Let Go and Happiness

Examine the people who are unhappy in this world. The majority will be the ones who stick on to rigid rules, being too much rigid, and following the conventional rules either imposed by parents/society or their own early life lessons. They don't want to experience life. The rules in their mind governs their life. And who has created the rules for them? Either their parents or elders. What makes them stick on to the old conventions. It is FEAR that controls them.Many problems are rooted in fear. Living by a rigid set of rules, your emotional experience becomes limited and you enjoy very less in life.

Fear of failure, fear of not being good enough,fear of being alone, fear of being isolated, fear of what others will think all control our mind. These all start from lack of trust in yourself, and in the present moment. If we learn to let go of all these fears/concerns and enjoy life as it comes it becomes more beautiful.

Letting go becomes a process of accepting that we can’t control other people. Life isn’t
something we control, no matter how much we try. Know that you can’t control much in life, but you can always control your reaction.

Every object, every life situation, every person is impermanent.

Forget & Forgive
If someone did something wrong to you, we feel angry with them. That is quite natural. But if we want to take revenge on them and wants to hurt them. In that case  we suffer the more. To make mistake is natural. If we are ready to admit and take responsibility for our mistakes then it is ok. If we choose not to forgive, we carry anger and resentment into future situations and deprive ourselves of the peace of mind.

Expectations in life
We all have expectation on how people should treat us. We have expectations on friends/relatives/office friends etc. When the expectations doesn't match we feel frustrated. Seeing people as they are helps you to have a better relationship with them. Let go of all unrealistic expectations in life.

Give up the beliefs and habits that are holding you back. Respect yourself enough to let go of anything that no longer works for you.

Letting go of attachment to a particular perspective and be open to all view points.

The more flexible, tolerant and open minded we are, the more happier we become.

Power of words

There is an enormous power in words. We read books/articles, new ideas arises and it affects our thought process. Writings of great authors have a great impact on our minds.

A sword can bring only damage/destruction. War is  not a solution for anything. It will only increase enmity and leaves only wounds. A society develops only through education, through the teachings and writings of
great intellectuals.

Wise usage of words can bring about many good changes. We see a new world through the writings from poets/writers.Think of the books that influenced us, may it be Bible/Quran/Bhagat Gita these all have beautiful messages for us.

These days through the social media we are able to see many social issues being pointed out and get public attention. During our childhood,  grand mothers tell us stories  from histories and they influence our little minds.

Writers and philosophers are more powerful to change the world than kings who forced their people to use swords.Words, written down in any form, can change minds and it reaches and influences a broader audience

It was not though war but through Ahimsa and Satyagraha that we got independence.Gandhiji wrote columns
in newspapers about the social injustices.Many of the writers through their literary works share their insights and allow us to think. The autobiography Wings of Fire is still a source of inspiration for many.

The writers live through their writings and are immortal. Great writers like  Shakespeare, Tagore, Vivekananda are still  remembered today. Their writings  leave an everlasting source of inspiration for all the generations.

With a sword one can kill or hurt people. But with a pen one can write about whats happening in the society.What actions cannot do, can be done by words. A writer cannot protest against a social evil alone, but he can make the readers aware of the situation and in that way bring about progress.

Pen brings the world closer to us and gives us exposure.

Imagine a very dull day. Read some quotes and it will brighten your day. These words are such energy boosters to us.

Many of the scams have been brought into  public attention through newspapers.

The impact of pen depends on the usage of it. Views  can be distorted and misinterpreted by the pen. Its power should be used in a wise and  positive way. The writers influences the society to a great extent so they should be will aware of their responsibility.

Role of education

My view on educated person

To me education is something which develops our mental attitude and helps us grow to a higher level. The growth doesn't mean career wise. It means we become more equipped with knowledge and we know what is right and what is wrong.

Our education starts right from our childhood, we learn from parents, elders, friends and each life situation. Recently I heard a speech by someone, he was telling that learning any art form,  be it music, dance or anything is good since artists cannot do any harm to society. This is because they will be more socially aware.

Education will enable you to develop your own opinions, attitudes, values, and beliefs. No degree  however great can teach you everything you need to know either now or in the future. It can provide just a platform. Its after many years of learning that one can become a doctor/engineer/lawyer etc. We see many professionals with a lot of degrees attached to their name. Some of them are unethical, greedy, egoistic and arrogant people. But some are very much honest or sincere with their clients and have a humanitarian behavior. They all have the same formal education. But it is the mind sets and attitude that matters.

People destroy public properties, vehicles etc during strike. We have rules but we don't care to follow them. We see many types of bribes even in educational field. Parents are ready to donate huge amounts for getting seats in colleges. How can a person be a passionate doctor if is not following his interest and on compulsion joins the course?

One of my friend met with an accident, the one who hit him(he was an engineer) escaped without even dropping him to the hospital. One of the auto rickshaw wala took him to the hospital. Compared to the engineer, he had much lesser education.But he knew what was to be done and at the right time. If the education didn't provide one with the necessary common sense it is of no use.

I have observed that lot of less-educated people are more friendly, and down-to-earth generally. Few people with lot of success would always keep their feet on the ground and show lot of humility. Education without right attitude is of no use.

The purpose of education should be to prepare children for life, nourishing the hidden potential in every child so that they can contribute more to society. It should help to discover the natural talents each one of us posses. I believe the purpose of  education should always be creating people who will be productive and more socially aware. All this can happen only if the mind is developed.

A literate person can read books and it helps them to acquire more knowledge. But if he doesn't apply the knowledge it is of no use.

We cant say we are educated on the day we got our degree. There is always something new to learn every day and every moment. We can learn from the nature, the mirror, the windows, animals etc.

We have many high officials with high qualification. But many of them are corrupt. Our literacy rate is increasing, but social evils and crime against women and children are increasing. The education system has failed to provide the moral values to the people. 

Having a formal education doesn’t make anyone a better individual. But what matters is self development, humility, sound character and morally high thinking.  We have seen many college drops achieving success through hard work.

Compared to olden days, many of the youth today are more educated. But there is an increase in family problems, deaths due to family problems and divorces.We see the news of children being abandoned. Today people have become so busy that they are unable to spend proper time with their family and  unable to give care to the old parents. Material comforts have increased but we see youth neglecting parents and leaving them to old age homes. So what has the education helped them there?


Education should help in developing both moral and intellectual character, increasing confidence and help to rise to full potential.The objective of education should be to develop mind. We need more law abiding citizens, more professionals who excel in their field, more dedicated doctors etc.

The little matters that matter

It is important to use your own intelligence in any situation. We can get guidance from many, but use your brain and create a path of your own. Be open to life as it comes your way, enjoy with your own inner intelligence instead of with stored judgments

It is important to set boundaries.It is also important to never cross limits. Know your rights, but don’t overstep your boundaries.Allow children/siblings to use their own freedom.Do not try to control or change people. Instead, focus on yourself, and be a model for them to follow.

It is important to be patient. Every problem has solution. When method A doesn't work, use Method B.

It is important to  let go of ego,grudges. Holding on any negative feeling will benefit us in no way. Be tolerant,but take necessary precaution to avoid a second experience. Many often we get fed up with people. Be realistic with expectation. Holding onto our ideals of how everyone should act will give us only disappointment. Accept people for who they are.

It is important to know the worth of hard work. Use your full calibre/potential. It is only when we get out of our comfort zone, we grow

It is important to Stay humble. Don’t let success go to your head.

It is important to learn from each mistake and rise up.Know your limitations and admit when you don’t know something.Face challenges and be strong.

It is important to  be enthusiastic and observe world  as a child, carry the enthusiasm as you grow older.We need to  learn a lot from children, to face challenges in life with joy and confidence that they show naturally.

It is important to get engaged with something every time. Stop idling. Anytime we can start a hobby for our own. Use your mind in a creative way. The inefficient use of the brain so much problems like feeling anxiety,frustration,depression and anger over the things that happen to us and might happen to us and on which we have no control.

Is is important to be practical and genuine in all situations. Always be ready to accept reality. Few days ago I was feeling some sort of frustrations and a feeling that God hasn't given what I deserve. But then I saw one of my friend trying hard to manage the finance for his son's treatment.  That was an eye-opener for me.
Accept the world as it is, and we  can see people suffering and trying hard to make both ends meet.
It is important indeed to act out of compassion to make people’s lives better

It is important not to  criticize or judge people without knowing their stories.We have set some standards and want others to follow it. Many people will follow it and  many will violate it. They are probably suffering in some way, God only knows. When we walk a mile in someone else's shoes, we realize many things.

What if we feel GOD is not answering our prayer?

We all pray, visit temples/churches/mosques or we pray simply at home. And are we happy after the prayer. Very often we  complain that he is not considering our wishes and  we often take the blessings take for granted.

Closely listen, He is telling it’s not the right time. Please wait. If events are not happening as you expected , or if you  doesn't feel  circumstances change in your favor,relax and  trust God. God has some better action plan for you.

You may feel frustrated during rejections in life, years later you will look back at and thank God for not answering that prayer the way you wanted.

To me GOD is my friend with whom I can openly share thanks, hopes, all my fears. Thank God every day for all the blessings  you enjoy.

Learn to love all, not only the joys and the victories, but also the pain and the struggles. This is what GOD teaches us.

We are educated, but still we blindly follow some superstitions and it shakes our self confidence.

We are controlled by some unknown fears and become weak.We lose confidence in our own abilities after a certain period of time. People go behind superstitions with the desire to make quick money without much hard work.

Couples do special poojas and special mantras to solve issues in marriage. They don't want to rectify the mistakes in their life. They find this as a shortcut. People do special offerings to God for getting jobs.

There are many superstitions, considering widows as unlucky, considering certain numbers as unlucky and so on.

We run after priests,astrologers etc for fulfilling our wishes.
The GODMEN produce fruits,ashes  etc from nowhere to  influence the people. Once I met a person who claimed to have some super natural powers. He used to sit near the idol of Krishna and keeps his ears near the idol. After few minutes he will tell something that he claimed lord Krishna told him.

Be aware and use our reasoning ability. Majority of them are not based on any logic. It is now the FEAR of God than the LOVE of God that rules us. What we need is faith or  belief in one’s own self and a trust on the miracles of hard work. We should be able to judge everything by the strong light of reason  having firm faith in God.

It is sure there is an unknown  supreme power which is controlling every species.But worshiping God is one thing and believing in superstitions is different.

God always help those who help themselves. So play our part well and then be ready to accept what is offered.
We have to accept that God always wants to bring out the best in us. I remember a beautiful advice I received, Whatever it is whether it is good or bad,  leave it to God and have faith in Him.

Master your thoughts, Let go of prejudices

Our thought process defines who we are. Our happiness depends mainly on the quality of our thoughts.

Remember the actions we regret later or gave us troubles later in life, all of these will surely be when we have acted without thinking. Taking full control of our thought process is very important.

Preconceived mindset has a strong impact of all our deeds. Prejudice is that which make us  believe bad about others without even  finding out the truth. Our mind is conditioned to  judge and form opinions  in life. But sometimes forming an opinion or judgment based on very little evidence lands us in new troubles. Our thinking is influenced by opinions from  other people, newspapers, magazines,our experiences etc.

Each  one of us has a set of assumptions based on many factors  that underlies our thinking. Our past experience might limit our thinking in a situation. We should learn  to see things more clearly.
Another factor is beliefs imposed by our  families, schools, and friends.

Hanging onto old mindsets can create many serious mental problems like  fear, negativity,  resentments, stress, and worry. Old mindsets can keep you boxed into old prejudice attitudes and thoughts.

Always make sure you have got ample evidence before believing anything.
Double check whether there is anything that you missed out.
Try not to  generalize people in terms of race, gender, sex, place where they belong to, their culture.

A prejudiced mind always tries to fit people and ideas into its narrow preconceived notions.

Avoiding making conclusions about something/someone until we are informed
Step outside the conventions to look for new solutions.

Leave the know-all attitude. The entire universe is so complex.  It is important to accept that there are truths that, "I won’t understand." or " I hadn't noticed". Be  open minded to the truth about things of which we have very little knowledge.

Prejudices are very tough to overcome unless we are fully aware of it.We must have heard people ( or sometime we ourselves) telling prejudicial jokes and make generalistions.

Be ready to give up our age-old rigid thought processes and  give way to an open  thought process. Let not our vision be coloured by the lens of prejudice. Prejudices are attitudes rooted in ignorance and a fear of differences.Let go of the the emotional baggage and be happy.

Read and encourage your children to read books that promote understanding of different cultures. Give them opportunity to explore more.Avoid stereotypical remarks in home.

Having a prejudiced mindset about the whole world that surrounds you will hinder you from discovering new ideas and will hinder further growth.Do not blindly believe something only because Mr. X or Mr.Y told. Use your brain in the most efficient manner.

Are teachers still role models?

More than a profession, teaching is a moral duty

It was really disturbing to hear the news.A six-year-old child was locked up in a dog cage by his teacher at a private school. The child's sister witnessed this but the school authorities threatened her not to report this to parents.

I have read about a  primary school teacher who swims across a river to be punctual at school.

A.P.J. Abdul Kalam has written about how  a small incident, ie a teacher demonstrating a birds flying exercise helped him develop his ambition and vision in life.

Teachers need to have a passion for teaching. Are today’s teachers truly passionate and dedicated about making a positive difference to the students?

The children who are subjected to physical punishment are more vulnerable in their life with low self-esteem. Before giving any sort of punishment, just pause and think, How it will benefit him in the long way.

The main purpose of education is the overall growth of a student. Teaching is a very noble profession. Only those with real passion can excel in the professions.

They should always remember that have the power to influence the minds of children and shape societies. When giving punishments, please try to consider the feelings of the student.

Many often the discrimination among the students by teachers creates a lot of pain in children which he/she can imagine. Many students tell they hate ______ subject, it may be because he/she didn't have someone who tried to develop the interest.

Shweta hates dance. Her parents made all effort to make  her join for a dance class, but she resisted. The reason was simple. She learns dance in school, but every time her teacher select children for dance competition she is not considered. Slowly she she lost the interest  and now hates dance.

Our generation have been blessed. When we hear the word teachers some faces come to our mind. They may have impressed us with their teaching, their caring attitude, the rapport they have established with individual students.Many of us can reflect on our think of a teacher who truly made a difference in our lives, may be someone who supported learning at a difficult time, a teacher who inspired or maybe one instilled a passion for something.

Many retired teachers tell about the happiness they get when they meet their old students later in life.

Dear Teachers

Listen to all of your students. Encourage them to share ideas and opinions.

Use good manners when you deal with your students

Create a feeling in students that you want to help them achieve their dreams.

Be caring and create a happy environment for the students to learn.

You have the power to shape lives  of students for the better. Use it wisely.

Your teaching has a  great impact in the molding of the next generation.

It’s the relationships you build with them and  all the little ways you show concern and the love you share with them that matters.