Are you brave?

The universal misconception about bravery is to do heroic deeds as we watch in movies and television serials.

To me, bravery means self honesty. It means accepting frankly our weaknesses and mistakes. But do we do that always? Obviously not. We are not brave enough to accept our shortcomings even to ourselves. How then we can expect others to be like that?

Instead of looking at ourselves, we look at the back of everyone and blaming the whole world and want the world to change! To change the world, the first obvious step is to be taken by us.

I am no exception to this trait. I see plastic garbage everywhere in my city. I can see mountains of it along the railway tracks and garbage bins. Still, I also throw away dangerous plastic bags in the garbage sack.

I don't carry proper bags when I go to buy vegetables and accept gladly the goods in polythene bags given by the vegetables vendor. Nevertheless, I am worried about global warming, deteriorating ecological conditions etc. What a contradiction!

I may be brave at least by accepting my mistakes but what is the use?

Simple ways to attain inner peace.

Inner Peace means, as the name suggests, there are no external factors to feel at peace and there is no such thing as external peace.

What we call as world turmoil, lack of peace around us is nothing but lack of peace with in us. Where is peace located? Do we find them in stones, water or trees? There is no such thing as 'peace' in inanimate things! After all, don't we say, "Peace of mind"? We don't say 'peace of body'!

So, how to be at peace at any given time? How to attain peace of mind?

Let me explain.

How to enjoy life?

I have been teaching mathematics since 1990. My classes starts from 5.30 AM and closes at 8.00 AM
I get a break to read newspapers, operate washing machine, do the cooking and this and that.

Again my classes start at 3.30 PM and ends at 8.00 PM. I eat and retire dead tired.

Look at my husband who works more hours than me but he gets time to read books, visit his friends and takes time to go out of station for a couple of days occasionally. He life is really enviable.

So, what am I lacking?
Why don't I find time for the things I want to do apart from working for a survival?
Am I not sincere in my work?
Am I not earning more than my husband?

Just whats wrong? What should I do to remedy the monotony?

For this my husband gave me a note that read:
"If you always do what you have always done, then you will always get what you have always gotten".

I stared at the message for a long time. Something turned inside me. I knew.

Do you?

Just who are you?

So, you thought you live naturally just because you live surrounded by nature? The other day, what started like an innocuous conversation on human character developed into a deep spiritual topic but ended not on a pleasant note.

I am a firm believer of possessing no identity. But we all know how people label themselves based on their education, achievements, possessions, financial status, social standing, friends and emotional maturity.

Yes, there are more to the list but the idea is conveyed-right?

If one care to examine all their so called possessions and re-examine them after years, they will realize that they would now possess new things that would cause them to name a different label.
What happened to the previous label/identity?

We all pick up moral, ethical and social values along the trail of our life, keep changing them (well almost) as we pick up more so called knowledge, observe the world events, read news junks-all these build up our so called character.

But we are not born with none of them. Nothing of our present day character or nature is really natural.

We are by nature, loving unconditionally and forgiving everyone and everything. Yes, our true nature is God like!

Realize this, acknowledge it and you will never hurt anyone hereafter and you will lead a life absolute peace and bliss. Your face will shine literally because of your inner calmness.