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Remember the time you did something wrong as a kid?
And instead of lying about it, you decide to own up and tell your parents about it?

However you got scolded, instead of being appreciated for speaking your truth

That becomes your worldview.
That is how you get to understand how the world works.

Are we doing the exact same thing to people around us?

By not appreciating someone for their vulnerability and truth, all we do is cultivate liars.

We see our reflection in the mirror.
It tells us how we look, how our smile feels, and what we are feeling.

However, who were we before we saw a mirror?
Who were we before an image was shown to us daily?
Who were we before we were made to fit into a box of reflection?

That person is the one we need to get back to.

The one who we were before we saw ourselves in the mirror, is the one we truly are.

We are caught up in the influencer race.
Of more likes, comments and followers.

A hundred thousand.
Five hundred thousand.
Millions of them.

And we do not think of ourselves as an influencer, until these numbers do not show.

However, we become an Influencer not by the number of followers.
Rather, by the potential influence we have on the lives of people.

What if our thoughts could affect a few people’s day positively, each day?

An influencer isn’t defined by their follower count.
They are defined by the lives they touch.

It starts with trust. Trust forms the basis of every relationship.
It is neither to be broken, nor to be tested.

It continues by listening.
Listening, not with the intent of answering but with the intent of understanding.

It grows with patience.
The most beautiful relationships in life take time.

Trust, listen and wait.
The key ingredients to long-lasting and meaningful relationships.

“Guruji,” a disciple asked his master, “I want to be as enlightened as you. What is something that you do that could help me get there?”

The master replied with ease, “When I’m hungry, I eat. When I am meditating, I am there. When I’m sleepy, I sleep.”

Perplexed, the disciple asked respectfully, “That is what I do too, how is it different?”

“When I’m eating, I’m only eating food, not thinking about the next task for the morning or the next meeting,” the Guru explained.
“I’m focused right there, neither in the past, nor in the future.”

Presence is the present of the present.

“Be here now.” – Ram Dass

When we meet someone, we talk to them respectfully.
That, however, isn’t true respect.

It is built by choosing how we define the other person, when they are not around.

True respect is respecting someone even when we are not in front of them.

How to not get affected by criticism?

Is it even possible to not overthink it?

Whenever we are affected by criticism, an important reminder to ask ourselves is – how do we feel when the opposite happens? How do we feel when we hear praise?

Because if we feel really good when someone appreciates us, we unconsciously hand over the remote control to our emotions. That remote control will determine our state of mind for good and for the bad.

To not get affected by criticism, start with not getting affected by praise.

Calmness is power.

We are taught to admire the extraordinary.
To be inspired by them.
To want to become them.

But…

We are raised to become ordinary.
To follow a template.
To take the path already taken.

To admire is easy. To get inspired is easy.
To become extraordinary is not easy. Because we haven’t been taught how!

Maybe you’ve opted for a course because your family wanted to.
Or you are still struggling to decide.

Maybe you feel lost in your job.

A lot of people feel this emotion because they feel they have to “settle” down in their 20’s.
You don’t have to!

20’s are meant for exploring, trying out multiple things, and most importantly, never settling.

It’s okay to not know what you need to do.
It’s okay to know that you don’t know.
It’s okay to do something different than what is mentioned in your degree.
It’s okay to not be okay when things are not okay.
It’s perfectly okay (read: important) to pursue your happiness.

The best way to spend your 20s is realising there is no best way to spend your 20s.

You responded impulsively.

Had no choice.

The matter happened in a spur of a moment.

That, although, is far from the truth.

Between every stimulus (angry human, instant challenge, etc.) and every response (responding with more anger, feeling fearful) there lies a window of 0.25 second.
And in that window, lies our opportunity to choose.

We can choose anger. Or be calm.

We can choose fear. Or be strong to face the situation.

We can choose nothing. Or we can be aware that we have a choice.

Every impulsive decision was not an impulse.

It was a result of giving up the choice to think and respond.