Elevation

 It is so easy to give up on relationships! Without any thought, anyone who may have different perceptions and will state them becomes a persona non grata.

Gone is the time when opinions were welcomed. In fact, they were invited. People knew they could broaden their own perspectives by listening to others.  And they were humble enough to acknowledge that they could always learn more than they knew.

Today, people think only their perspectives, however narrow, are the only right ones.

This is not how growth happens. This is the perfect “frog in the well” syndrome where we may think we are kings but only within the limited periphery of the well.

To widen our horizons, it is necessary to come out of the dark well to see and experience what we never knew even existed, while in the well.

This need has been camouflaged to a large extent by superficial comfort levels. So, this is where we will spend the rest of our lives without ever witnessing our own elevation.

Surekha Kothari

surekhakothari.wordpress.com

www.instagram.com/author_surekhakothari/

Speakingtree Blog: www.speakingtree.in/public/surekhakothari

Karmic Cycle

 When we go through periods when nothing goes right for us and in fact, everything we try to do goes wrong, that is the time to lie low and understand that this shall pass. We could have stepped into a karmic cycle for a while. An astrologer would call it mal effects of certain planets. And we tend to either get impatient or go under.

This is the time to know there is always light at the end of the tunnel. Give yourself that hope and help others improve their coping mechanism.

No one can experience anyone else’s karma but a sincere moral support goes a long way to mitigate the dark phase and see a light of hope.

This is a big service to mankind.

Surekha Kothari

surekhakothari.wordpress.com

www.instagram.com/author_surekhakothari/

Speakingtree Blog: www.speakingtree.in/public/surekhakothari

Foolishness

 Your experiences should not make you a heavy person. Taking things in your stride preserves your personal health AND your sense of humor about life. Think of everyone as just playing roles here. Including yourself. To joke about yourself then becomes easier. Don’t take even yourself seriously.

You know why? Because everything passes. And WE too are passing.

Just think of how many times our body has changed since childhood. What changes has to pass.

When our clothes are in tatters, we have to buy new ones. So, one body passes and we get another. Within this reality, if we start clinging to everything and everyone, how does it help? In fact, it is the recipe for great suffering. And meaningless suffering.

So WHO clings? It is not ME but my EGO which clings to the worldly identity and refuses to let go. It also causes tremendous turbulence if we let it.

So folks, watch your experiences from far. As if you are watching a film. Laugh or cry with it but only while they are unfolding. Carrying them with you into your present and future is sheer foolishness. Please don’t indulge in it. Think about it!

Surekha Kothari

surekhakothari.wordpress.com

www.instagram.com/author_surekhakothari/

Speakingtree Blog: www.speakingtree.in/public/surekhakothari

Boundaries

I have realized that living life on your own terms needs wisdom and a lot of letting go! You end up disappointing many expectations, many people for whom you are a crutch in many different ways. But without wearing our blinkers, our perceptions lose focus. And we owe that focus to ourselves for our lives.

Boundaries become an essential part of your plan for your own journey.

But, those who have similar energies will always understand you. And will be thoughtful around you and respectful of your journey.

You win some and you lose some. But most importantly, you never lose yourself in this journey from beginning to the end of this life.

Of course, the journey soul of the soul is not confined to this one life only. As they say in Hindi “picture abhi baaki hai “.

Aham brahmasmi we rise like waves and settle back into the ocean, all the while permanently living within that endless ocean of existence, consciousness and bliss.

Surekha Kothari

surekhakothari.wordpress.com

www.instagram.com/author_surekhakothari/

Speakingtree Blog: www.speakingtree.in/public/surekhakothari

Peace

 There is so much freedom and peace in doing the right thing and not expecting a return. You reach there after plenty of heartburn though! But once you reach there, you look back and have a hearty laugh at yourself for being so silly as to expect what you THOUGHT you would get in return.

Humans are so changeable, at least, a lot of them. There are exceptions and those are so meaningful to us. And you are lucky if you have even one of that rare kind around you.

So, knowing this, it becomes easier to be civil to everyone, even help wherever and whenever you can, and feel happy you are in a position to make someone’s life easier and better.

Peace is not so difficult to achieve, after all.

Surekha Kothari

surekhakothari.wordpress.com

www.instagram.com/author_surekhakothari/

Speakingtree Blog: www.speakingtree.in/public/surekhakothari

Comfort Zone

 Ideally, we should gravitate towards people and experiences that will teach us and help us grow and evolve. But idealistic situations often remain just that: an ideal. They require a complete turn around from the superficial to the meaningful. They require sacrificing comfort for elevation. Yes, the two cannot go together.

If you stay on land and dream of conquering mountains, well there is no tax on dreaming but that is all it will be an unrealized dream.

Living in and around comfort zones is more for the weak hearted. And I don’t necessarily refer to climbing mountains here. I mean shaking yourself out of anything you find yourself settling into on a long term basis. At least, going beyond it once in a while, gaining new experiences and then maybe, returning to that comfort zone for a while.

I know the world is not always an easy place but it was never meant to be ! It is up to you to gain and lose according to who you are and what you can become or want to become or not!

Surekha Kothari

surekhakothari.wordpress.com

www.instagram.com/author_surekhakothari/

Speakingtree Blog: www.speakingtree.in/public/surekhakothari

Self-Destructive

“Letting go” is more a philosophical statement than a genuine attempt for most people. Sounds wise on the lips. But without any meaning if not practiced. The phrase is not meant to be just spoken about.

These are all personal practices for ourselves. We live in a family, in a community where there WILL be a wear and tear of emotions and feelings and even reactions in the name of being “human”. But instead of harboring the adversely affecting emotions, can we let go of them immediately as they arise? Knowing that they are harmful to us and no one else? Or do we come under the category of “self-destructive”?

Actually, we have a tendency to get into conflict, retaliate, get hurt, shun people and ultimately, lose relationships. And ironically, we are the ones who have suffered on that emotional see saw without seeing any change whatsoever in the people we have conflicted with, except blame for us.

The question I always ask myself is: would I carry a burning coal in my hands just because someone gave it to me? Obviously NOT!

But in many ways, we ARE carrying grouses within us, which are like carrying burning coals, which come from others because we don’t have the wisdom to LET GO. We are unable to focus on what is good for our mental health and peace of mind. And therein lies our core of restlessness and frustration.

When maturity finally dawns, we are able to laugh at ourselves at our earlier foolishness. And we automatically start to let go of the unnecessary burdens we carry.

Learning to discard and delete does not have to be learnt from AI. We have our own super intelligence we could use if we lessened our dependence on the opinions of others and delved into our own common sense department within our intelligence bank.

Surekha Kothari

surekhakothari.wordpress.com

www.instagram.com/author_surekhakothari/

Speakingtree Blog: www.speakingtree.in/public/surekhakothari