Ko Aham? Quis Sum?

Who am I?

"The simplest questions are the most profound.

Where were you born?

Where is your home?

Where are you going?

What are you doing?

Think about these once in a while and watch your answers change."

                                                            - Richard Bach (Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah)

I have observed that most of the time goals can be pretty indistinct. However, our actions, if we become aware, can show where our priorities lie. One may conveniently know how much disciplined I am with my diet plan just by looking at my physique, what kind of mindset I possess just by listening to the words I choose to speak. My lifestyle exposes me as a person whether I want it or not. That is why I believe there is no point in showing off. If my audio and video doesn't sync, which sense would one believe over more - eyes or ears? Simplest way to live life, I think, is being simple and straightforward.

To become aware about who you are, you should know where do you stand before moving forward. For that, first thing you want to do is to check the current progress status.

Where was I one year back from now?

Where do I stand today?

Where am I going?

Setting a closed-loop goal tracking system is one of the best ways to stay focused and improve continuously. Questions are the answers, the key, to make you aware about your priorities. Out of 168 hours, where did I spent most of my time this week? Are you a social/ family fellow or a money oriented individual or a health focused human or a spiritual soul? Which out of these four pillars weigh most? If you don't fall in either of these categories, better you set at least one goal in these four directions. Know thyself. If you can't, make yourself!

"The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be."

                                                                                                - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Define your definition of who you want to be (and mind this - be nothing less than the God) and start assiduously working on it. Keep persevering. One more time and you'll have it.

I would love to see you prosper like that.

Look forward to your daily success stories.

How to Handle Depression

Biggest question in front of today's young generation I believe, following massive environmental changes and who's better out of Messi and Ronaldo, is depression. Close to 800,000 people die out of suicide every year, which is the second leading cause of death in 15-29 year olds.

My biggest purpose of writing blogs is to reach to all young people and tell them how this situation can be taken care of. I have gone through this and I believe I have come out of it victoriously. And I agree, hands down, that your situation is far more trickier than all of mine combined. No doubts about that. Yet, when it comes to facing them, I believe you have more strength than I have. I think that makes us equal.

People suggest various reasons for increasing number of cases of depression. For example, lack of hope/ vision, higher education costs, higher cost of living, rise in unemployment, comparison with others - be it with parents or peers. Few even blame global warming! In my opinion these are all external factors. There could be number of our friends out there who don't get affected from either of these factors and yet facing depression. Then what causes it? What is the solution?

As a young generation, we want liberty. What we don't realize is we possess something better than that - Freedom! Liberty comes from outside whereas freedom comes from our mind. No two people respond to the same situation in the exact same manner. Why? Because we have the option to choose our response. Everyone chooses his/her response, consciously or unconsciously. What do YOU want to choose?

Viktor Frankl says in his book "Man's Search For Meaning" -

" We who lived in concentration camps can remember the men who walked through the huts comforting others, giving away their last piece of bread. They may have been few in numbers, but they offer sufficient proof that everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms - to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way.

And there were always choices to make. Every day, every hour, every moment, offered the opportunity to make a decision. A decision which determined whether you would or would not submit to those powers which threatened to rob you of your very self, your inner freedom; which determined whether or not you would become the plaything of circumstance, renouncing freedom and dignity to become molded into the form of the typical inmate."

In my previous blog "Antibuddha", I suggested to create health instead of removing weakness. We do not have to bother about the cause. We just have to create a habit of becoming stronger by adapting what makes us better and better continuously.

Now the question is, how to choose our response? People always suggest us what to do but fail to explain how it's done. I have, through blogs, so far tried to share with you how to keep ourselves driven. For example, very first topic "Mind Your Own Business" asks for the clarity of what do YOU want and then focusing solely on it. "Purpose Drives Passion" argues that we need to find the purpose for our every action. Rather now I suggest to have a purpose for every thought. Further way is the habit of improvement on continual basis. I believe, this can be made possible by using 'Cycle of Improvement'. Mentioned articles are the preliminary steps which can guide toward the healthy habits, self-satisfaction, clear conscience and consistent growth. I think these ways are good enough to begin with.

I am only trying to show the path as I cannot walk it on someone's behalf. I hope you find your destiny. I hope you find yourself. I am no expert with degrees but I have figured the ways for myself and have suggested methods which have worked for me to stay upbeat. So, do ask me if you have any questions and I'll try to respond them directly or indirectly, to the best of my capacity.

You, in this whole world, deserve your love, as much as anyone else.

                                                                                                -Buddha