The Comeback is always Stronger than the Setback!

Let's take our time. Let's recharge ourselves and come back stronger!

Everything is not Locked Down…

•      Sunrise is not locked down…
•          Imagination is not locked down…
•          Creativity is not locked down…
•          Learning is not locked down…
•          Reading is not locked down…
•          Work is not locked down…
•          Kindness is not locked down…
•          Love is not locked down…
•          Relationship is not locked down…
•          Family Time is not locked down…
•          Conversation is not locked down…
•          Praying is not locked down…
•      Worshiping is not locked down…
•      Meditation is not locked down…
•      Hope is not locked down…
•      Let’s Cherish what we have…

Convert Lock Down as an Opportunity to do what we always wanted to do…

Let’s unlock ourselves from WITHIN…

Time to realize that we should be happy and thankful that we are safe. We are at home with our family. God has given us an opportunity to stay with our loved ones and know each other much better as we don’t find enough time to spend together in our busy and mechanized/modern lifestyles.

It’s very unfortunate when I hear people say that we have been arrested or locked down in our home. We created our homes and not a jail. How much time and money did we spend to create our homes. Blessed are we to have a home, think of those in the World who are homeless.

Today, I have the opportunity to stay at my home with my family which is nothing less than a temple as with my family, God also lives along with us.

This crisis has given us an opportunity to bring the family members closer and together. Let’s utilize these tough times to create special bonds with our loved ones. Bonds made in such times are considered to be the strongest. Let’s seize these moments to convert them to make these as unforgettable memories of our lives.

Let’s ensure that we are healthy and fit during this period. Health is Wealth – let’s keep ourselves physically and mentally fit – exercise, read books, spend time with family, practice yoga.

Let’s utilize this time to upgrade our skills.

Spend time to unleash/explore your hidden talents – Singing, Poetry, Sketching, Drawing, Cartoons, playing indoor games with kids and spouse, innovating new dishes, watching inspirational movies with family, etc.

Leave no opportunity to serve the poor and deserving people. Let’s spend our time on praying and worshiping. Let’s spend time to find about ourselves from within. 

Spend time to meditate.

Spend time in spirituality and find/revisit our Purpose of Life.

Realizations during this crisis:

•  Life is fragile, handle with care. 
•  Power, Beauty and Money are worthless. What will we do with all the wealth and fame that we have earned. It’s time to unlearn, time to realize that we are not the most powerful. We have been told to stay at home to ensure that we must realize that we humans are the guests and not the owners of this Universe and Creation.
•  We can feel fresh air, clear sky, bright moon and twinkling stars in the sky. The Nature continues its life and is beautiful without us. The birds are chirping and singing in the open sky. The Air, Earth, Water, Sun, Moon and Sky are doing fine without our interference. The planet regenerates quickly without humans into play. The nature re-emphasizes that we are Guests and not the Masters. These are the times when we need to have self-realization that how much damage we do to the environment and surroundings.
•  Humans are afraid from human beings. Hugs and Kisses have become weapons. Not visiting your loved ones has become an act of Love and kindness.
•  We and our kids can survive without junk food. We can survive vacations without National/International trips. Disneyland, Eiffel Tower and all holiday destinations are barren.
•  Rich people are less immune than the poor.
•  Health Professionals are worth more than Celebrities. No Priest, No Pujari, No Tantrik, No Astrologer, No Palmist could save patients.
•  All comforts and luxury gadgets in the World are worthless in a society without consumers.
•  We could experience/visualize how animals feel in the zoo as if being quarantined. Prisoners in jails for petty crimes can be released.
•  Majority of people can work from home. Living a hygienic life is not difficult.
•  Only women are not supposed to know cooking and household work.
•  If we build more schools, we need to construct less hospitals.

Stay home, Stay safe.

God’s Plan is always the Best. Sometimes the process is painful and hard. But don’t forget that when God is silent, he is doing something great for us.

O Lord, Give us courage and we know that you will take care…

Give us opportunity to live our life till we are alive.

Grant us wisdom to identify our Purpose of Life.

The World is closed for Renovation, Grand Reopening Soon…

Oh God! Why Me?

Did we ever say “Oh God! Why Me?” when we received a fortune in business, promotion in job, distinction in academics, addition of family member, recognition in society, or any incident that was progressive/positive. The credit for the positive development is taken by the individual and yes, we sometimes thank God as well.

However, if there has been a mishap or misfortune, loss in business, lost a job, lost a family member, serious ailment, or any incident that is not pleasant or positive, the immediate reaction is to question God - “Oh God! Why Me?”

In such a situation, we never ever give discredit to ourselves or take the responsibility with us but would like to externalize it and blame God for the same.

Life is unpredictable – Happy and Sad, Sunny and Rainy…

It’s strange how life works. One day things are going “business as usual,” and then the next, something can happen out of the blue that causes everything to change. It usually happens when we least expect it.

When it’s favorable, bask in the excitement and joy this unexpected event. We have to enjoy the good things that happen and give them the time they deserve. Don’t just brush them away, celebrate them. Enjoy the happy times and don’t take them for granted.

When bad things happen, do the best you can with the hand you’ve been dealt. Face whatever challenge has rocked your world with strength and courage. We need to be strong and brave. We need to handle whatever situation we find ourselves in. Understand that life is unpredictable and you can’t plan for everything, but it's the positive mentality of "Never Give Up" that counts. No matter what happened, if there is a Will, there is Way. Life is full of surprises and our way of approaching them defines us. Timing doesn't always happen to our own schedule and that's why patience is the key. But remember, our time will come. When Times are hard, go easy on yourself. What you need most at this time is your own kindness and encouragement.

Have faith and belief in your connection/relationship with God. Have belief in your Worshiping that you have done in past and made an excellent relationship with God. Don’t doubt on HIS intentions. His meticulous plan of grace and abundance ALWAYS prevails. We should NEVER stop talking and serving the God that saves me and provides for all our needs.  Practice attitude of gratitude daily. Like, I am grateful for being alive.  I am grateful for my breath, to begin with…

Remember, there is a saying - “This too shall pass.” And, it’s true for both - just as the unpleasant things pass, so do the good things.

We have to enjoy our present moment – “The Gift of Today” and not worry about all the things that “could” happen.

I am true believer of “Whatever happens, happen for Good only”.

If your beliefs and confidence are strong enough, you can achieve something that is very difficult.

For every door that closes, there's a multitude of windows that are opened. What we do with those opportunities is up to us. We either go through a window or we wait for that door to open. Personally, I’d waste no time and take the window, while waiting for the next door to open.

The blessing will be there if you are open to finding it... staying calm. All that panic and worry, self-doubt can lead to missing that opportunity.

There is a saying – “New beginnings are disguised as painful endings” God is a good Leveller.

Find your Purpose of Life…

What is your Balanced Scorecard for Being Good Human?

Balanced Scorecard for Being Good Human (BSBGH)

I will be turning 50 later this year and I keep pondering very often as to “How am I doing?"

I remember the famous phrase by Robert Frost –

“The woods are lovely, dark and deep, But I have promises to keep,

And miles to go before I sleep, And miles to go before I sleep.”

Sometimes I feel that life is both challenging and interesting as we need to play so many roles and juggle between them, and at the same time ensure that we do justice to all.

Balanced Scorecard for Being Good Human (BSBGH) is a Self-Evaluation Tool to measure how well am I performing the role of being Good Human Being.

BSBGH doesn’t have any criteria for the age, the earlier the better.

We can decide the frequency of arriving on the Score based on how well we are doing in our life and how often do we want to look back on how well we have performed on our plan (provided we have a plan). I would recommend to do once in a year. Our Birthday could be the best milestone to arrive on our BSBGH as every year on our birthday we get more wiser.

While I’m suggesting below mentioned criterias / parameters to measure BSBGH, you may feel free to include any parameter that doesn’t get covered or drop any parameter that may not be relevant for you. Also, you could define weightage to the below mentioned parameters / criterias depending upon your Purpose of Life.

Self:

What is my score on the what I have accomplished in my life for myself. 

A desire “to become everything one is capable of becoming”

The System connects the dots between Big Picture Strategy Elements to behavior and attitude in our day-to-day life.

o   Accomplishment of my Mission (my purpose)

o   Architecture of my Vision (what we aspire for)

o   Choice of Core Values (what we believe in)

o   My Achievements in life (Results against desired level of Performance).

o   My belief in Humanity

o   My Education

o   My Health

o   My Wealth

o   My Career Growth

o   My Self-Growth / Self-Development

o   My Self-belief

o   My Positive Attitude

o   My willingness to work hard

o   My Time Management

o   Am I contented?

o   How Mature am I to deal with situations of uncertainty

o   How well do I perform during a situation to manage Crisis

o   My behavior with my Family, Friends and Society

o   My belief in Religion

o   My experience/experiences in Spirituality

o   My Self-fulfillment

o   My performance on Self-Actualization Needs

o   etc…

·        Family

o   What are my accomplishments for my family

o   How have I fared in maintaining Family Harmony

o   My performance on dealing with my aging Parents

o   My performance on my relationship with my Spouse

o   Am I sensitive to my Spouse’s need and how often do I try to fulfill them

o   My performance on upbringing of my children

§  Their Human Values

§  Their Education

§  Their Overall Development

§  Facilities

o   Strike the right Balance between the role of a Parent and a Friend with my children

o   What is the social status that I have created for my family

o   How is my relationship with my in-Laws and Relatives

o   Have I created sufficient wealth for my family so that they can peacefully live after my death

o   etc…

·        Friends

o   My relationship with my Friends

o   How often do I connect with my friends

o   How much do I value Friendship

o   How genuinely am I interested and willing to help my friends in their moments of sorrows and difficulties

o   What are the sacrifices that I have made in my life for my true Friends

o   How often do I take advice from my Friends or give advice to my Friends

o   My Learning from my true friends

o   etc…

Society

o   What have I done for the Society – Am I good Samaritan?

o   Am I a member of any Organization that serves the Society

o   Do I get actively involved in initiatives for serving the Society – Health Check-ups, Yoga Camps, Eye check-up Camps, Blood Donation Camps, etc..

o   How many times have I have donated blood in the blood donation camps

o   Have I registered myself for donating my Organs

o   How often do I “Give” to the needy and experience the Joy of Giving

o   etc…

·      

        Environment

o   My Contribution towards the Environment

o   Do I contribute towards Re-use, Reduce and Re-cycle

o   How many times would I have contributed for the Tree Plantation Drive

o   Am I sensitive and contribute towards Water Conservation

o   Do I use products enabled by Solar Energy

o   Am I contributing to reduced usage of Paper

o   Do I contribute to save Electricity

o   etc…

BSBGH is closely aligned to our Existence and our Purpose of Life.

Our BSBGH will decide our Funeral Speech.

Evaluate your Balanced Score for Being Good Human (BSBGH) now!

find purpose of life

Accepting our Mortality

Life is insecure. Security can only happen in death.

There is no security about life because however young and healthy we are we are going to die one day.

We have to die. We have a choice to “Die joyfully” or “Die crying”.  

The fear of dying will not make us live longer, anyway, it will not avoid death.

Life is a bubble. We should consider that we are living on a daily basis as if forever.

Coming to terms with mortality is one very important thing. It will allow us to get rid of the feeling of security and insecurity.  The fundamental awareness that we are mortal will allow us to put our life to best. Acceptance to inevitability of death can help teach us to live more fully in the here and now. In fact, consciousness of our mortality can enable us to cherish every moment of the life we have.

We came with nothing and we are going to go back with nothing. Which means, that we have nothing to lose. Whatever we achieve while we are alive makes us on profit side. These thoughts give us an opportunity to live a profound, intense and beautiful life. We have an opportunity to rise and shine while we are alive.

Everything that life gives us, we should take it sportingly.  If we want to avoid life then we must die.

Let’s become seize-the-day person and use the time we have left well and ensure that we can live our life to fullest.

Let’s find our Purpose of Life and ensure to achieve the same before we die.  
find purpose of life

Difference between Religion and Spirituality?

The Oxford Dictionary defines Religion as “the belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal God or Gods”

The Oxford Dictionary defines Spirituality as “the quality of being concerned with the human spirit or soul as opposed to material or physical things”.

Telling people, you are spiritual but not religious is often greeted with a confused face. People tend to think of spirituality as something very strange and mysterious.

Religion describes the social, the public, and the organized means by which people relate the sacred and the divine while Spirituality describes such relations when they occur in private, personally, and even in ways.

Spirituality is perhaps the most natural thing. It is simply our own conscious self-recognizing that we are more than just a body, that we are a soul with infinite potential.

Religion and Spirituality are intertwined but quite different. Religion and Spirituality are not at odds with each other and have areas of historic and doctrinal overlap.

Religion is Spiritual and Spirituality is Religious.

Every Religion came by Spirituality, by the journey through which one person became God. Spirituality is a form of Religion, but a private and personal form of Religion. Thus, the valid distinction is between Spirituality and Organized Religion.

Religion implies participation in a communal practice and interpretation of divine belief and worship whereas Spirituality gives the individual autonomy over his or her interpretation of the soul or spirit.

Religion requires membership and embodies practices and beliefs shaped over the course of history. 

Spirituality is a personal self-journey that connects one with a deeper meaning, without the clearer and more rigid boundaries of institutional religion.

Spirituality is born in a person and develops in the person. It may be kick started by a religion, or it may be kick started by a revelation. Spirituality extends to all facets of a person’s life.

Spirituality is chosen while Religion is often times forced or imposed.

Being Spiritual to me is more important and better than being Religious. Religion can be anything that the person practicing it desires.

Spirituality, on the other hand, is defined by God, is a manifestation of His nature.

Since Religion is man defined, Religion is a manifestation of the flesh.

·       Religion brings in Fear, whereas, Spirituality is based on Love and helps us to be Brave

Religion tells you what to fear and tells you consequences.

Dotted throughout religion there is lots of fear. Fear of the consequences of your actions, fear of what might happen after you die if you don’t live your life accordingly.

Spirituality makes you aware of the consequences but doesn’t want you to focus on the fear. It shows you How to Stand Despite Being Afraid, how to move on doing what you feel it’s right despite the consequences that may come. It shows you how to act on love and not on fear, it shows you how to control fear and use the best of it.

It truly sets you free to be the best you can be and to be a good person with no promise of punishment or reward. The reward is simply your own inner happiness.

Well, with spirituality there is only Love, it encourages you to focus all of your energy only on the good, and to act only based on love.

This is a key point for me as any choice made out of fear will not be good for your soul. Whereas decisions made out of love will empower you, make you braver and feed your soul.

·       Religion Makes You to Follow, whereas, Spirituality Sets You Free

Religion tells you to follow an ideology and obey certain rules or you’ll be punished otherwise. Spirituality lets you Follow Your Heart and What You Feel It’s Right. It sets you free to be what you truly are without bowing to anything that doesn’t resonate as right with you nor to anyone because we are all one. It is all up to you to choose what you’ll honor enough to make it divine.

There are no rules to Spirituality. As opposed to following a specific ideology or a set of rules spirituality simply lets you follow your heart, it encourages you to listen to your intuition and do what is right for yourself and others around you.

·       Religion Tells us the Truth, whereas, Spirituality Lets us Discover the Truth

Religion tells you what to believe and what is right. Spirituality lets you discover it by yourself and understand it in your own unique way. It lets you Connect with Your Higher Self and see with your own mind what truth is, because the truth as a whole is same for each one of us. It lets you believe in your own truth through your own perception of your heart.

As opposed to telling you in black and white how the universe was created and why we are here, Spirituality lets you discover these questions and answers for yourself.

It empowers you to find your own truth in all things and sets no limits to how deep you can go in understanding all there is to know.

·       Religion Separates from Other Religions, whereas, Spirituality Unites Them

Through our world there are many religions and they all preach that their story is the right story.

Spirituality sees the truth in all of them and unites them because the truth is same for all of us despite our differences and uniqueness. It focuses on the quality of the divine message they share and not on the differences in details of the story they speak.

·       Religion makes us Dependent, whereas, Spirituality makes us Independent

If you attend religious events only then you are seen as a religious person and someone who is worthy of happiness. Spirituality shows you that you don’t need or depend on anything to be happy.

Happiness is always found deep in ourselves and only we are responsible for it. We are always where we need to be and not just while attending at some events or buildings. Divinity is in us and that is why we are always worthy.

·       Religion talks about Punishment, whereas, Spirituality Applies Karma

Religion says that if we don’t obey certain rules there is punishment that awaits us which relies on our belief.

Spirituality lets us understand that every action has its reaction and realize that the punishment of our actions will be the reaction coming from the actions we set in motion. It relies solely on the fundamental forces of The Universe and it doesn’t need you to believe in that force to be true.

Instead of talking about punishment or the threat of hell, Spirituality only talks about Karma.

It’s the Law of Attraction — you get what you give. Simple.

·       Religion makes us follow Other’s Journey, whereas, Spirituality lets us create our Own Journey

The foundation of one religion is the story it tells about a God or Gods, their journey to enlightenment and the truth they have discovered making you follow their steps. Spirituality lets you Walk Your Own Journey to Enlightenment and discover the truth in your own way following what your heart tells it’s right because the truth is always the same no matter how you get to it.

Instead of ancient stories about angels and Gods, spirituality encourages you to make your own path and create your own stories. This sets you on a journey of enlightenment and self-discovery to which the only limits can be set by yourself.

It encourages you to trust your heart and follow it wherever it may lead you.

Identify your “Purpose of Life” and choose your preferred path of Religion or Spirituality!!!