Digesting success!

Digesting success! It is a social issue which increases with more materialism incorporating elements like excess wealth, celebrity status and the power that accompanies these, often bringing in a certain amount of carelessness, even callousness and riding slip shod over people because with a head in the clouds, looking down is not a virtue in possession.

Spiritually, these are often not compatible because of what they do to the psyche. It is only the odd person who can digest “success” in terms of good karma being rewarded and therefore, gratitude.

But there is a little good news…

Today, the tolerance to myopic attitudes is wearing thin. The wheel is turning once more towards the universal values and against self centered thoughts and actions at the cost of others.

Today, gradually, right is being applauded as right and wrong as wrong. I guess we are fed up of artifice, might is right, the attitude that the end justifies the means and the economic disparities which continue to make it difficult for the common man to keep a certain standard, especially when there is so much available that money can buy today.. And it doesn’t help to have glaring publicity and opulence for those few who have much and state it every minute with their attitudes, their lifestyles and not enough demonstration of improving the lot of the masses in the country.

No, I am not either a communist or an anti capitalist. But I do believe in values like stooping when tall, humble when successful and contributing to creating a balanced society in every way.

Surekha Kothari

www.BodyMindSoulCentre.com

surekhakothari.wordpress.com

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

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Tolerance level

Our tolerance levels are so thin these days, every little pin prick becomes a wound. The reactions to small, simple things are just ridiculously huge. It’s like the world might be ending the next second.

 What is probably happening is, there are very few filters. Very little thought before action. It is evident everywhere. On the roads as road rage. In parties, as an aftermath of too much alcohol. In families with too much money, fame and power, and so on…

It is unfortunate that a land of an old spiritual tradition should come to this. The whole world looks to India for culture, tradition and spirituality, a few major qualities being tolerance, patience, respect, discipline and inner wisdom that was honed since a very young age in the earlier times.

 Today, the teaching institutions themselves are so commercial and non spiritual that they are bound to impart the same energy to the youth of today. Who do we blame for the onslaught of the “instant coffee” and instant gratification age where money and values are not talked about in the same breath?

Surekha Kothari

www.BodyMindSoulCentre.com

surekhakothari.wordpress.com

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

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Honesty

In Hindi, there is a saying, “jhooth ki umar bahut chhoti hoti hai”. And I have seen this coming true around me. Growing up, lying used to be tantamount to a small crime in my parents’ home. The philosophy was that if you let small lies pass, they may turn into bigger ones later.

 Today, no one lies. It is called diplomacy. You just say what the other person wants to hear. Never mind if it is not the truth. Truth is trivial if it causes conflicts. Who wants to hear it? And this is how one builds up relationships.

 The opacity that has set in because of such attitudes has gone a long way in corroding the fabric of transparency and honesty. I don’t know how one can justify these patterns in society if one wants to genuinely change the social order.

Surekha Kothari

www.BodyMindSoulCentre.com

surekhakothari.wordpress.com

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

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Aspirations

As a therapist, I see many mood swings in people. I see this emotional see saw in many people. I have seen it at close quarters, among close acquaintances and family, too, sometimes. And earlier in life, in myself as well. 

There are many, many, many factors at work. The upbringing , memories from other lives, complexes in this life, aspirations and struggles to achieve dreams, relationships and their aftermath…and much , much more. 

But more important is the one reason for the yoyo syndrome: a paucity of self belief and consequently, of the higher power within. It is almost like, there is electricity and there are bulbs to light up but we don’t know that a switch is required to illuminate the surroundings. That knowledge and the reason for the darkness are the keys to stabilize ourselves.

As Jagadguru says, we and only we are responsible for our miseries, our joy and our mental, emotional and intellectual status.

Surekha Kothari

www.BodyMindSoulCentre.com

surekhakothari.wordpress.com

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

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Valuing

Valuing those around you! Very important! Appreciating is a form of valuing someone. It speaks of our own confidence, generosity and openness of the heart chakra. Culturally, we see groups who are very insecure and more envious of others than appreciative. The psychology is, “I am not going to give him or her satisfaction of feeling important.” Here, we can totally see the high levels of low self esteem working.

Friends, examine your thoughts and understand that if you are feeling threatened enough by someone, you will unconsciously or deliberately react negatively with that person.

 In our journey of evolution, we have to watch ourselves very carefully and work towards regaining the realization of our true selves so that we can accept that others, too, are as unique as us and their uniqueness does not take away anything from ours…ever!

Surekha Kothari

www.BodyMindSoulCentre.com

surekhakothari.wordpress.com

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

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Sense of responsibility

There was a time when being friends meant telling each other what the weakness of each other was, like showing a mirror. It was a time when friends were responsible for doing the “right” thing by each other, as in, retaining the value systems of their homes and frowning at and correcting any lapses. To be a friend was an ethical and moral achievement and came with a major sense of responsibility. There were great bonds, almost an extension of family. There was leisure and simple pleasures. The psyche was molded with supreme foresight and wisdom by the “gurukul”.

A Vedic school in India is being talked about. It is a matter of great foresight on the part of the government. There can be no better way of bringing back the wonderful Indian cultural and ethical traditions than teaching them to children. People think that India will regress this way. I think India will gradually regain all its glory and spiritual supremacy which is the gateway to all other kinds of supremacy.

Most important, whichever religion we may follow, acceptance of the human way of life with all its universal principles is the key to elevating the standard of friendship, relationships and the quality of life itself.

Surekha Kothari

www.BodyMindSoulCentre.com

surekhakothari.wordpress.com

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

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Detachment

The greatest awareness to build up is that anything can happen anytime! Complacence is the last thing we should have, especially about our health. Someone just bends down or picks up a heavy bag and is afflicted with a slip disc issue. Another sneezes and has a retinal detachment.

Car accidents happen in a fit of anger, depression or rage…..we think it happens to other people , only until such time as , much to our shock and disbelief, it happens to us. A lesson for constant awareness of our own health first…always exercises caution!

Surekha Kothari

www.BodyMindSoulCentre.com

surekhakothari.wordpress.com

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

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Observation

If the only thing we did in life was to observe people and why they do what they do, we would actually live the saying “Life is the best school”. Not only that, we would also understand ourselves better. No puzzle here! It is simple! For every observation, examine the emotion within you and the importance you give it, and you will realize what it is that you need to work on.

What we also learn is what to do and what not to do. Learning history, geography etc. May fetch us a degree but if we can learn the right lessons in the school of life we can get our pedigree.

Surekha Kothari

www.BodyMindSoulCentre.com

surekhakothari.wordpress.com

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

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Quality of emotion

People say it is good to take people and things at face value ….hmm…really? But what is the end result of taking such an attitude? Evidently, something like taking everything with a pinch of salt! So, that makes for a lot of salt in the system! And salt retains water in the body. Water, you know, is a symbol of emotions. Which means, if you are taking that attitude, you are doing it superficially and suppressing a lot of emotion in the bargain?

Otherwise, how come people who appear to be breezy, nonchalant and least affected are afflicted with serious ailments? Strokes! Heart attacks! Lung diseases! These reflect an inability to breathe in life positively.

Excess emotion can be a big killer. So, it is always better to accept the quality of emotion you are feeling, run through it and cleanse it immediately. We can pretend before others. Can we run away from ourselves?

Surekha Kothari

www.BodyMindSoulCentre.com

surekhakothari.wordpress.com

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

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Wisdom

Adults who have psychological issues need to look at their growing up years. Parenting comes very hard to some parents. It is very common, especially in India for family and friends to foist their expectations and opinions on each other.

Hardly a year goes by for the newly married couple when people start wondering if everything is alright in their marriage. Why? Because they haven’t announced that they are on their way to becoming parents. ..Children are therefore, often the desired “objects” that make couples feel “normal”. And of course, if the “object” is a boy, then the parents hold exalted images. But they may not have been ready for parenting, or wise for that matter.

As a result, many children are mal nourished emotionally because the parents are not mature themselves. And they grow up minus the wisdom that should accompany the love, caring and attention. So, some children become lonely. Some become recluses. Some become overburdened with expectations. Some become attention seeking….and some try to draw attention though anything sensational, even killing.

Parents really have to be very careful about exercising wisdom in their own lives and lives of their children.

Surekha Kothari

www.BodyMindSoulCentre.com

surekhakothari.wordpress.com

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

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