TUNE IN TO YOURSELF

 Guru Nanak Dev ji, founder of Sikh religion said: If you conquer the mind, you can conquer the world. ( "Man jeetei jag jeet.")

T is for:  Tune in to yourself.

Pressures of modern life have turned us into a hassled generation. We've forgotten to live a purposeful and joyful existence.

In fact, the mad race for a living has bound us in its shackles. We have lost the inclination to think about life at a deeper level.  However, our inner growth depends on imbibing human values and righteous Karma.  There are well-defined parameters of living a meaningful life outlined in our scriptures. They abound in gems of wisdom, which can show us the right path.

Our willful alibis give us umpteen reasons to avoid looking within. That is the uncomfortable truth. We wrongly presume that wearing tinted glasses to escape unpleasant ground realities will work.   Experience confirms that shortcuts eventually harm our progress as human beings.

The enormity of distractions, technology has gifted us, has taken away our discerning power. We are afraid to face ourselves. Sitting in solitude has become an anathema. Unceasing action and noises have robbed us of calmness and composure. We hanker after instant gratification. Our world is limited to the four walls of our house. We run away from questioning ourselves. We avoid introspection and reflection. Self-awareness becomes a casualty.

Yet, tuning in to yourself is as important as earning your livelihood. Listening to the voice of our conscience, assessing the flow of our lives on a daily basis, constitutes the essence of life. While being busy in inanities of mundane life, time for meditation and mindfulness has to be squeezed out.

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Here are a few suggestions based on personal experiences and gleaned from spiritual reads to help in tuning in to yourself:

Spending just fifteen minutes on gardening daily is a great stress buster. Tending plants teach patience, connects you to your inner self.  Consider it your ‘me’ time.

Nothing can beat a short walk in a park all alone. You feel the wind caressing your body, trees talking to you and flowers wreathed in blissful smiles. Optimism you garner via stimulating environment makes you take right decisions. Your day comes out to be more productive.

Mindfulness helps in focusing on your mind and actions.  It wakes up the forces of moral reasoning, reducing self-serving tendencies. The practice generates compassion for others and thoughts of doing larger good.

Develop a silent mental calendar to help in rationing time for main tasks. 

Disciplining the monkey mind is a tough job. Yet one should continually strive to achieve it.

 Friends welcome here as always!

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