राम जपउ जीअ  ऐसे ऐसे

ध्रू प्रह्लाद जपिओ हरि जैसे || १

Ram japo ji aise aise

Dhru Prahlad japeo Hari jaise||

Meaning: The way Ram was worshipped by His devotee named Dhruv and His devotee named Prahlad – is the way everyone should worship and meditate upon Him.

दीन दयाल भरोसे तेरे

सभु परवारु चढ़ाया बेड़े || १ (रहाउ )

Deen Dayal bharose tere

Sabh parvar chadaya bede ||

Meaning: O Most Kind Divine, who takes pity on the down-trodden, putting my faith in You, I have directed all my followers and disciples to board the sturdy ship of ‘this endeavour’ (namely – contemplating and meditating on Your Name ie., this is what I have taught my followers.)

जा तिस भावे ता हुकम मनावे

इस बेड़े कउ पार लघावए || २

Ja tis bhave ta hukam manave

Iss bede ko paar laghave ||

Meaning: Only The Divine Will prevails in this universe. And if You so decree, those who have boarded the Ship of Your Name, will cross over.

गुर परसाद ऐसी बुधि समानी

चूकि गई फिरि आवन जानी || ३ 

Gur parsad aisi budh samani

Chook gayi phir aavan jaani ||

Meaning: Only with the blessings of The Guru, this understanding permeates the mind and wisdom of a person. And thereafter, that person is liberated forever from the cycle of birth and death.

कहु कबीर भजु सारिगपानी

उरवारि पारि सभ एको दानी || ४

Keh Kabir bhaj Sarigpani

Urvaar paar sabh eko daani ||

Meaning: Kabir is telling you – Follow and remember The Divine. In this world as well as in what lies beyond, He is The One and Only Giver.

EXPLANATION:

These are the couplets from Kabir ji, the great saint of India. I feel, the people of India are blessed to belong to a land where such great souls as Kabir ji chose to reincarnate. Always simple in living and selfless in his actions, as long as Kabir ji lived, not only did he make stupendous true spiritual progress himself, but also taught the same to his disciples and followers.

In the writings of Kabir ji, you will find him addressing The Divine with hundreds of names.

Ram, Govind, Saringpani, Gosain, Prabhu, Hari, Sai, Deen Dayal and many more. Interestingly, these are the names of the deities of Hindu pantheon and how they are lovingly addressed in the scriptures. And also by other great saints of India. Does that mean that Kabir ji was advocating a particular religion – namely Hinduism?

Absolutely not. On the contrary, Kabir ji criticised the blind worship of deities in traditional ways like fasting, pilgrimaging, ablutions, climbing mountains, dipping in lakes and rivers to please God or punishing the body with different types of penances – be it any religion.

Being a lover of The Divine which pervades the world everywhere – the seen as well as the unseen – the manifest as well as the unmanifest – with form as well as the formless – this as well as that – I find deep love for The Divine in Kabir ji when I find him addressing Him as Ram, Sai, Govind and various other names.

Kabir ji never professed to belong to any particular religion, albeit, people have categorised him as a proponent of Nirakar Bhakti. To put him in any category is equal to putting a priceless jewel in a box, closing the lid and keeping it away for safekeeping instead of beholding it, admiring it everyday and letting its light bring brightness into our lives.

In the words of Kabir ji, in all his couplets and दोहे, lies the secret to true salvation – ultimate freedom from the painful unending cycle of birth and death.

In the above lines, Kabir ji starts with first addressing the world, then turns back, addressing The Divine and then again turns towards the world and advises them.

Kabir ji says – Remember and worship Ram (The Divine) in exactly how Dhruv and Prahlad – two of His devotees did. Jap (जप ) or Jaap (जाप ) technically means repeatedly uttering a name with devotion.

Now the question arises – How did Dhruv and Prahlad worship The Divine?

And the answer is – With total faith and surrender.

Both Dhruv and Prahlad were born to rich and powerful but utterly cruel, anti-God demons. Both belonged to different eras of time but their lives panned out in quite similar ways. Both got initiated into bhakti and devotion to The Divine in their early lives. Thereafter, both devoted their lives to meditating on The Divine with total faith and surrender. Their fathers, cruel and heartless as they were, subjected their young selves to untold atrocities and physical harm in order to shake their faith in The Divine. But both, steadfastly, stuck to their chosen path with full faith, unmindful of their pain.

Ultimately, seeing their absolute surrender to Him, their resolute trust in Him and the deep love they held in their hearts for Him, The Divine manifested himself into Form and killed the demons. Through Dhruv and Prahlad, humanity too received relief and salvation from the brutal and bloodthirsty clutches of the demons. Thereafter, both were crowned emperors and went on to rule the world for aeons with peace and harmony prevailing everywhere.

We tend to read our scriptural stories and brand them mythical – coming from myth – something that is false and imaginary. And the moment we do that – we stop learning anything from them. Our loss!

The way Dhruv and Prahlad held on to their faith in The Divine – is the way we all should lead our lives. Despite calamities, catastrophes and pain. They could have questioned (like we do) in their trying times – Why me? Why am I being subjected to pain when I am a believer in You? Why aren’t you doing something to rescue me?

Instead, both bore their pain with total faith and deep surrender – their minds fixed only on meditating on The Divine – not bothering about the outcome or shifting their concentration, instead, like ordinary beings, on their own pain and the unfairness of it all.

Kabir ji says – Putting my trust in you, like Dhruv and Prahlad, I have instructed my followers to board the Ship of Your Name (to meditate on it). If You so please, those who have boarded this Ship, will cross over to the other side of the birth-and-death-cycle. Because only The Divine Will prevails in the universe.

This deep understanding comes only with the blessings of one’s Guru. And those who have trust in the words of their Guru, follow his instructions with faith. They, then, are freed from the eternal cycle of birth-death-rebirth.

Kabir ji goes on to say that The Divine is the only one who should be meditated upon (day and night, with unflinching faith). He is the only one who, in this world, can bestow wealth – material and spiritual – on us and beyond this world – can give salvation to us; free us from the never-ending painful cycle of birth-death-rebirth.

Takeaway:

This hymn by Kabir ji is replete with the imagery of a large ship, going beyond and crossing over. In the mind, it conjures up an image of crossing a vast ocean, people boarding a sturdy large ship and going to a land which lies beyond the ocean.

Without saying so, Kabir ji, in a way, has also drawn imagery of people getting lost on the seas, not finding their way and drowning – which is the state of humanity today. In an unsaid way, he has also communicated that because of the enormity of the task, only a sturdy ship (बेड़ा ) can take us to our destination. Not a small flimsy boat.

Today, we are lost. Directionless. Clueless. Living an unconscious life. Without faith. Without solid grounding. Without trust in our beliefs. This type of ‘flimsy boat’ just cannot withstand the shitstorms of life. The moment our faith is tested against trying times, it smashes into smithereens and we drown in our pain and misery.

It is only unshakable faith in the loving Divine that can save us; meditating and centering our thoughts on The Divine and letting deep unwavering trust in Him guide us in our lives. With The Guru’s blessings, it can be achieved.

Being the One and Only true Mighty Giver, The Divine holds the power to bless us with material possessions and spiritual progress in this life and Moksha (freedom from the cycle of birth and death) in the afterlife.

RAM JAPO JI | ISHMEET SINGH |  SATGURU TUMRE KAAJ SAWARE

The post Ram japo ji aise aise- Bani Sant Kabir ji appeared first on Wise Ganesha.

Is Goddess MahaLakshmi the same as Goddess Lakshmi?

No. Let us not confuse ourselves with the similar sounding names.

What is Mahalakshmi Ashtakam?

Mahalakshmi Ashtakam is a prayer devoted to the Universal Mother, MahaLakshmi.

Why is it called Ashtakam?

Ashta means eight in sanskrit. So one would think that this should have eight couplets. Instead, it has 11. The beauty of this prayer lies in the fact that the first 8 sanskrit couplets explain the beauty, countenance and the outstanding qualities of Mother MahaLakshmi. The last 3 sanskrit couplets explain the benefits of praying to The Divine Mother.

The first 8 couplets are as if the author of this prayer is looking at Mother MahaLakshmi and is addressing Her, fascinated by Her very presence; praising Her Divine looks and qualities.

The last 3 couplets are as if then the author turns to other devotees and conveys the innumerable benefits they will get by praying to The Divine Mother.

What are the origins of Mahalakshmi Ashtakam?

Mahalakshmi Ashtakam is dateless – being recited by hindus since thousands of years; probably coming into existence in the Vedic times when worshipping the Higher Power in the form of Divine Mother was quite prevalent.

It is recorded in Padma Purana ( pronounced as Puræn पुराण). Lord Indra, the king of gods, is said to have recited it in order to get the grace of The Divine Mother. There is an interesting mythological story behind it.

Interestingly enough, Lord Indra has other prayers too, to his attribution, which he sang in praise of Goddess Lakshmi, consort of Lord Vishnu. They are recorded in Vishnu Purana as Lakshmi Stuti and Sri Suktam.

Is Goddess MahaLakshmi the same as Goddess Lakshmi?

No. Let us not confuse ourselves with the similar sounding names.

When we refer to Goddess Lakshmi, we refer to the consort of Lord Vishnu. She is the Goddess of wealth, prosperity, abundance and goodness. Her nature is motherly – of benevolence and grace. But at the same time, without Her husband Lord Vishnu, She is said to be temperamental and impulsive. Therefore, one prays to Her along with Her husband Lord Vishnu, who keeps Her grounded and stable. She is described as wearing red clothes symbolising grandeur.

Goddess MahaLakshmi, on the other hand, is the feminine personification of The Highest Power who created this entire universe; ‘The Energy’ from which everything emanated. Also, referred to as – Shri or Shakti in sanskrit and hindi. She is described as wearing white clothes symbolising purity.

Vedic literature tells us ( as do Bible, Guru Granth Sahib and so many other religious books) that in the beginning there was just ‘One’, whom we call God – The Ultimate & Only. Suddenly, ‘The One’ had a strong longing to expand and be ‘Many’. As soon as He desired this, His Energy jumped out of Him in a feminine form and gave shape to the seed of His desire; thus giving the creation a material shape. The first to get created were the three Higher Gods – Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. Next, the lower gods – Indra (the king of gods), Surya ( the sun god), Varun (the water god), Chandra ( the moon god) and so forth. Thereafter, earth and all the galaxies, the planets and their inhabitants came into being.

Considering that it was God’s Energy that gave birth to the universe, pervading each and every living as well as non-living things, this Highest & Ultimate Energy was looked upon and prayed to, as a mother.

When a person dies, what goes out of the body?

You may answer – the soul.

But what was keeping the soul in the body earlier and who asked the soul to leave the body?

It is The Shri; The Shakti; The Power; The Energy of God that had manifested itself into the being that leaves the body.

That Power & Energy of God is MahaLakshmi – Infinite, Timeless, Boundless, Bountiful, Benevolent, Abundant, Kind and having the ability to fulfil all our desires. This Power has the capability to even free us from the eternal cycle of birth, death and rebirth which we call Nirvana or Ultimate Liberation.

And that is The Ultimate Energy that thousands and thousands of years ago, our ancestors called Mother MahaLakshmi.

I am giving below, MahaLakshmi Ashtakam, with lyrics in Sanskrit and meanings in English. In case I have made some mistake, please forgive me and do write back to me so that I may make the required correction.

MAHALAKSHMI ASHTAKAM

नमस्तेऽस्तु महामाये श्रीपीठे सुरपूजिते ।

शङ्खचक्रगदाहस्ते महालक्ष्मि नमोऽस्तुते ॥१॥

Namastestu | Mahaa-Maaye| Shrii-Piitthe | Sura-Puujite |

Shankha-Chakra-Gada-Haste|  Mahalakshmi | Namostute ||1||

Meaning:

Humble Namaskars to You O Mahamaya (the Primal Cause & hence the Creation of Illusion); Who resides in Sri Pitha (Her own sacred spiritual Resting place) and is Worshipped by the gods,

Who is decorated with Shankha (Conch), Chakra ( the circular weapon/disc that cuts through everything) and Gada (Mace) in Her Hands; Humble Namaskars  to You, O Goddess  Mahalakshmi.

नमस्ते गरुडारूढे कोलासुरभयंकरि ।

सर्वपापहरे देवि महालक्ष्मि नमोऽस्तुते ॥२॥

Namaste | Garudda |aaruuddhe Kola |asura-Bhayangkari |

Sarva-Paapa-Hare| Devi| Mahalakshmi| Namostute ||2||

Meaning:

Humble Namaskars to You Who is seated on the Garuda (the legendary bird), and Who is dreaded by Kolasura (the demon),

O Respected Goddess Who Removes All Sins ; Humble Namaskars to You, O Goddess Mahalakshmi.

सर्वज्ञे सर्ववरदे सर्वदुष्टभयंकरि ।

सर्वदुःखहरे देवि महालक्ष्मि नमोऽस्तुते ॥३॥

Sarvagye |  Sarva-Varade | Sarva-Dushta-Bhayangkari |

Sarv-Dukh-Hare| Devi |Mahalakshmi Namostute ||3||

Meaning:

You Who is All-Knowing (Knowing even our Innermost Thoughts, feelings and emotions), and Who Gives All Boons; Who is feared by all the wicked (Tendencies) (remover of our sinful characteristics),

Who Removes All Sorrows , Humble Namaskars to You, O Goddess Mahalakshmi.

सिद्धिबुद्धिप्रदे देवि भुक्तिमुक्तिप्रदायिनि ।

मन्त्रमूर्ते सदा देवि महालक्ष्मि नमोऽस्तुते ॥४॥

Siddhi-Buddhi-Prade| Devi| Bhukti-Mukti-Pradaayini |

Mantra-Muurte| Sadaa |Devi| Mahalakshmi | Namostute ||4||

Meaning:

O Goddess Who bestows exceptional ability and Intelligence; Who bestows both worldly prosperity as well as final liberation (freeing us from the cycle of birth, death and rebirth),

O Goddess Who Always resides as the subtle form of Mantra (Cosmic Sound); Humble Namaskars to You, O Goddess Mahalakshmi.

आद्यन्तरहिते देवि आद्यशक्तिमहेश्वरि ।

योगजे योगसम्भूते महालक्ष्मि नमोऽस्तुते ॥५॥

Aadya-anta-Rahite | Devi | Aadya-Shakti-Maheshvari |

Yogaje | Yoga-Sambhuute | Mahalakshmi | Namostute ||5||

Meaning:

O Goddess Who is without beginning (Aadi) and without end (Anta), and Who is the Great Goddess representing the Primal Power/ Shakti.

Who is Born of Yoga ( Ultimate Consciousness) and Who is always united with Yoga(She & The Ultimate Consciousness are one and the same); Humble Namaskars to You, O Goddess Mahalakshmi.

स्थूलसूक्ष्ममहारौद्रे महाशक्तिमहोदरे ।

महापापहरे देवि महालक्ष्मि नमोऽस्तुते ॥६॥

Sthuula-Suukssma-Mahaaroudre | Mahaa-Shakti-Mahodare |

Mahaa-Paapa-Hare | Devi | Mahalakshmi | Namostute ||6||

Meaning:

Whose Power is present behind both apparent and Subtle Forms as well as behind the Most Fearful Form of Rudrani (which she undertakes to fight the evil forces);Who is the Great Womb of Mahashakti (The Ultimate Power from where every manifestation of Power arises),

O Goddess, Who is the Remover of even the greatest of sins, and Who Removes Great Sins from our Lives (thus cleansing us) Humble Namaskars to You, O Goddess Mahalakshmi.

पद्मासनस्थिते देवि परब्रह्मस्वरूपिणि ।

परमेशि जगन्मातर्महालक्ष्मि नमोऽस्तुते ॥७॥

Padma-asana-Sthite | Devi | Para-Brahma-Svaroopini |

Parameshi | Jagan-Maatar-Mahalakshmi | Namostute ||7||

Meaning:

O Goddess Who is Seated on a Lotus (Lotus of Kundalini) (with a Gracious & Peaceful Face); And Who is abiding as the Supreme Brahm (behind the entire Universe),

Who is the Supreme Goddess and the Mother of the Universe; Humble Namaskars to You, O Goddess Mahalakshmi.

श्वेताम्बरधरे देवि नानालङ्कारभूषिते ।

जगत्स्थिते जगन्मातर्महालक्ष्मि नमोऽस्तुते ॥८॥

Shveta-ambara-Dhare | Devi | Naana-alangkaara-Bhooshite |

Jagat-sthite| Jagan-Maatar-Mahalakshmi | Namostute ||8||

Meaning:

O Goddess Who Adorns  White Garments (representing our Inner Purity); Who is Adorned with Various Ornaments (representing our Inner Beauty),

Who resides within the Universe as the Mother of the Universe (bestowing us with Her love and care); Humble Namaskars to You, O Goddess Mahalakshmi.

महालक्ष्म्यष्टकं स्तोत्रं यः पठेद्भक्तिमान्नरः ।

सर्वसिद्धिमवाप्नोति राज्यं प्राप्नोति सर्वदा ॥९॥

Mahalakshmya-Ashttakam |Stotram |Yah |Patthed-Bhaktimaan-Narah |

Sarva-Siddhim-vaapnoti | Raajyam |Praapnoti | Sarvadaa ||9||

Meaning:

He who recites this Mahalakshmi Ashtakam Stotram with Devotion 

Will attain all Accomplishments and Prosperity (both Inner and Outer), always (when we surrender to Her, allowing Her to direct our energy).

एककाले पठेन्नित्यं महापापविनाशनम् ।

द्विकालं यः पठेन्नित्यं धनधान्यसमन्वितः ॥१०॥

Eka-Kaale| Patthen-Nityam |Mahaa-Paapa-Vinaashanam |

Dvi-Kaalam |Yah Patthen-Nityam |Dhan-Dhaanya-Samanvitah ||10||

Meaning:

Reciting this once every day (as per me – the first benefit) will Destroy Great Sins ( for our inner purity to emerge),

Reciting this twice every day ( the second benefit) will bestow wealth and foodgrains (abundance).

त्रिकालं यः पठेन्नित्यं महाशत्रुविनाशनम् ।

महालक्ष्मिर्भवेन्नित्यं प्रसन्ना वरदा शुभा ॥११॥

Tri-Kaalam | Yah| Patthen-Nityam Mahaa-Shatru-Vinaashanam |

Mahalakshmir-Bhaven-Nityam| Prasannaa| Varadaa | Shubhaa ||11||

Meaning:

Reciting this Thrice Everyday ( the third benefit) will destroy mighty enemies (including our powerful subtle Inner Enemies which form the final hindrance from progressing towards Liberation),

Finally we behold Goddess Mahalakshmi in Her Eternal Gracious Form; In Her Eternal Boon-giving Grace and Auspicious Presence (within us).

May Devi MahaLakshmi bestow her blessings on all Her devotees.

The post MAHALAKSHMI ASHTAKAM – Q & A, BENEFITS, LYRICS & MEANINGS IN ENGLISH appeared first on Wise Ganesha.

How important is Self Belief for our achievements? I had no idea of its utmost importance before I did this amazing experiment in my Psychology classroom.

Back when I was studying Psychology for my graduate degree in college, I was extremely lucky to have a professor who believed in showing rather than telling. He would deliver lectures not just on topics within the syllabus, but also discuss newer theories being proposed in different parts of the world. Occasionally, he would turn our usual lecture room ( since my college did not have a separate designated Psychology lab) into set-ups for interesting experiments into the human mind.

The tall and bulky, but extremely soft-spoken professor, would explain a certain concept one day and in order to prove or disprove the theory, ask us to gather human subjects for the related experiment the next day.

So we would go around the campus, collecting human specimens for our experiments. 🙂

Friends, of course, always obliged. As did friends of friends.

Out of all the psychological theories that we studied in this absorbing way, I have never been able to take one out of my mind.

Albert Bandura’s theory of Self-Efficacy.

What is self-efficacy?

Simply put, Self-Efficacy is a person’s belief in their own competence.

In other words – Self-belief.

Bandura proposed that self-belief can be influenced , increased and decreased by different factors like peer and social praise (for increasing) and fear, shame and blame (for decreasing) etc.

The Totally Eye-Opening Experiment that we conducted on the topic of self belief –

We gathered around as subjects, 4 girls of almost the same age and physique.

Inside the lecture room we had already placed one weight lifting rod weighing 20 kg.

Before each subject entered the room, she was asked – “Do you think you are capable of lifting a 20 kg rod above your head?” – and their answer was recorded on paper.

The result of the experiment stumped us!!

It went like this –

Answers before lifting weights = 2 (yes) 1 (no) 1 (don’t know)

Result :

The 2 girls who said ‘yes’, could lift the 20 kg weight above their head. The other two could not!

Their self-confidence before the experiment was a clear measure of their self-belief.

The two ‘successful’ girls were, pointedly, not praised for their performance.

Instead, our class, comprising 20 students, spoke to them (somewhat melodramatically) like this – “ We don’t think that your technique of lifting the rod was right. Besides, y’know what, this is nothing! Before you, there have been girls who lifted up to even 40 kg quite easily. We actually kind of expected this result. It is pretty ok, sort of.”

And then a short while later, they were asked to lift the 20 kg rod once again.

Our jaws dropped when there, in front of our very eyes, the same girls who, just minutes ago, had effortlessly lifted those weights, struggled to lift the rod above their heads!

The same girls. The same weight. But a different result!

Our ruthless comparison and lack of praise proved detrimental for their next effort.

The story doesn’t end here.

The 20 odd students then turned their attention to the other 2 ‘failed’ subjects.

They were wildly cheered on, smiled at, backs patted and addressed so – “ Wow! Aren’t you amazing or what? No girl before you could lift the bar more than 4 inches from the ground. You did far better than any of them. We are sure if you could try again, you will definitely do better.”

And they too were once again asked to give the rod a second try.

And guess what!

Out of the two ‘failed’ girls, one lifted the rod successfully till her shoulders while the second one did much better than earlier by several inches more!

                                                   ****************************************************************

It was a pretty small experiment. The conditions were technically not tightly controlled. But the results were loud and clear for everyone.

We talked about it animatedly for days afterwards.

Albert Bandura’s theory of Self-Efficacy had been proved right by a bunch of rookie psychologists of Punjab. 🙂

                                                   ******************************************************************

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Goal setting and achievement has a direct correlation with our self-esteem. Higher the self esteem, higher our chances of achieving our goals. Conversely, every missed goal leaves us with self esteem several notches down.

Keeping this in mind, we should undertake the task of goal setting and achievement wisely since it has consequences which have far reaching effects.

More often than not, parents are smart people. Instinctively, they know the role of praise and criticism in getting the desired result from the child.

But what we don’t know is that we can use the same technique on ourselves to raise our self esteem and thereby, our self efficacy (belief in our own ability).

Repeated failures to achieve our targets and goals can leave us depleted of inner strength. It’s not uncommon to hear the voices in our head saying, “I am not an achiever.” “Not my cup of tea.” “I will never be able to do this.”

This is defeatist talk fuelled by failure; caused by faulty goal setting.

Keeping in mind just a few tips and tricks regarding goal setting can make a huge difference to our self esteem. And that decides whether we are setting ourselves up for future success or failure.

Here are some awful mistakes that must be avoided at all costs while drawing up our targets if we don’t want to lower our self esteem.

1. Not Starting small – 

Don’t aim for the sky in your first jump itself. Set small, totally achievable targets. This will, subconsciously, give you signals of being              a    success and will boost your confidence in your abilities.

When I began my writing career, I made the mistake of setting a goal of – 5000 words a    day. After repeated failures to achieve my                  target, I began feeling like a failure. That was before I discovered that this was a pretty high goal for a beginner writer. Once I reset my              goal to 1000 words a day, I began to easily follow through to my goal and consequently, my level of self efficacy went up.

 2. Not Being realistic – 

While setting up goals, make sure that they are achievable. Being ambitious is good. But setting too high targets, which later on become a drag on your psyche, are more likely to be abandoned; naturally making you feel awfully low.

My friend, Aman, wanted to lose 25 kg of weight. Being highly motivated and driven, he felt he could lose that much weight in 4 months. But his gym instructor knew better. Despite Aman’s repeated requests, the instructor refused to draw up a plan for 4 months. As per him, this was highly unrealistic. Finally, when after 8 months, Aman found himself having lost 25 kg, he totally appreciated his instructor’s wisdom and advice.

Often, our own unrealistic plans, upon failing, leave us feeling like failures, plummeting our self esteem.

     3. Setting up goals which don’t ‘belong’ to you – 

If the goal won’t be your very own, it is likely to be abandoned. Often we set other people’s targets as our own. This may be under pressure – of parent’s, may be – or of someone in the office; or the goal setting may be driven by comparison with someone you envy or idolize or copy. But till the time the goal comes directly from your heart; something you desire for yourself and are ready to go to any length for it; you will find it difficult to follow through.

Therefore, before your goal setting and achievement process, sit and think deeply – “Is this really coming from my own deepest desires?” “What desire/ aim is behind this goal?”

Growing up, my cousin Raman was the family’s poster boy for success. He was brilliant in studies and cleared the AIIMS medical entrance exam in his first attempt itself. Every child in our family wanted to become like him. Me inclusive. And similar to my cousin Raman, my goal was to get into AIIMS. But sadly, it took me two years of high school, slogging my way through science subjects that I realized I had set up a goal based on faulty premise. Being a medical professional wasn’t after my heart. Thankfully, rather than wasting more years on something that I did not desire, I changed my course in time and took up Psychology, Sociology and study of English Literature for my graduate degree. Once I chose the goals that truly ‘belonged’ to me, I could easily excel in them, topping the college in my chosen subjects.

    4. Clubbing too many goals together –

Goal achievement demands focus. Having too many tasks at hand can deplete us of energy and the desired focus. Therefore, it is always advisable to take one goal at a time, accomplish it and then move on to the next one.

Too many tasks make us do justice to none. Failing at one goal is, in itself, bad for our self esteem. Imagine what a bunch of failed goals will do to us!

     5. Not reviewing your goals / progress from time to time –

Taking stock of our goals; understanding where we stand – how close or far – we are from our goals is an absolute must.

Imagine a person wanting to attain his ideal body weight, not weighing himself from time to time! While we take it absolutely normal and must for a weight watcher to measure his success occasionally, we often forget that this applies to ALL goal setting and achievement, irrespective of the type of goal.

Some goals are very easy in terms of measurement. Getting to your ideal weight, for example.

But some goals are difficult to quantify. So make your own benchmarks BEFORE starting out. And THEN make sure to review your progress against those benchmarks. This will give you a clear idea as to your next course of action – whether you need to enlist some outside help, delegate or a change of strategy.

In case of not reviewing our goals may suddenly, one fine day, find us at a spot marked in big letters – ‘Failure’.

     6. Not dividing your goals into subgoals –

Ask any pilot flying a plane from, say, New Delhi to New York. They have their course and time clearly chalked out into sub-parts like so –

Take off: 12am from New Delhi 28.5562° N, 77.1000° E –

Reach Dubai: 3.25 am 25.2532° N, 55.3657° E –

Take off from Dubai: 5am –

Reach New York: 8.35pm 40.7769° N, 73.8740° W

Veering off course midway by even one degree is not acceptable. That is the precision!

Breaking a big goal into smaller parts makes everything look achievable to the human mind. We don’t run the risk of feeling overwhelmed.

Secondly, smaller parts are easier to measure than the whole.

 And thirdly, making changes to your plans as you review your subgoals intermittently, becomes possible.

    7. Not celebrating your successes –

Acknowledging ourselves for our smaller accomplishments is a must if we intend to keep our self esteem and morale up throughout our goal achievement journey.

Sadly, very few people ever do it. I didn’t either till a couple of years ago.

In December 2018, Sandra, my friend from the US, stayed with me for a while. As we sat together in my living room, cozily sipping her favourite cinnamon tea, I mentioned how she was visiting India after a gap of almost 7 years.

“O you are so right, Mukta” she said, “ Every year I used to think I would visit India but then my busy work schedule used to stop me. I was longing to visit, though. So this time you know what I did? I said to myself… if I am able to hit my mid term target of 50K dollars, I’ll reward myself with a visit to India. So here I am!”

“That’s quite a reward, Sandra!” I said.

“O yeah! It kept me motivated all along. There were times when I was so close to giving up. But then my own reward to myself kept me going.”

That got me thinking.

When I questioned Sandra, who is a successful personal investment consultant in the US, about this concept of rewarding oneself, she went on to explain further, how it keeps a person highly motivated in goal achievement.

“What I did was,” Sandra said,” I put photos of places in India that I wished to visit, on my refrigerator. Those kept my strength up.”

From that day onwards, I promise myself rewards too – not just for the completion of goals, but also for subgoals. And make it a point to fulfil my promises to myself. 🙂

In fact, I go a step further.

In order to bolster my self esteem, I write myself letters of appreciation on the successful completion of subgoals. Letters which I, then, go on to display on my pinboard in the study where I can see them. Believe me, those letters perk me up just like my early morning cup of masala tea.

Nothing can equal the rush of warm happiness and inner fulfilment we get after getting a pat on the back from our own self.

Conclusion:

Just keeping in mind these 7 points regarding goal setting and achievement can make all the difference between a flagging self esteem (that happens with failures and makes us give up on our goals) and a soaring one (that success gives us and keeps us going).

And as Babe Ruth has put it: “You just can’t beat the person who never gives up.”

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The post 7 Awful Mistakes in Goal Setting and Achievement that will hit your self esteem appeared first on Wise Ganesha.

Low Self-esteem shows itself secretly in many ways in our behaviour which we surprisingly consider normal. But is it really normal? Find out here.

Studies have shown that a whopping 85% of the population world over today, suffers from low self-esteem; varying in degrees from person to person.

Highly critical parents, disapproving teachers and an overall judgmental environment, are largely attributed with a human being’s low self-esteem in childhood.

In early adulthood and thereafter, persons are subjected to the pressures of society through internet and social media.

How many of us really look at the image of a Hollywood or Bollywood star and say to ourselves – “Don’t you worry____(fill in your name). This is just a digitally altered photo of the star. In reality, you probably look better than him/her.” ?

Hardly anyone!

Instead, within a split second of looking at the fake, enhanced photo, our brain does these 5 things –

• a. Comparison with our self
• b. Devalue our self
• c. Feeling of sadness within
• d. Not-good-enough in all the areas of life
• e. Low self-esteem

All this within micro seconds!

The same happens when, on social media, you watch pictures of a friend, having a gala time on the beach/ a cruise/ or anywhere on a holiday.

Even when you know with your personal experience why these pictures are posted and sometimes doctored to evoke the desired result, even then unknowingly, it plunges you into low self-esteem.

In everyday life, there are ample signs to tell you that you are swinging on the low self-esteem rope.

There is absolutely no joy in living your life blindly, oblivious of the pitfalls when you are meant, by Divine providence, to lead a blissful and abundant life.

Why not live a life of awareness?

Why not identify the illness and decide to uproot it altogether from your life?

Taking note of these signs, one can always take corrective measures and make a U-turn for the better.

Below are mentioned 10 such surprisingly common signs which, as per Behavioural Psychologists reflect low self-esteem in people.

Read on and see which ones apply to you. Or maybe not.

(1) You wish you could look like someone else –

may be like a movie or TV star or someone you idolize. This results in your copying their way of walking, talking, laughing , way of dressing up and even their gestures.

(2) Judging and criticizing your own self non-stop –

“I am so clumsy.” “I am not good at anything.” “My cooking is pathetic.” These are only some of the self-deprecating and highly self-damaging statements you hurl at yourself. It is like having an invisible disapprover riding on your shoulders forever, decrying you incessantly, beating you down with harsh words.

(3) You feel neglected and passed-over in group conversations and interactions –

“I am not important.” “I am not interesting enough.” Voices in the head, similar to these are heard by people with low self-esteem, leading them to stay quiet and in the sidelines. The truth is that in group conversations, generally, people taking the lead are listened to and one has to be an active speaker in order to be heard; and not because someone is ‘uninteresting’ or ‘not important’ that one is left out.

(4) You feel uncomfortable if showered with too much attention –

This is the direct result of “I am not important enough”, “I am not worthy enough” dialogue that goes on in the head of low self-esteem people, making them want to disappear or cower under a table. Be it social gatherings or small interactions, such people hate to be in the limelight.

(5) You are quick to discount all compliments given to you–

Colleague: “Wow! You are glowing in that pink dress today.”

You: “Oh Sheesh! This is just an old dress from last year.”

Boss: “Well done! I am impressed with the speed with which you completed this task.”

You: “O, it’s nothing. The task was super easy.”

Do you get the picture?

(6) You lie and exaggerate in your conversations in order to appear noteworthy.-

This kind of behavior is the result of over compensation of the low self-esteem thoughts in a person. Since such people feel a distinct sense of inadequacy and ‘smallness’ within themselves, they resort to fibbing. Feeling inferior inside, they tend to prove their superiority to others.

(7) Buying unrequired things and filling your home with clutter –

Having a chaotic and messy home is undesirable. Same for the work environment as well. But did you know that your cluttered home or disorganized work table speaks volumes about your mind? Research shows that people suffering from low self-worth tend to stock-pile objects around themselves, treating them as extensions of their own self. This is akin to padding yourself with more and more clothes as a way of protecting yourself from the harsh cold winter outside. Such people live in the sorry, downward spiral of first collecting clutter and then not getting rid of it, believing subconsciously “I am not worthy of living a beautiful life.”

(8) You are always second-guessing yourself–

No matter how qualified, experienced or knowledgeable you may be in order to take a particular decision, if you find yourself forever dithering and doubting yourself, take it as a sign of low self-worth. By doubting yourself, you inadvertently, allow others around you to make decisions in your stead thereby giving your power to them.

(9) You are constantly seeking approval of others–

Your lack of trust in your own abilities, makes you seek approval and appreciation of others around you. Such people tend to criticize themselves, often unnecessarily, for things they have said during conversations with others. They feel sure in their hearts that they have a tendency to, repeatedly, make a fool of themselves.

(10) You constantly compare yourself with others–

In your mind, you are constantly measuring yourself up against the others and always falling short in your eyes. This kind of unhealthy comparison keeps you on your toes, making you feel guilty about resting or taking time-off for yourself. There are various off-shoots of this sign. If you feel butterflies in your belly every time you have to meet strangers, you suffer from low self-esteem. Also, did you know that gossiping and bitching about others is a sure sign of low self-worth? That is because these people feel a sense of release when talking about other people’s struggles, mistakes and failures; making them feel less ‘small’ in their own eyes. Finding faults in others and judging them, trying to prove that you are better than them, is another sign of low self-worth.           

CONCLUSION:

Research has unearthed many more subtle as well as glaring signs of low self-esteem in humans. But we don’t have to live with the curse of negativity which keeps us stuck in life and plucks all joy from the heart. You can be healed.

Low self-esteem tricks us into convincing us that we are inherently worthless and accepting this false belief, we behave accordingly.

Our behaviour is merely a result of all our accumulated beliefs of childhood. Once we transform our beliefs, our behaviour will transform as well. And thereafter, our life experiences.

We grow up believing – we are worthless. And in our desperate pursuit of ‘worth and value’ we sacrifice our life, amassing objects which we think will make us look more worthy and valued.

But the truth is that you don’t need outside objects to feel worthy.

You are born worthy.

Rumi says – “Your essence is gold hidden in dust.”

The day you heal your self-image, you will end all agony, achieve inner fulfilment and become acutely aware of your innate splendour and infinite value.

The post 10 Surprisingly Common Signs of Low Self-Esteem appeared first on Wise Ganesha.

How many times have you heard that inner fulfilment is achieved only when your pursuit of passion becomes your career? Could this be true?

How many people actually get to live such an idealistic life?

Very few.

Then there are those who start out on a career and discover that their work itself is their passion.

Again such people are in minority.

There is no denying the fact that people who you hear of, successfully pursuing their passion as their career ( Sachin Tendulkar, for example) are always the success stories of this phenomenon; the unsuccessful ones making for idle gossip.

Take for example, my college friend Amit –

He is a qualified Chartered Accountant. And loves to paint portraits. A few years ago, following the world advice – “live your passion”, Amit gave up his cushy job and became a full-time portrait artist. Initially all went well. Orders were pouring in and he felt quite elated doing what he loved to do most. But soon, the pressure of making money from his hobby-turned-profession, the daily tasks, deadlines and deliverables started getting on his nerves. Something that gave him immense joy at one time, became a constant drag. After a while, realizing his mistake, Amit went back to his Chartered Accountancy job. He still paints in his free time. In fact, Amit has gone a step further and now teaches art to the underprivileged kids and donates the money from the sale of his paintings to charity.

Haven’t we all heard of similar real-life stories at some point in our lives?

Listening to heroic tales where people turned their love for a particular sport or an activity into their profession, many feel encouraged to follow their foot-steps. Only to regret their decision!

Don’t get me wrong!

I am not judging their life decisions. All of us are free to choose our own path to happiness in life.

Instead, what I am doing is – encouraging you to consider another possibility.

People tend to find their profession boring and tedious usually when they feel that they are not contributing in any way either to their own personal growth or to the society.

It is when you start expecting your career to provide you with that spark which might ignite your passion for life, that you begin feeling disappointed. You look for inner fulfilment in your profession.

What if you were to dissociate your work from ‘inner fulfilment’ and ‘higher calling’ and instead to look at your work as a means of funding your amazing dreams and plans?

You don’t want to end up as a dependent on others or be among the have-nots of society.

You need a steady income stream and to be considered mature and responsible grown-ups.

A job or a profession fully serves that purpose. It gives you that opportunity or window of time in which to either save money for your future plans or to continue using it as your financial anchor. This frees you of all money related worries.

Problem comes when having started to earn , you stop looking for life’s true purpose / your passionate pursuit , and start blaming your career-choice for your unhappiness and inner discontent.

Why do you want either your job/profession or your pursuit of passion, when you can have both?

Why don’t you consider the probability of ‘and’?

In some cases it so happens that continuing with your job becomes absolutely impossible due to various reasons outside your control. Barring those cases, ‘and’ can certainly be considered instead of ‘either/or’.

It has been more than 2 decades since I started our business alongside my husband. But I never let go of my passion for painting landscapes.

My hobby provided me the much-needed time for peace, quiet and meditative introspection; not to mention the appreciation of my peers and family.

My best friend, who lives in The US and works as a full-time pharmacist in a hospital, devotes her Sundays to the local Gurudwara. That, she feels, is her true calling – serving the community and this gives her a lot of inner fulfilment.

Another doctor friend has turned his passion for fitness into a side business and runs a chain of gyms. Himself sporting six-pack abs, he is found training others enthusiastically in his spare time. Leading a healthy life and helping others to do that, is his true calling.

In all the above mentioned examples, the 9 to 5 work provides an impetus to follow the passionate pursuit without any stress or regret.

CONCLUSION

The very knowledge that it is your  career that is funding your passion, makes you give your best to it.

Conversely too, the peace and sense of fulfilment that your ‘thing-of-joy’ imparts, permeates into your job and the way you function at your work place.

A wonderful balance happens between work and play.

And like my Guru says – “True happiness lies in following a balanced life.”

The post Inner Fulfilment – Confusion of Passion vs Career appeared first on Wise Ganesha.

Are you struggling with your visualization? Have you begun to think that this technique of law of attraction is useless? Chances are, like so many other people, you are not visualizing in the right way! Resulting in your utter frustration and disbelief about this amazing technique of turning your dreams into reality.

Just watch the magic happen once you begin following these steps-

Visualization plays a key role in manifesting our desires: a key aspect of The Law of Attraction.

The better your visualization, the stronger your power to manifest your desire.

Some people are naturally good at it. They can imagine and effortlessly ‘see’ in their mind, the things that they desire. With all the vividness in it. But some really struggle at it.

So, how do you visualize?

And how do you go from good to great in one of the most important aspect of the Law of Attraction?

Here, I am listing below, 3 easy ways that will make your visualizations rock! These 3 tried and tested ways will make your visualizing process not only easy, but enjoyable too.

As examples, I am taking 2 most common desires that we humans have –

#1. Losing weight: “I want to fit into my favorite old pair of skinny jeans which I have hung in my closet since last five years.”

#2. Owning the house of our dreams: “I want to own a spacious penthouse overlooking a beautiful golf course.”

One way forward could be – simply keep thinking about these desires; something that the majority of population does. Chances are, before long, these desires turn into longings; making them supremely difficult to manifest into reality.

Or worse, they manifest in a way that you had never even imagined. For example, one can, as well lose weight after falling gravely ill or losing a limb in a terrible accident. We certainly don’t want that!

But there’s a second way too – Be vivid like a conscious manifestor.

I am often asked: “Who is a conscious manifestor and what are the attributes of a conscious manifestor?”

Well, now that is a topic on which I shall soon be writing another post. But here, understand this much – A conscious manifestor is (a) specific and (b) vivid.

Going back to my chosen examples of (1) losing weight and (2) owning a penthouse apartment which overlooks a vast expanse of greenery:

1. ‘See’ your visualization in all vividness:

• I close my eyes. In my mind, I ‘see’ myself getting my legs into the old skinny jeans. O wow, how perfectly I am fitting into them! The zipper and the waist button are closing with absolute ease.  I look into the mirror, turn sideways and admire my slim and fit-looking reflection. I am looking absolutely smashing!
• I close my eyes and read my name on the property papers of the penthouse. My face is beaming with absolute joy and pride. I look down at my hand – the keys of the penthouse are being placed in the palm of my hand. And then I ‘see’ myself turning the key into the front door; the majestic door opening, I am placing my first step inside it, on the white marble floor. I look at the vast green expanse of the golf course as I stand and gaze from the wide glass window of the drawing room. I am reading all the messages pouring in on Whatsapp , from friends and relatives. I am reading the message sent by my best friend, “Wow. You did it! Congratulations on becoming the proud owner of the penthouse of your dreams.”

2. ‘Hear’ your visualization with great clarity:

Just as I envision my desires coming true, I focus on hearing certain things too –

•  I ‘hear’ the sound of the zipper closing effortlessly. As I walk out of my room, I hear my husband’s voice saying to me,” Wow. You’re looking fabulous! So all those hours of working out in the gym and diet control is showing its effect.” My daughter compliments me too. She says,” O my! How well you have fitted back into your pair of old jeans, Mama!” My friends are all going gaga over my transformation and I reply happily,” I have been exercising regularly, you know, and eating very sensibly. That’s how I have lost all the un-required fat. See, now I am fitting so well into my old jeans!”
• I hear the jingling of my house keys as they are put into my palm. I hear my voice as I happily show my friends around the penthouse,” Look here! You can see this greenery from the bedroom window too. Even right from the bed!”  My friends are chatting loudly, the music, the clinking of glass, the sound of laughter, as I throw a house-warming party in my new home.

3. ‘Feel’ your visualization with deep emotions:

This is one aspect of visualization which is often ignored and forgotten by most people.

Considering that emotions and feelings are the currency of the Universe, one just cannot forget to ‘feel’ while visualizing.

• While ‘viewing’ myself fitting beautifully and easily into my jeans, ‘hearing’ so many compliments being showered on me, I turn my attention to my feelings: My heart is overflowing with happiness. I feel as fit as an athlete – so light and strong! I feel fantastic. I am proud of myself. I feel beautiful and sexy.”
  While thinking these thoughts, the more deeply you can actually feel these emotions, the better.
• I feel so blessed to own this beautiful and spacious penthouse with such a spectacular view. My heart fills with gratitude towards The Divine. Thank you Universe, for giving me the house of my dreams. Thank you, that I’ve been able to buy this house with my abundant earnings, remaining debt-free. My heart fills with joy and pride as like a happy kid, I run from one room to the other.

CONCLUSION:

When it comes to visualization, go into as many happy and positive details as you can. Make it fun. Be specific. Let visualization run in your head like your favorite movie – while walking your dog, while commuting to the office, in the loo, standing in a queue, etc.

Do it over and over in your mind – see it, hear it, feel it – till it actually begins to look like reality to you.

Once you have mastered the above process, release your desire. That is the next step.

Happy Visualization.

The post How to be Extremely Good in Your Visualization appeared first on Wise Ganesha.

February 1, 2020

8 AM

Since yesterday, my energy level is low. So today I have decided to rest. The fatigue is over-powering. The rest of the family is going to work.

Why am I feeling so sad and down beat? Without any apparent reason, I find myself contemplating finding a huge rock and curling up under it and hiding there from the rest of the world! At first the absurd idea amuses me. But then I sit up and ask myself – Who is it that wants to curl up under a rock and why? Through some unspoken power, the observance mode in me is switched on.

And I voice my intention of the day to The Universe – I will allow The Higher Power to work as He pleases through me today. I have no agenda of my own, no schedule to follow and no appointments to keep today. I will simply follow my inner impulses – whatever they may be.

6.30 PM

What an incredible day this has been!

Never in my life have I felt so strongly, such ebb and flow of energy!

The first half of the day saw me wanting to clean my house – that cupboard & this drawer, that corner & this shelf. And I did all that. Finally, after scrubbing clean, the kitchen floor, I decided, it was time to sit and meditate for a while.

Now, I have always – always, lighted one candle and meditated in front of it. But today, I arranged the altar and lighted 5 candles! In different colours! I wanted to burn sandalwood oil too. As I struggled with the small oil-bottle, for the droplets to fall on the water in the burner, I remembered a medicine dropper that I used to have. The dropper would make the task super easy. So the next 10 minutes saw me rummaging through all my bedroom and bathroom drawers for it. All in vain! Somehow I managed to put a few droplets of the oil into the burner.

The Zen music, there after, guided me into efforts of inner stillness.

I don’t know how long I sat in meditation, but I do remember having this strong urge to get up and paint.

Paint?!

I haven’t painted in years now! At one time, I was an avid acrylic painter. That was before I actively joined our family business.

The urge to hold the paint brush and behold the play of colours on a blank canvas was astonishingly intense.

I opened all the boxes and bags in which all my paint supplies had been carefully and lovingly packed away long ago, by me. From the attic, I brought down a large blank canvas which I had covered in newspaper and kept away, God knows how many years ago.

And I proceeded to paint a landscape. Effortlessly.

It was as if there never had been any break. Ever.

After about an hour or so, I felt the requirement for a particular type of paint brush. Unable to find it in the boxes I had unpacked, I went into the study to look for it there. As I opened an old tin box in a cupboard – lo and behold! – there sat in it, the medicine dropper I had been searching for frantically, earlier. Along with the paint brush that I had come looking for!

What games The Divine plays :))

Today, I have allowed and consciously willed for The Divine to do His bidding with the day that He had given to me – instead of imposing my own wishes and agendas. And how He has kindly and lovingly, dusted away ever so smoothly in an  instant,  my inner blockage that had troubled me for years. How my soul yearned to restart painting; only to stop myself with the excuse of office and work! Is this what is called Surrenderance?

And what a revelation it’s been!

Sometimes The Divine wants to clean the dirt, sometimes He wants to sit and savour the stillness, sometimes He wants to play with colour and sometimes He wants the words to flow on paper. Sometimes The Higher Power is really simple and some times He loves to be lavish and grand. He acts old and mature at times and also high-spirited and jolly like a child.

But one thing is for sure – The Divine is pure and guileless.

It is good, once in a while, to just be in observance; watch the thoughts come and go and do The Divine’s bidding.

And have an occasional laugh when you realise how He wants you to have your ears to the ground; for as you are dancing to His tune, He has the divine tendency to change the track abruptly. He loves the next tune to be merrier than before.

And He loves to surprise you 🙂

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GANESHA IS CONSCIOUSNESS

(Guided Flow)

I am Ganesha. I am your Consciousness. I am the actions that you do consciously, knowingly. I am the child, the off-spring of The Divine Father and The Divine Mother – your Unconscious and the Subconscious. On a higher level, I am the Universal Consciousness – the inter-connectedness of the universe. Since I am in one and all – the plants, the animals and the humans – I connect you all to one another. I am The Divine Connection. I am the Universal Conscious Feeling. Just like my Divine Parents – I am all pervading. I am Ganesha. I am your conscious Guide. I am The Force, The Power in you that lets you know – that lets you be aware of the universe; of what is happening all around you, in you and outside you.

Ganesha is The Consciousness in you

How can you know me?

By consciously being aware of yourself. The more conscious you are, the more in tune with me you are. When you are about to do something and are aware of the consequences – you are witnessing me. Since I am your Guide ( whether you let me be or not , I AM THAT) I make you aware of the result, in your consciousness. Some stop themselves (when the action is negative) and some still go ahead. But my constant presence is always there.

Without The Divine Unconscious & The Subconscious, I can not exist. I am The Third of The Divine Trinity.

Because of me, Ganesha – The Universal Consciousness, actions of a person in this corner of the world affect the persons in the other, faraway corner of the world. The power to stop yourself or to go ahead, is unique to humans. That is the Divine Choice residing in you – The Power of Viveka – to be able to sift and sort in your mind and then make a choice.

I am The Voice of Wisdom in you – your Divine Guide. I am the Power of Clarity because having sifted and sorted, what remains, what comes out is – Light out of darkness. I am the Harbinger of light in your life.

I am the Courage in you – The Power that sees you through difficult times and brings out the victorious in you.

I am The Conscious Joy that you feel. The joy that you feel on accomplishing your goals – That is Ganesha. The joy that you feel when you help someone – That is Ganesha. The joy that you feel when you know in your heart that you have done the right thing – That is Ganesha.

Just be in observance of your life – and you can witness my glory.

I am Ganesha – your Friend.

Author’s note:

Watch a two-year old child closely. What an immersive life he/she lives! Every minute is lived with utter surety – enjoyed or not enjoyed. Mother is close by? Happy and secure! Mother is not seen around? Cry yourself hoarse with full abandon till she runs back and picks you up! How sure the child is of what he wants at that age! How closely life is felt! Watch closely how he licks every drop out of the ice-cream cone. Enjoyment to the fullest!

Once out of infancy and childhood, we, humans live a majority of our lives mechanically and unthinkingly. Life is a precious gift from The Divine to us. We need to honour this gift by being aware and conscious of it.

There is so much peace in shutting out the outside noise from time to time and tuning in to our own divinity – The Ganesha in us.

There is joy in savouring every minute of our ‘livingness’.

Our ‘Ganesha-ness’ is our power of being in observance.

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In this post, I have recited a famous poem by the much-acclaimed African-American poetess, Maya Angelou. Her life, her grit and never-say-die attitude in the face of adversity has always inspired me. Despite her lack of college education, she was called ‘Dr.Angelou’ because of her profound innate wisdom and knowledge. Her autobiography – I know why the caged bird sings – is world famous and is taught as a text book in the US universities. She passed away in 2014 but through her legacy of words, continues to inspire millions till date.

Still I Rise

You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may trod me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I’ll rise.

Does my sassiness upset you?
Why are you beset with gloom?
’Cause I walk like I’ve got oil wells
Pumping in my living room.

Just like moons and like suns,
With the certainty of tides,
Just like hopes springing high,
Still I’ll rise.

Did you want to see me broken?
Bowed head and lowered eyes?
Shoulders falling down like teardrops,
Weakened by my soulful cries?

Does my haughtiness offend you?
Don’t you take it awful hard
’Cause I laugh like I’ve got gold mines
Diggin’ in my own backyard.

You may shoot me with your words,
You may cut me with your eyes,
You may kill me with your hatefulness,
But still, like air, I’ll rise.

Does my sexiness upset you?
Does it come as a surprise
That I dance like I’ve got diamonds
At the meeting of my thighs?

Out of the huts of history’s shame
I rise
Up from a past that’s rooted in pain
I rise
I’m a black ocean, leaping and wide,
Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.

Leaving behind nights of terror and fear
I rise
Into a daybreak that’s wondrously clear
I rise
Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,
I am the dream and the hope of the slave.
I rise
I rise
I rise.

 I love reading and writing poetry. For me, poetry is an expression of The Higher Creative Force of the universe, a song of the soul. It is an immediate release of the pent up energy within us. Poetry elevates and lightens up the heart.  

Resources:

1. Maya Angelou – https://www.britannica.com/biography/Maya-Angelou
2. Still I rise – https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/46446/still-i-rise

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