The Roles we Play

The Role We Play

I first heard of the roles that we play, through William Shakespeare in ‘As You Like It’. Bard’s  famous lines, “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts……”, spoke eloquent about the chronological seven stages of a man’s life. I remember being awed by this perspective.

The next time I heard of role-playing was when my husband gently cajoled me, ‘You have a role to play. Play it well.” Unlike Shakespeare, he was speaking of the role I had to play as an army wife. I was afraid. What if I goof up? What if people find out that I am an imposter, cleverly covering my naivety? However, I accepted to play my part with as much courage as I could summon.

Later, I learnt that we create our own reality. We choose our own parents, families, place of birth and life circumstances. In other words, we are the actor, director, script-writer, and producer of our play; all rolled into one. This concept created a paradigm-shift in my thought process; and brought in a great amount of self-responsibility.

Gradually, I began to experientially understand and respect all three perspectives that somehow complemented each other.

This morning a new realization dawned and I asked myself, “What if I were to write my own role in the now, how would I pen it?”

I sat down with a paper and began writing….. The answer brought in great insights.

What is the role that I am playing right now? I am playing the role of an army general’s wife, who is also a writer, a healer, a counselor and a trainer. She is very involved with her work, and also leads a hectic social life. Her children have flown the nest, and she is not too involved in their lives. She is very different from her husband in some areas but very alike in some others. They have a great chemistry, and yet are not completely honest (about their emotions) in their communications with each other.

Now, if I were to write this role as a playwright, what kind of a persona would I choose to portray through her? She would have to be above average in intelligence, high in empathy, intuitive, approachable, trustworthy, efficient, courageous, forthright, conscientious, firm and yet adaptable, house-proud and hospitable, with good communication skills, leadership qualities, social graces, and passion for her work.

How would I want her to look? Average looks with confident demeanor, yet humble, with a distinctive style statement which is attractive in its simplicity, pleasing, graceful, physically fit, healthy, conscious of her food choices, and not given to excesses.

What is missing in the role that I am assaying as of now? Some amount of courage, honesty, empathy, adaptability, leadership qualities, social graces, fitness levels……These are the areas I need to pay extra attention to.

I am doing a pretty good job with my role………I am pleased with myself.  

Learning- Challenges

We are often told that there are no problems in our life; only opportunities we choose to call problems.....and when we think clearly with a calm mind, this does sound right; because in retrospect all problems do seem like great opportunities.

However, when we are in the midst of a problem, besieged with all the feelings/ emotions that have surfaced ( thanks to the problem), it is not very easy to call it an opportunity (even in-disguise). 

Some teachers ask us to keep repeating, 'it is okay. all is well', even when it doesn't seem okay or well at all (fake it till you make it philosophy). But I feel that this faking puts extra pressure on us and makes us suppress our authentic emotions. 

Whenever I am faced with some situation that seems like a problem and arouses my so-called negative emotions, I acknowledge those emotions and begin to observe them. Then I tell myself, "My soul created this situation to make me use all that I have learnt so far (time to walk my talk), and also to add to that learning through my personal experience (lived wisdom)." 

I prefer to call such situations learning-opportunities but advise my clients to choose any word that they are more comfortable with, such as contrast-situation/ challenge/ obstacle etc; because I have seen that the word 'problem' itself carries many unwanted connotations such as struggle, anxiety, panic, stress etc. (The very word pulls our energies down; so it is better to not use it.)  

The fact is that there isn't a single person on this planet, who doesn't face problems/ obstacles/ challenges/ contrast-situations/ learning-opportunities etc. etc. Such a life is not suitable for this planet, where we are training to strengthen our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual aspects. We learn, grow and evolve and practice our new found skills/ knowledge/ wisdom/ strengths/ empowerment/ enlightenment through such situations........and this carries on as long as we are in this body. 

We cannot wish away/ run from/ brush under the carpet/ hide/ cover such life-situations; we can only learn from them and GROW!

Life is a dynamic space so "stuff" will continue to happen, but when we are authentic ( which means that our thoughts/ words/ actions do not create resistance in us), our life begins to feel different, in a good way..........I should know; I have walked this path!

Then there is another pay-off; bonus so to say! Every contrast-situation/ challenge/ obstacle/ problem eventually inspires us to choose/ desire something different/ better; and intend/ aim for it. Thus we create a different/ better / more fulfilling life! 

And that's the GRACE/ the BLESSING!!

Freedom

“The time has come to believe. The time has come to allow yourself to soar on the wings of truth, not the truth you have been taught, but the truth that lives in your heart, the truth that is made from love and power. Allow this truth to speak and you may hop aboard the eagle and fly.”............Carrie Hart

These words came into my inbox this morning...........and set me thinking! The time has come to believe......Believe in what? Of course, believe in My Truth.......and what is My Truth........the one that lives in my heart- the Truth that is made from love and power? Love and Power? That is an interesting combination.........When we use our Power with Love (in whichever area of our life, whether at home or at work), we allow our Truth to speak through us.

This Truth cannot be pre-meditated upon...It simply reveals itself from moment to moment, depending upon the need of that moment and the need of the players in that moment.

Hence, in any given moment, if we just use our Personal Power with Love, we will (metaphorically) hop aboard the eagle and fly? Why eagle? Well, eagle symbolizes a boundless spirit of Freedom.......:))

Freedom lies in speaking our Truth, and our Truth is expressed when we use our Personal Power in Love......Can it get simpler than that??? Simple, but not easy...♥

The Journey

"The end of religion is the beginning of spirituality; the end of spirituality is the beginning of Reality, and the end of Reality is the real Bliss. When that too is gone, we have reached the destination. That is the highest mark, which is almost inexpressible in words."

Taken from the book "Complete Works of Ram Chandra, Vol. 1 (1st Indian edn., 1989)", Chapter "Reality – Its Static and Dynamic Aspects", pg. 306, by Babuji Maharaj"

My sister Pratibha Kang, shared these words with me right when I was taking stock of my journey...........As I read them, I understood that I am at the end of spirituality and beginning of reality phase.........because I often find the 'in-your-face spiritual jargon' too cliched and hollow....More and more I resonate with those people who LIVE their  inner Truth in their day-to-day lives (they may or may not call themselves spiritual)....I often use the phrase, 'Let's get real.' (especially with my 'spiritual' friends, who continue to reside in astral worlds)  It is interesting to note that some great master had looked at The Journey and categorized it in this manner........:)

The Universe always sends us the missing pieces of the jig-saw-puzzle called The Journey of Life....

Seeker?

When we begin our journey to 'Know Thyself', each one of us takes a different path , but we all remain seekers. Then somewhere along the journey, we get to 'know' our true nature. We come face to face with it.....calling it an enlightenment/ awakening/ realizing our Buddha Nature or Krishna Consciousness etc. But the journey doesn't end there; now our focus shifts from 'seeking' to 'expressing' that True Nature, especially through the arising of negative emotions or myriad pains of the body.......Yes, we continue to experience these afflictions of the mind/ body organism,  but without getting caught up in their stories!!

At this stage of my journey, I don't resonate with the word 'seeker' any more........I am more an EXPRESSION of my inner Truth.........and so it is!!!

Guidance

When it comes to guiding people on the spiritual path or providing life coaching, most people think that we have to lead perfect lives with all our stuff in place, all sorted out, at all times. This is the ‘guru’ trap. A guru has to be perfect! Those who buy into this trap, stay stuck in it, until they remember that there is no end to learning.

Everyone, at whatever space in their own journey, can find someone who can learn from their experience and vice-versa. That is why I prefer the term ‘sharing’ to ‘teaching’. All teachers actually share their knowledge and wisdom; how much of it gets across to a student depends upon that student and his/her inclinations! Similarly, all teachers continue to learn more and more, not only about their own subject but many other subjects as well. Any teacher who stops learning stops growing; and that is next to impossible!

There is no stage when we can declare, ‘Now I have arrived. Now there is nothing to learn. I know everything. My life is all fixed. Now I can be of service to others.’

The fact remains that while we may master certain areas of our life, we still remain students in some other areas. This is a beautiful and sacred process of helping and seeking help. On this journey, we can offer support and guidance to someone who has not yet travelled on that path, and seek support on the path that we are yet to travel.

Putting the pressure upon ourselves (or others) of being perfect and ‘knowing it all’ before being ready to share is nothing but a self-sabotaging trap. We all are works in progress. And it is okay to be incomplete/ vulnerable/ fearful/ uncertain while sharing our gifts with others.

It helps to remember that perfection is a mirage; and yet, we are perfect the way we are in the present moment. And it is fun to share our journey with others; even when we are struggling with our own baggage! 

Fear

Most of us (especially mothers) feel anxious when our kids begin to drive on our ‘killer’ roads, sharing the precious space with speeding drivers on cell-phones. We see or hear of so many accidents that we feel our fears are justified. But are do actually doing a dis-service to our children by fearing/ worrying/ nagging/ being lovingly overprotective?

While it is natural to want to protect our children from any danger coming from outside or from within them, we must remember that humans do not learn to take responsibility for their actions unless they are given the opportunity to be responsible. All sentient beings (including humans) are naturally grounded in the energy of self-preservation (the survival instinct), and we must trust this energy in our children.
We do great dis-service when we transfer our own fears to our children; telling them that they have something to fear about, regardless of how prepared they might be! When children sense our fears, the fears become more real to them and they begin to fear as well. This added energy calls our fears into being and more often than not becomes a cause for accidents. Is that what we truly want?

In a world where potential dangers (traffic, crazy fellow beings, vagaries of nature etc) lurk around every corner, it is good to say (and believe), “All is well in my world.” With this thought in mind we can allow our children to make their choices and follow their heart- and this applies not only to driving but life itself.

Let us not let our fears arouse our children’s fears……..:))

Remember- Whenever we feel fearful about something, it is an indication that our soul wants us to understand some things.

Growth and Evolution

In order to understand why ‘bad’ things happen to ‘good’ people, we need to get clear about why things happen in the first place? Why are we here on planet earth? Why is our planet a place of duality where positive and negative energies reside in equal measure? Why do we need to learn our so-called life lessons?

The answer to all the above questions is just one- we are here on planet earth because we as souls freely chose to be here. It was our CHOICE! Something like choosing to join a school, study a particular subject, take up a particular adventure, face a particular challenge etc. If we wish to grow and evolve, we need to challenge ourselves and expand beyond our comfort zones. That is exactly what souls (you and I) are doing on earth. We are challenging ourselves in order to grow/ evolve/ expand. And all that can’t happen if we remain in our comfort-zones! Simple!

When we experience the so-called bad things, we not only get a taste of what negativity feels like but also understand what its opposite, the so-called good feels like. Earth is the only place where this experiment is going on- the rest of the universe (where we have come from) exists in benign loving energy (and that is our default home state too).

As we grow and evolve we learn that most negative situations get resolved when we use the tool of self-love (I accept myself and this situation. I am grateful to myself and this situation. I forgive myself and this situation etc); however, there are some situations that demand that we face them courageously and squarely; and in the bargain learn how to live with them until the death of this current physical body.

Yes, negative situations bring about ‘fear’ in us, but when the fear comes we need to look for some lesson in the fearful situation. Someone has rightly said, “Whenever we feel fearful about something, it is an indication that our soul wants us to understand some things.”

Happy growing and evolving!

Juicing

Until I got married, I didn’t have much interest in cooking, and hence, didn’t learn much from my mother. But thanks to my Bengali-in-laws and recipe books, over the years I became a seasoned/ versatile cook. I love to experiment/ innovate and generally be creative with food.

Recently, ever since I understood the concept of ‘live food’, I find myself becoming more interested in assembling salads than doing real cooking; and for past few days, since I have discovered the joys of juicing…..I feel ecstatic and excited about creating dark green, light green, red, yellow juices. I feel the joy a little child feels while mixing colors in water…….my juicer does that for me and I happily drown glass-fuls of color…..Wow! It couldn’t get better than this…..or could it?

Conversations

Our individual, community, and global conversations influence (create) our experiences. The words we speak become the body/ house/ community/ city/ country/ world we live in.

 We don’t live in a set of circumstances. Our world and our circumstances get created in / through our conversations. When our conversations focus upon fear, terror, revenge, anger, retribution, jealousy, envy, comparison, competition, sexual abuse, rape, murders, terrorism, pollution etc, that is the world we begin to inhabit. Conversely, if our conversations are about possibility, hope, inspiration, beauty, joy, gratitude, and appreciation, then that’s the world we begin to inhabit.

(More often than not, our conversations contain BOTH stories, and we continue to experience both the worlds.)

 Most people think that the words we say/ write simply express our innermost thoughts, but the truth is that our innermost thoughts (and our public conversations) create our circumstances/ life conditions/ relationships/ challenges - our whole world.

Our present world needs healing/ cleaning/ over-hauling, because we need healing/ cleaning/ over-hauling. And this process can begin with being aware of our conversations and if need be, change them. This can only happen when we choose to remember that the words we speak, influence/ create the world we live in.

Whatever thoughts/ feelings/ beliefs we express in our conversations, become our experiences in life- our self-fulfilling prophecies.

 It is time now to examine our conversations with ourselves and others and ask, “Do our conversations in personal, professional, and community life reflect what we really want from life? If not, how can we change them?”

 While it is tempting to please the ego-personality that feels justified in carrying negativity, we can always change that if we want to. And the point to power as always lies within us.

 One simple way to improve our conversations is by asking better/ right questions, especially about life’s inter-connectedness and inter-dependence. Simple questions like, ‘What is the possible solution? What might work? What will make it right? What would be ideal? How can I help to make it right?’ carry the power to change our world.

 Today, let us pay due attention to our conversations and make a difference to the world!

Mutual Growth

In order to keep a close relationship (parent-child, husband-wife, live-in-couple, close friends, siblings) really close/ happy/ sincere/ hassle-free/ stress-free/ drama-free/ joyous/ authentic/ fulfilling etc, BOTH partners must REMEMBER that both are on the same side-  in the same team - with same basic needs- the need to be needed/ loved/ appreciated/ admired/ respected/ accepted/ grow/ expand/ have space/ disagree/ say no/ say yes/ seek assistance/ stay happy/ stay healthy/ and just be authentic vulnerable selves sans any masks.....:)

Both must remember that behaviour patterns/ habits/ lifestyle choices/ reactions/ responses/ addictions/ compensations/ defense mechanisms/ diseases etc find deep roots in these needs.

Both must be willing to look deep within self (or through external mirrors) in order to identify their inner needs (this step is CRUCIAL and needs a LOT OF COURAGE)

Both must mutually lend a hand/ shoulder to help each other understand / satisfy/ fulfill/ overcome/ transcend their basic needs. 

The 'householder route' (where all these intricate relationships are possible and all these steps can be practiced) is the shortest path to Bliss/ Nirvana/ Heaven..............if BOTH choose it to be so...and that is a big 'IF' :))))))

The time for working on oneself, in isolation is nigh over. The next step is to work in pairs; and that needs WILLING partners.....otherwise, a sacred opportunity to GROW TOGETHER will be lost!! and that is a GREAT LOSS indeed!!

Mother Nature

"Life on Planet Earth is always in a flux. Varieties of species come and go according to the particular need of the energy that they create. One of the tasks of Gaia (consciousness of Planet Earth/ Mother Nature) is to create and eliminate species. When a species (plant or animal) is no longer needed for the purpose of Gaia’s development, it ceases to exist and dies out. If new life is necessary, if new concepts of life are needed, Gaia co-operates in their creation. This process is closely linked and coordinated with changing weather on the planet. Long-term studies of the environment point out to actual creation and destruction of species. It is an ongoing process.  

However, some humans don’t understand this and want to save all the species that exist now. In their linear mind, all the species should remain and exist, just because they are here at this time. The Gaia, however, continues to eliminate some, cull some out, and bring in some new ones according to its own energy requirements . It is a natural and appropriate evolutionary process."..............Kryon

These words of Kryon completely resonate with me. I believe that there is a natural order in this universe and everything happens (is happening) according to a larger game plan that we are not consciously privy to.....and yet, we fall prey to doubts, fears, worries, righteous indignation, missionary zeal, I-shall-save-you mode.....:))) We are all defaulters on this front (me included) in one way or another. I guess, that's what makes us human........our ego-personalities don't become sublime so easily!!

In the end, I am always compelled to return to my regular mantra, "It is okay to have doubts. It is okay to be fearful. It is okay to worry. It is okay to feel righteous indignation. It is okay to nurture a missionary zeal. It is okay to behave as savior. It is okay to default. It is okay to be human. It is okay to have an ego-personality. It is okay to be who I am being in this present moment. However, from now onward I choose to be more trusting- in faith, surrender and remembrance- ALL IS WELL. The Spirit is in-charge here. And so it is."

Happy Marriage

What is your secret of happy marriage?

In our case, it is knowing, remembering and if need be, reminding the other that our views/ likings/ dislikings/ preferences/ moods/ perspectives may differ from time to time but we remain on the same side....with our common love for love, peace, harmony, mutual growth and loving communication.......:)

After 30 years of togetherness we both enjoy each other's company the most.........:))

Freedom

Unless we give freedom to others to act and react in whichever manner they deem fit, we cannot give the same freedom to our own selves. Our bondage is not because of others, it is because we haven't truly freed/ released others from our judgments/ expectations/ opinions..... and these are such subtle chains, which bind us so cleverly, that we fail to see/ recognize them.........So, if you truly wish to be free and soar like an eagle......FREE everyone/ everything from judgment/ expectation/ opinion!!

I know it is a tough call, given our social conditioning and upbringing; everything that we do/ say/ think, reeks of judgment/ expectation/ opinion.......har ek cell mein koot-koot ke bhara hai!

and I am going through another interesting side-story while trying to eliminate the above.....My all time friend- The Guilt- pops up every now and then saying, "See, you were judgmental now. There, you just expressed an opinion. Wasn't that mail rather opinionated? Haven't you been expecting gratitude/ acknowledgment/ shaabash? Hello!! You have a long way to go, if at all!!"

Of late, I have learnt to just listen to Ms. Guilt and smile......There is nothing left to say!! Only actions can speak louder than words...:))) I guess, when finally the freedom dawns, it will ensure a good-bye to Madam Guilt forever!!!! Won't that be great??

Yippeeeee! Just the very thought feels liberating!!

A Competitive Mindset

Speaking of competition, I realize that the very ill of ‘not good enough’ has its root in a world obsessed with competition.

Right from the time we are born, our competition begins. Our various growth milestones (which are so very individual) such as when we begin to teeth/ sit/ crawl/ stand/ walk/ speak etc become the topic of ‘one-up-wo-man-ship’ among relatives, colleagues and neighbors. Parents speak proudly about the early bloomers (taking full credit for the little blighter’s performance) while blame the genes (taken from a particular side of the family) as the culprit for late milestones. The poor kid, s/he is not even aware of the competitive spirit that gets aroused by such a simple thing whether s/he sleeps through the night or wakes up many times.

(No, wait a minute, that’s not true! We think that the infant is not aware of what is going on, but the energy of our competitive thoughts filters through our words and affects the baby- even in its sleep!)

From there on, the competition continues in many subtle and not-so-subtle ways. By the time a child joins the primary school, s/he is already stamped with ‘NOT GOOD ENOUGH’, because there has to be some area in which we find ourselves ‘not up to the mark’ vis-à-vis someone else. Even if we excel in a certain area, we can’t be the best in everything. And that brings us to our obsession with being an ‘ALL ROUNDER’. Every parent (whether they have achieved anything themselves or not) (especially if they haven’t achieved much and feel ‘not good enough' themselves) wants their child to be an all-rounder. And that’s an absolute impossibility, because NO ONE is designed to be an all-rounder. We can only be ‘Andhon mein Kana Raja’- ‘the one-eyed king among the blind’.

And we all want to be that- one-eyed king, even when we have the potential of seeing with not only our two physical eyes, but even a meta-physical third eye as well! What a waste of our potential!!

The genesis of this ubiquitous competition lies in our faulty thought that THERE ISN’T ENOUGH……there isn’t enough money, there isn’t enough time, there aren’t enough seats for study, there aren’t enough jobs, and there aren’t enough resources! Those who run faster than the rest, get there to lay their hands on as much as they can grab.

But wait a minute a minute! Where are we running off to? Who cares? All we know is that we need to run and grab (whatever it is that we want to grab) before someone else does, before it gets over/ finishes. And thus begins the rat race, which is another name for mindlessly going around in circles, not knowing where we are headed! And someone has very rightly said, even when we win the race, we remain a rat!!

What if we were to believe that we can all be/ do/ have what we desire from deep within? That there is no need to run, as nothing is running away from us. That we can simply enjoy our life journey from day one, being who we are, and not feeling guilty about it.

What if we grew up believing that we are lovable as we are, with our likes, dislikes, talents, desires, aptitudes, attitudes, vulnerabilities, imperfections? That we don’t need to prove anything to anyone anytime. That we can rejoice in our uniqueness.

What if we were sure that we don’t need to compete with anyone for anything? That our parents’ love was a given, that good education was a given, that earning a livelihood was a given, that a good, loving lovable home life was a given.

What if we completely believed that we don’t need to impress anyone with clever words, good looks, smart credentials, loads of money, fancy gadgets, big homes, yachts, private jets etc?

What if our loving essence shone through us at all times, dazzling us with our inherent goodness, kindness, compassion, care, and brotherhood?

What if we begin to let go of our competitiveness, small mindedness, selfishness, and grabbing- hogging - seeking attention mentality?

What if we begin to feel ‘ENOUGH’? I am enough. I have enough. There is enough to go around. There is enough where this comes from. The Source is infinite. Our potential is infinite. Resources are infinite; when one resource gets exhausted, we get creative and find new/ different resources. That is how new discoveries/ inventions are made, new jobs are created, new subjects are studied.

This is an ever-renewing, ever-evolving, ever-growing universe. We are ever-renewing, ever-evolving, ever-growing beings!
Where is the doubt that the universe has ENOUGH for all our needs? But there is certainly a doubt whether it has enough for even a few people’s greed!! And the greed originates in competition!!

It is time we did away with competition in any form; and the place to begin with, as always is, WITHIN US…:)

Point of View

NO ONE can see anything from the same point of view, as I see it....Why am I so certain about it? Because I know that no one can stand on the same point where I am standing, at least not while I am standing there....:) We are not on the same point and can never be on the 'same' point....Similar yes, but not the same!!! Because when you come to the same point, I would have moved from there and vice-versa......

This is what makes our simple life complex....We can never COMPLETELY understand the other person's point of view, it is not possible. We can at best come 'close' to understanding it...BUT what we can easily do is ACCEPT that everyone's point of view is valid for that person. Because it always is.....(this is one of the absolute truths) EVERYONE'S POINT OF VIEW IS ALWAYS VALID FOR THAT PERSON- but may not be so for another person!

Whatever we observe/ believe/ understand/ see is valid from our point of view in that moment....the moment we move from that point our view changes and the new view becomes valid for us. That's so simple to understand, UNLESS we become adamant that the view that I am seeing from my point is the ONLY VIEW and every one must see it the way I am seeing it.

This reminds me of our road journeys, when we stop to admire the view, but even when we stand on the same strip of land, different things attract us....and depending upon our respective position our view is slightly different...small children always see different things because they are shorter (closer to the ground) than us........

All our problems (personal, family, societal, world) emanate from the very fact that we not only don't honour the other person's point of view, but also remain convinced that his/ her point of view is wrong. We get irritated, 'Why can't s/he see what I can see so clearly?' well, s/he can't see what you are seeing, because s/he doesn't have the same point of view. Their view is different from yours and you too can't see their point of view......:))

Today, let us make this commitment to ourselves (for our own peace) that while expressing our own point of view (which we have the right to express), we will restrain from judging another person's point of view (which we have no right to do in the first place- it is trespassing). If we don't like the other person's point of view, the least we can do is say, 'I don't agree with what you are saying, but that's alright. We are different people, with different upbringing, different life-experiences, different challenges etc. etc.'.........Let us honour our differences amicably. Let us learn to disagree without being disagreeable!

Freedom

“You’re not free until you have nothing to prove and no need to impress anybody.” Joyce Meyer

Looking at ‘freedom’ with this definition in mind, almost all of us are not ‘free’; I certainly am not. Not so far....:)

What is it that I have to prove to myself and the world?
Worthiness? Usefulness?

Who do I need to impress with my knowledge, wisdom, lifestyle choices etc? Myself? My family? Friends? Strangers? Those who don’t know me don’t care one way or the other…and those who do, they already do….:))) So, what’s the big deal?

Intellectually I understand that my very being on this planet is proof enough that I am worthy of love, care, compassion, appreciation etc. I am here because this is where I am supposed to be right now. My being here itself is a proof of my usefulness in this moment, in the here and now. My unique energy signature plays an important role in ALL THAT IS and ISN’T….whether I know it or not, whether I make an extra effort or not………..:)

However, this intellectual understanding hasn’t yet translated into my core wisdom. It is yet to be digested and assimilated completely…..

What if I say, it is done…….I AM free? Will I be truly free then? Do I have enough faith and TRUST? Questions sometimes have clear answers and sometimes don’t!!

But I believe that when the seed is sown and nurtured, the plant will definitely see the light of the day!!

I already feel FREE-er! And so it is!

Personal Power

"Each one of us is born with a sacred contract to learn to use our personal power responsibly, wisely and lovingly"........Carolyn Myss

But before we learn to USE our Personal Power, we need to become aware of our personal power and acknowledge it. We also need to take it back from those (parents, spouse, children, teachers, institutions, society, leaders, businesses, gurus, friends etc) who we have handed it over to.

How do we determine if we have handed over our personal power? and to whom?

There is a very simple test. Think of all that you are afraid of, people you are fearful of, and whatever/ whoever stops you from following your heart.........those are the ones you have handed over your personal power to!!!!

When I take this test, I realize that my power has been scattered in many directions......and while de-centralization of power works well within a democracy (with the best interest of people at heart), our Personal Power must remain centered within us.

However, my personal experience has also taught me that once I begin to use my personal power (whatever little remains within me) responsibly, wisely and lovingly, more and more gets added to it.

Yes, just as my fears made me give my power away, without my conscious realization or consent; responsible, wise and loving use of my power makes me take it back from the world, without any conscious effort, and without their consent!

When I look at my fears, face to face, asking myself, 'What is the max that will happen if I refuse to give my power away, if I stay firm on my ground, if I simply follow my heart, if I remain true to myself, if I refuse to follow the herd, if I trust everyone, if I accept everything as it is, if I bare my vulnerability'; well, NOTHING happens!!!

Yes, that is the anti-climax. When we are ready for the worst, the worst can't face us..............That is when everything becomes effortless........and beautiful!!! Only because we begin to SEE beauty in everything!! and as they say, 'A thing of beauty is a joy forever.'

That is the by-product of using our Personal Power responsibly, wisely and lovingly in all areas of our life.

En-light-en-ment

As we continue to lift the veils/ blinds/ masks, allowing our 'light' to shine bright, we become 'lighter' at heart and take ourselves 'lightly'.....:))

Service- Seva

A meditative life is inseparable from a life of service.............:)) Unless we encapsulate the essence of seva (service) in our life, our meditation cannot be complete....:)