Are you changing the world for better?

Ever thought of how you plan to do this? Lot of us don't because we are just content to live our lives and think this is too humongous a task for a single individual.We all are so busy pursuing success and the business of living that we have forgotten that we can alter the world for the better.One of the biggest motivators in life is the feeling that we make a difference and are needed. Its the feeling of being part of the bigger picture and having a purpose in life. We commit the mistake of substituting this motivator with the concept of money and success and then suffer the consequences of disillusionment. Purge this thought and witness the change in your life. Take care that you aim to make a positive impact and your ego doesn't seek to be noticed. The change that you seek can be one small step at a time. It can be as simple as teaching a child/adult or financing a poor childs education, sharing your skill or expertise to enable self employment for someone, helping out at local the NGO, impacting the environment by not littering, walking short distances,recycling, consuming less energy etc, putting your best attitude forward by being more understanding, compassionate, helpful, patient and cheerful.  Every little gesture of yours has  ripple effect making it into a wave and the contentment experienced by making a positive difference in the world through your thoughts, deeds, gestures, time, money and advocacy is incomparable.

Is materialism corrupting ?

Majority of the people live life as if they are in a race to accumulate the best possible of possessions and experiences in comparison to the rest of their social and family circle.They throughly enjoy the chase and the adrenalin rush of achieving the next coveted thing.Some, indulge in the the painful self dissecting act of introspection and try to rise above the enticements of materialism either due to a gap between their income and aspirations( a practical approach) or due to pursuit of intellectualism and spiritualism. Others justify their desires by giving them a cloak of acceptability under the garb of societal pressure, expectations,self esteem needs,value addition, investment etc. Whatever ones attitude to accumulation of possessions, I wonder why we feel guilty about it? It is not as if the fault lies in the things that we desire.Its the motivation behind the desire that defines the nature of your personal materialism binge. Striving to have enough money to have financial security and independence, creating value in the form of enterprise, helping others and creating more meaningful experiences in life and sometimes indulging in wanting to own someting because of its beauty( whether a car,a dress or a piece of jewellery) cannot be termed as materialism. But pursuing money for the sake of money and using it to prop up our self esteem or seek happiness through endless purchasing is mindless materialism which corrupts our spirit.

Can contentment and discontent coexist?

Contentment with the present moment is the secret of truly living happily.However,being at peace with the present moment doesn't mean absence of motivation to do better.One can be content and still be looking forward to new experiences in the future.This uneasiness which pushes us to strive for an enhanced experience of life is discontent.So discontent is good when its the source of constant quest for improvement and reformation of the present situation. Also it can coexist with contentment and they are not mutually exclusive.The opposite of contentment is the absence of peace and happiness in the present moment rather than discontent.It is discontent which prevents stagnation,prods us into striving for personal growth and setting a higher bar of aspiration for ourselves.

Are you feeling low?

If you happen to read this and are feeling low about anything in life please understand that its easy to be unhappy about many things in life.We have so many dreams and aspirations which we are constantly tying to achieve that any difficulty faced in realising them makes us emotionally vulnerable.Have patience cause you can move a mountain only one stone at a time and it takes a lot of time, effort and faith.What is important is that you are trying or tried.That is what gives your life meaning. depth and direction.