Monday, 27 July 2026

Self-Respect

It is amazing how limited and clouded a mind we walk around with. The more comfort there is around us, the less we are inclined to notice that clouded aspect of us.

How do we live with this heavy burden of our feelings of likes / dislikes, our jealousies and hatreds, our desire to wound people we dislike and at the same time, craving to be loved by everyone?  Does this also become a part of our comfort levels where we revel in such activities and derive a vicarious pleasure? Because the two are so contradictory and, impossible if I may say so.

The clouds that cover our mind will not let clarity enter. In the absence of clarity, we are unable to look through the opacity of those clouds and into our real selves.

That’s why we must avoid thoughts and emotions which are not crystal clear and pure. For this to happen, we need to love and respect ourselves first.

Self-respect should prevent any action by us that makes us fall in our own self estimation and from the grace within us if we have not forgotten the truth of who we are.

When people look at our goodness and righteousness, they also respect us because such people are rare and therefore, respect worthy.  Why then would we stoop down to levels where we don’t respect ourselves?

Maybe, we have had to struggle. Maybe, we have had to let go of memories of hurt, betrayal and more. But in all of this, if we have been able to stand upright as tall as the tree that faced several storms, our value as a human being would multiply manifold. To ourselves and to others.

And that is where we need to be to access the divine frequency.

Surekha Kothari

surekhakothari.wordpress.com

www.instagram.com/author_surekhakothari/

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

Tuesday, 14 July 2026

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

Sunday, 12 July 2026

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

Tuesday, 7 July 2026

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

Sunday, 5 July 2026

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