE JAPANESE HAVE A MODEL  CALLED IKIGAI OR A "REASON TO LIVE", WHICH IS COMPOSED OF FOUR TRAITS WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND. WHAT DOES THE WORLD NEED? WHAT CAN WE BE PAID FOR? SAIRAJ AND HIS FAMILY DISCOVERED THAT FOR HIM EARLY ON HIS LIFE.

                * IF WE ARE OLDER AND HAVE NOT YET FIGURED OUT OUR PURPOSE, WE CAN FOLLOW THE PRINCIPLE, LOVE WHAT WE HAVE TO DO AND DO WHAT WE LOVE TO DO.

                        NOTE : TO HELP YOU FIND YOUR IKIGA, YOU CAN COMPLETE AN EXERCISE IN APPENDIX 2 (IKIGAI WORKSHEET).

                                                                 POINTS 

                 * GOOD CHARACTRE HAS THE ABILITY TO CHANGE LIVES. IT HAS TO DO WITH OUR ACTIONS, NOT OUR WORDS. THE STORY ABOUT THE RATHAYATRA IN MUMBAI IS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF THIS.

             

               * THE PRINCIPLES OF DEVELOPING CHARACTER ARE:

                         👀 VICHAAR : THE LIFE PHILOSOPHY WE FOLLOW. WE MUST LEARN                                            FROM IT.

                         👀 AACHAAR : THE GOOD CONDUCT THAT IS DISPLAYED TO THE                                           WORLD THROUGH THOSE ACTIONS. WE MUST PRACTICE IT.

                        👀 PRACHAAR : THE GOOD CONDUCT THAT IS DISPLAYED TO THE                                         WORLD THROUGH THOSE ACTIONS. WE MUST PRACTISE IT.

                  * WHAT GREAT MEN DO, COMMON MEN FOLLOW.

                                                                              👀👀👀

 

 

                        

THE JOURNEY BEGINS

   

                    

                           THE JOURNEY BEGINS WHEN YOU START HEAR

 

                   HAVING A FRIEND TO LISTEN TO YOUR PROBLEMS AND DISCUSS THEM

                   WITH YOU IN THE BEGINNING OF FINDING A SOLUTION.

      

        THE JOURNEY OF A THOUSAND MILES BEGINS WITH ONE STEP

                                                                                                                ---- LAO TZU

                  WHAT DO WE DO WHEN PEOPLE WE ARE CLOSE TO ARE SHARING THEIR WORRIES WITH US? I WANTED TO SAY SO MUCH AS HARRY SPOKE OF HIS INNER TURMOIL, BUT THEN I REMEMBERED MY TRAINING AS A MONK, OUR SILENT PRESENCE CAN BE MORE POWERFUL THAN A MILLION EMPTY WORDS. WE ALL HAVE TWO EARS AND ONE MOUTH, THE AMOUNT WE LISTEN AND THE AMOUNT WE SPEAK SHOULD BE DONE PROPORTIONATELY. RARELY DO PEOPLE WANT AN ACTIVE SOLUTION TO THEIR PROBLEMS BEFORE THEY HAVE BEEN THROUGHLY HEARD AND UNDERSTOOD.

                 I REMEMBERED THE EARLY DAYS WHEN PEOPLE USED TO COME AND CONFIDE IN ME. I WAS A YOUNG, EAGER, FRESH-FACED MONK THEN, KEEN TO SAVE THE WORLD WITH MY NEWFOUND SENSE OF PURPOSE. IN MY IMMATURITY, I WOULD POUNCE ON THE SOLUTION AS SOON AS IT CAME TO ME, NOT UNDERSTANDING THAT PEOPLE DON'T CARE WHAT YOU KNOW UNLESS THEY KNOW YOU CARE. INFACT, THE ANSWER TO ALL PROBLEMS RELATED TO THE HUMAN CONDITION SELDOM EXCLUDES A CONSCIOUS, COMPASSIONATE EAR. THE ATTITUDE OF LISTENING ATTENTIVELY IS EQUALLY TO THE SOLUTIONS WE MAY PRESENT. I WAS NOT GOING TO MAKE THAT MISTAKE THIS TIME WITH HARRY.

                I WAS GLAD THAT THE TRAFFIC WAS CLEARING UP, AND SO WERE MY THOUGHTS. A FEW MOMENTS OF SILENCE PASSED BEFORE I SPOKE, HARRY, I AM SO SORRY YOU'RE GOING THROUGH THIS. THANK YOU FOR TRUSTING ME AND SHARING THIS. EVEN WHEN YOU JUST SPEAK TO SOMEONE ABOUT YOUR PROBLEMS, DO YOU NOT FEEL LIGHTER? DO YOU NOT FEEL LIGHTER? DO YOU NOT FEEL HOPE THAT THINGS WILL GET BETTER?.

 

                  HARRY LOOKED AT ME, UNCONVINCED,  I WANT TO GET OUT OF THIS MESS. BUT I DON'T SEE A WAY OUT WITHOUT RUINING MY LIFE COMPLETELY. I 'M NEARLY FORTY YEARS OLD, IT'S TOO LATE TO MAKE ANY DRAMATIC CHANGES. WHAT SHOULD I DO?

                WHAT SHOULD I DO ARE THE FOUR WORDS ANY LIFE COACK HATES, I THOUGHT. THIS IS BECAUSE ANY DIRECT ADVICE GIVEN BY THEM TURNS INTO A "MAGIC SPELL " THAT IF FOLLOWED WILL PROVIDE GUARANTEED RESULTS. BECAUSE GAUR GOPAL DAS SAID SO. BUT THAT IS NOT THE CASE. FOLLOWING BLINDLY LIKE SHEEP CAN LEAD US ASTRAY. MAKING CHOICES IN LIFE IS LIKE BUYING SOMETHING AT A SHOPPING MALL. THE SALES ASSITANT MAY SHOWS US ALL THE PRODUCTS AVAILABLE, TELLING US THE PROS AND CONES OF EACH OF THEM, BUT WE MUST MAKE THE CHOICE IN THE END. THE FINAL DECISION IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY.

                I M NOT YOUR GURU, I AM, YOUR FRIEND, " I ASSERTED, WE MUST MAKE OUR OWN DECISIONS, AND I CAN ONLY HELP YOU WITHIN MY CAPACITY. I DO NOT KNOW IT ALL, NOR  DO I CLAIM TO, BUT FROM MY EXPERIENCE OF BEINGA FRIEND TO THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD, YOU ARE NOT ALONE. MANY PEOPLE ARE GOING THOUGH SIMILAR STRUGGLES AS YOU. HARRY SIGHED AGAIN, BUT IT SEEMED LIKE A SIGH OF RELIEF, AS WE CREPT THROUGH THE MUMBAI TRAFFIC.

               DO YOU SEE HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE STUCK IN THIS TRAFFIC JAM? I ASKED. THEY ARE ALL KIKE US. THEY MAY BE IN DIFFERENT CARS, BUT THEY ARE ALL STUCK. LOOK AROUND YOU, ONE ELDERLY GENTLEMAN THERE IS DRIVING A CAB WITH BRITISH TOURISTS IN THE BACK SEAT, THAT CAB DRIVER OVER THERE JAMMING TO OLD BOLLYWOOD CLASSICS ON THE RADIO AND EVEN THAT ROLLS-ROYCE IN THE DISTANCE. HARRY WINCED AT THE SIGHT OF A CAR BETTER THAN HIS. WE ALL HAVE THREE THINGS IN COMMON. WE ARE ALL STUCK, WE ALL HAVE A JOURNEY TO COMPLETE, AND WE ALL HAVE DESTINATION. NOW IMAGINE THE TRAFFIC JAM ALL CLEARED UP. WE WOULD ALL BE FREE TO COMPLETE OUR JOURNEYS IN PEACE AND REACH THE DESTINATION THAT WE CHOOSE'. 

                         WHAT'S THAT GOT TO DO WITH MY SITUATION THOUGH?

                                                              HARRY  RETORTED.

               THERE IS A TRAFFIC JAM WITHOUT OUR MINDS, HARRY. AND THAT TRAFFIC JAM IS STOPPING EACH ONE OF US FROM REACHING OUR TRUE POTENTIAL. IMAGINE IF WE KNEW HOW TO CLEAR THIS DISCRUPTION. NO FUMES OF INSECURITY CAUSING US TO COUGH, NO ONE HONKING AT US, DISTRACTING US FROM WHAT'S  IMPORTANT AND PLENTY OF FUEL TO SUSTAIN US SO THAT WE CAN LIVE A LIFE WORTH LIVING.

                      

                       THERE WERE NO TEARS IN HARRY'S EYES. I COULD ONLY

                                                            DETECT INTEREST.

              THE PROCESS TO CLEAR THE TRAFFIC WITHIN MIND STARTED TWENTY-TWO YEARS AGO. I REGRET THE PAIN I CAUSED MY PARENTS, BUT AT THAT TIME I RAN AWAY FROM HOME TO BECOME A MONK. IT WAS THEN THAT I LEARNT ABOUT THE WHEELS OF LIFE. ALL OF THESE CARS AROUND YOU HAVE FOUR WHEELS EQUALLY WEIGHING DOWN ON THE AXLE. THE LOSS OF AIR IN ANY ONE OF THESE WHEELS DOWN ON THE AXLE. THE LOSS OF AIR IN ANY ONE OF THESE WHEELS CAN SLOW YOU DOWN IN REACHING YOUR DESTINATION, THE LOSS OF ONE CAN BE FATAL. THEREFORE, ITS IMPERATIVE THAT YOUR WHEELS ARE REGULARLY CHECKED AND MAINTAINED. SIMILARLY, THERE ARE FOUR PRINCIPLES THAT FORM THE FOUNDATION OF  HAPPY LIFE. THEY AREN'T BASED ON ANY LABEL WE PLACE ON OURSELVES AND APPLY TO ALL, WHETHER WE'RE MONKS OR MARRIED, YOUNG OR OLD, RICH OR POOR, ATHEIST OR RELIGIOUS. THEY ARE NOT DEPENDENT ON NATIONALITY, RACE, GENDER OR PROFESSION EITHER.

               HARRY LOOKED ME STRAIGHT IN THE YES AS THE CAR HALTED AGAIN IN TRAFFIC. I'M READY TO LEARN THEM. IN FACT, I'YE BEEN READY SINCE I WAS EIGHTEEN.

                BEHIND THE SMILES, EVERYONE IS GOING THROUGH PERSONAL

                STRUGGLES WE KNOW NOTHING ABOUT.

                 

            AS I HAVE SAID, THE FIRST THING IS TO BE HONEST WITH YOURSELF. YOU CAN NEVER HAVE AN IMPACT ON SOCIETY IF YOU HAVE HAVE NOT CHANGED YOURSELF.. GREAT PEACEMAKERS ARE ALL PEOPLE OF INTEGRITY, OF HONESTY, BUT HUMILITY.

                                                                                                             --- NELSON MANDELA

                    SUMMARY

            * FORGIVENESS IS A DEEP AND OFTEN OBSCURE VALUE TO UNDERSTAND.

         

           * THE PRINCIPLES WE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT FORGIVENESS ARE 

                      1. LOOK BEYOND THE SITUATION: IF WE ARE HUNT BY SOMEONE'S WORDS, TRY TO UNDERSTAND WHY THEY SPOKE THEM. WHEN PEOPLE ACT HARSHLY TOWARDS US, MOST OF THE TIME THEY ARE SUFFERING TOO. THIS IS EMPATHY.

                    2. SEPERATE THE EPISODE FROM THE PERSON. RATHER THAN BEING AFFECTED BY THE EMOTION OF GUILT BY SAYING, I AM WRONG, OR ANGER BY SAYING, YOU ARE WRONG, WE SHOULD SEPARATE THE I OR THE YOU AND DEAL WITH THE WRONG.

                    3. HIGHER PURPOSE: CAN WE FORGIVE BASED ON A HIGHR PRINCIPLE? FOR EXAMPLE, IN MY STORY, THE HUSBAND FORGAVE THE WIFE BECAUSE HE LOVED HER,AND THEY HAD A DUTY TO THEIR COMMUNITY AND SON. IF CHOSEN, THIS APPROACH TAKES SUPPORT AND TIME AND THEY HAD A DUTY TO THEIR COMMUNITY AND SON.

                  4. JUTICE : ON A PERSONAL LEVEL, WE CAN FORGIVE THE PERSON WHO MAY HAVE WRONGED US, BUT ON A SOCIETAL LEVEL, THERE SHOULD BE STRICT JUSTICE TO CREATE AN ORDERLY SOCIETY. NO ONE SHOULD BE ABLE TO BREAK THE LAW AND GET AWAY WITH IN THE NAME OF FORGIVENESS.

                      NOTE : TO HELP YOU REFLECT ON FORGIVING SOMEONE IN YOUR OWN LIFE, PLEASE COMPLETE THE EXERCISE IN APPENDIX 1 (FORGIVENESS WORKSHEET).

                                                                                 👀👀👀

WHY WORRY

 

                                                          DONT WORRY

                   WHAT WE SEE AS BAD AT ONE POINT IN TIME CAN TURN OUT TO BE GOOD FOR US, AND WHAT WE SEE AS GOOD AT ANOTHER POINT IN TIME CAN TURN OUT TO BE BAD FOR US. MOST THINGS IN LIFE ARE BEYOND OUR CONTROL, WE SHOULD NOT JUDGE ANY SITUATION BY ITS FACE VALUE. A VIDEO THAT I THOUGHT WOULD DISRUPT MY LIFE AS I KNEW IT TURNED OUT TO BE THE GREATEST BLESSING. IT ALLOWED ME TO KICK-START MY JOURNEY TO BE ABLE TO TRY TO HELP INSPIRE MILLIONS ACROSS THE GLOBE THROUGH MY SOCIAL-MEDIA PRESENCE AND EVEN BROUGHT ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO CONVEY MY MESSAGE THROUGH THIS CHAPTER.

                   I NOTICED THAT HARRY LOOKED RELIEVED WHEN I TALKED ABOUT THIS, I MEDITATED TO HOW WHEN WE HEAR THINGS THAT ARE MEANINGFUL, OUT DOUBTS ARE DISPELLED. THE EASIEAST WAY TO BRING CLARITY TO OUR LIFE IS TO SEEK GUIDANCE FROM PEOPLE WHO POSSESS CLARITY.

                SPIRITUAL STRENGTH.. HE BROUGHT UP. HIS QUESTIONS WERE NOT FINISHED. TO GET TO THAT LEVEL OF DETACHMENT OR STATE OF GRATITUDE, YOU NEED WHAT YOU CALLED SPIRITUAL  STRENGTH. HOW DO YOU GET THAT? I WAS SURPRISED AT HOW ATTENTIVELY HE HAD BEEN LISTENING EVEN AS HE DROVE. WHEN WE ARE DESPERATE, OUR SENSES BECOME HEIGHTNED AND WE BECOME MORE ATTENTION.

               SOMETIMES WHEN WE GET ENGROSSED IN A PROBLEM, WE FEEL TRAPPED IN OUR OWN MINDS, IN THAT STATE, WE CONSTANTLY REGURGITATE OUR ISSUES,  CAUSING US A LOT OF EMOTIONAL PAIN. A SPIRITUAL PROCESS GIVES US THE ABILITY TO COME OUT OF THIS MENTAL LOOP AND HELPS TRANSFORM THE GREATEST DIFFICULTIES INTO OPPORTUNITIES.

                      SUMMARY

                   * SOME THINGS IN LIFE ARE BEYOD OUR CONTROL, WHEN ARE IN THAT SITUATION, WE FEEL OVERWHELMED AS WE TRY EVERYTHING IN OUR POWER TO CONTROL IT. BUT THAT IS USELESS!.

                 * THE FOUNDERS OF WHATSAPP DID NOT GET JOBS AT TWITTER AND FACEBOOK WHEN THEY APPLIED, WHICH WORKED OUT IN THEIR FAVOUR IN THE FURTHER, WHICH WORKED OUT IN THEIR FAVOUR IN THE FUTURE. HENCE, WHAT WE SEE AS BAD AT ONE POINT IN TIME CAN TURN OUT TO BE THE BEST THING TO HAPPEN TO US.

              * JUST AS I COULD NOT CONTROL THE VIRALITY OF MY OUT-OF-CONTEXT' VIDEO, SIMILARLY THERE ARE MANY SITUATION IN LIFE THAT ARE OUT OF OUR CONTROL.

             * THINK, IS THIS IN MY CONTROL? IF YES, YOU CAN DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. IF NO, THEN YOU CANNOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. THEREFORE, IN BOTH CIRCUMSTANCES, WHY WORRY?

              WHEN THINGS ARE BEYOND YOUR CONTROL AND THERE IS NOTHING 

              YOU CAN DO, WHY WORRY?

              WORRY NEVER ROBS TOMORROW OF ITS SORROW, IT ONLY SAPS

              TODAY OF ITS JOY.

                                                                                                  ---- LEO BUSCAGLIA

                                                          PRESS PAUSE

                   ❤  STOP AND REFLECT ON YOUR LIFE REGULARLY, PRESSING THE PAUSE BUTTON TO PRACTISE GRATITUDE IS THE WAY TO MAKE IT A CONSTANT IN YOUR LIFE.

                     

                      I LOVE THOSE WHO CAN SMILE IN TROUBLE, WHO CAN GATHER 

                      STRENGTH FROM DISTRESS, AND GROW BRAVE BY REFLECTION. TIS

                      THE BUSINESS OF LITTLE MINDS TO SHRINK, BUT THEY WHOSE

                       HEART IS FIRM, AND WHOSE CONSCIENCE APPROVES THEIR 

                       CONDUCT, WILL PURSUE THEIR PRINCIPLES UNTO DEATH.

                                                                                                                   ---- LEONARDO DA VINCI

 

                                                           👀    POINTS   👀

                   * WE MUST LEARN HOW TO PRESS PAUSE AND REFLECT ON WHAT WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR.  IT IS NOT GOOD ENOUGHT TO SAY THAT WE ARE TOO BUSY TO BE GRATEFUL.

 

                  * IF WE DO NOT PRESS PAUSE, HOW MANY BEAUTIFUL MOMENTS OF OUR LIFE ARE WE MISSING?

                 * THE WAYS TO START PRACTISING GRATITUDE ARE TO RECOGNISE THE GOOD THAT HAS BEEN DONE UNTO US AND SAY "THANK YOU", TO REMEMBER THE GOOD AND MEAN IT, AND TO RECIPROCATE THROUGH ACTIONS OF GIVING BACK AND LIVE BY THE SAME VALUES.

                 * GRATITUDE IS NOT MERELY AN EMOTIONS, IT IS A WAY OF LIFE WHICH CAN BE LEARNT AND PRACTISED.  WE MUST PRIORITIZE THE TIME TO PRACTISE GRATITUDE, AND ONE OF THE MANY WAYS TO DO IT IS BY WRITING A GRATITUDE LOG DAILY.

                                    GROWING THROUGH GRATITUDE

                    

                        WE MUST FIND POSITIVELY IN THE BLEAKEST SITUATIONS AND LIVE                            BY THE PRINCIPLE OF GRATITUDE.

 

                WE LEARNED ABOUT GRATITUDE AND HUMANITY - THAT SO MANY PEOPLE                  HAD A HAND IN OUR SUCCESS, FROM THE TEACHES WHO  INSPIRED US TO THE                JANITORS WHO KEPT OUR SCHOOL CLEAN... AND WE WERE TAUGHT TO VALUE                EVERYONE'S CONTRIBUTION AND TREAT EVERYONE WITH RESPECT.

                                                                                                            --- MICHELLE OBARNA

  

                                                   SEE THE POSITIVE

                    WE ALL BOIL AT DIFFERENT DEGRESS. SOME OF US HAVE TEMPERAMENTS LIKE THE INDIA SUMMER - HOT, STICKY AND EASILY IRRITABLE. YET SOME CAN REMAIN LEVEL-HEADED IN THE WORST OF CALAMITIES, AND AS A MONK, I WAS TAUGHT TO CONTROL MY EMOTIONS. SO NATURALLY, I ASSUMED THAT I WAS IN THE LATTER LEVEL-HEADED CATEGORY. THAT WAS UNTIL THE DAY I REALIZED I WASN'T THERE YET.

             👀    A POEN COMPOSED BY JOHNSON, OATMAN, JR, WHICH WE HAD SUNG IN OUR PRIMARY SCHOOL, SUMMARIZES BY MESSAGE ELOQUENTLY:

                WHEN UPON LIFE'S BILLOWS YOU ARE TEMPEST-TOSSED,

                WHEN YOU ARE DISCOURAGED, THINKING ALL IS LOST,

                COUNT YOUR MANY BLESSINGS, NAME THEM ONE BY ONE,

                AND IT WILL SURPRISE YOU WHAT YOU LORD HAS DONE.

                       ❤  SO GRATITUDE IS THE KEY TO REMAINING POSITIVE AND HAPPY?

                     SUMMARY

                 * WE MUST HAVE A POSITIVE STATE OF MIND WHEN DEALING WITH PROBLEMS. THINK, IS THER ANYTHING POSITIVE ABOUT THIS SITUATION IAM IN ?

                * BEING POSITIVE DOES NOT MEAN WE NEGLECT THE NEGATIVE. WE MUST CONSTRUCTIVELY DEAL WITH NEGATIVE SITUATIONS WHILST SIMULTANEOUSLY FOCUSING ON THE POSITIVE.

               * JUST LIKE OUR TONGUE CAN BE OBSESSED WITH SOMETHING STUCK IN OUR TEECH, OUR MIND HAS A DEFAULT SETTING TO BE OBSESSED ABOUT THE NEGATIVE.

              * GRATITUDE IS A STATE OF BEING THAT ALLOWS US TO SEE THE POSITIVE. IT COMES FROM REALIZING THAT THERE IS GOOD IN THE WORLD, THAT SOME OF THAT GOOD IS WITH US AND THAT THOSE GOOD THINGS ARE COMING FROM AN EXTERNAL REALITY. THAT STATE OF CONSCIOUSNESS IMBIBES US WITH POSITIVITY.

               * EVEN IN TIMES OF DIFFICULTY AND SORROW, WE CAN FEEL INNER STRENGTH, WHEN WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR THE SUPPORT OF CARING FRIEND AND FAMILY.

                                                                          👀👀👀