MEHULENTERPRISE

Life is beautiful...

We are the dust of long dead stars, or if we want to be less romantic, we are nuclear waste. The most wonderful thing we know about the universe is life, and that is the most complicated emergent phenomena we know of. If there is one trait that can help attain a happy and successful life, it is optimism. Recent studies have shown that an optimistic attitude can bring all kinds of benefits, from better health and a longer life span to a higher level of achievement. Optimistic people seem to be able to weather life’s problems much more effectively than others with far less stress. Even their love life is sure to thrive, as they are more willing to take risks and establish new relationships even despite failure. More important an optimistic attitude is a strong foreteller of wellness. Optimistic people are less likely to develop psychological and physical illnesses. On the other hand, pessimism or expecting the worst often predicts unhappiness and poor physical health. People who are pessimists are prone to depression, to developing physical symptoms, and even heart disease. The first step towards becoming an optimist is to become aware of one’s habitual pessimistic thoughts. We must cultivate an awareness of our internal dialogue and notice what we tell us in difficult situations. We must write down these thoughts in short form that gives distance and allows greater objectivity. We must learn to get rid of the nagging voice in our head and discover how to celebrate mistakes. We must learn from the experiences rather than dwell on them negatively. We must creatively attempt to change what we are paying attention to in the situation. We must attempt to focus on the future rather than what has gone wrong in the past or we must look at the problem through another frame of reference that opens up new possibilities. We must praise and reward ourselves each time we step out of the box and find a new and more positive and creative way of thinking about or doing things. There are three main responses to any challenge resignation, anger, or possibility. This is because our response is based on our mental framework and it is feasible to invent new frameworks that give us more choices in difficult situations so even in what appears to be an impossible situation we can learn how to create a universe of possibility. Various beliefs and philosophies shape us and our lives, but how creatively we live forms the essence of our existence; the urge to create, the need to discover, the curiosity to know more, and the desire to stretch our parameters, egg us on. We have to seek new boundaries and then cross them. Transcending barriers and surrounding obstacles keep us alive. The wish to discover more in life, every moment and every second is very important. It is one thing to just discover something, a new emotion, a feeling, or just a new way of being, and it is another to do something with that discovery. That discovery has to be used creatively so that it can be interpreted in many different ways like any work of art that grows with time. Life is so complex and one reason for its complexity is the constant interpretation that is needed to make it interesting and challenging. The only constant in life is the continuous need to change, the continuous need to reinvent ourselves and better ourselves, and the continuous need to discover the world around us, thereby evolving into a rich human being with a wider perspective of life. Spirituality is the most private component of one’s life. When things go wrong, as they sometimes will, we must tend to look both within as well as without for support. Both, known and unknown factors could cause stress in one’s life. While the known factors can be controlled by making correct judgments, the unknown is more often and beyond one’s control. No bad time can last forever. We should put effort into our work and leave the rest to god. Our world is crammed, full of words, images, and sounds; but our real power comes from knowing who we are and what we are here to do, and that begins with looking inside ourselves in silence. Where we are, we should be there totally. By bringing immense energy and well-honed attention to the moment, we can be fully and brilliantly aware. Journeys within are essential for every individual. One should be open to discovery, to change, to new beginnings. There is something new to learn every minute. Living in the past serves no purpose. One needs to live in the present and hope for the future. Our past is nothing, but a collection of memories. Our future is nothing, but imagination. What we have in control is today. We should make it a happy and positive day and we will have lovely memories to look back upon. The most important challenge of life is to heal the wounds of our past so that we do not continue to bleed. In life, yesterday is history, tomorrow is mystery, and today is a gift; that is why it is called the present so we must enjoy our today’s life. We are on this planet and we want to live, not just exist. Life is too short and wondrous to waste in grief and negativity. We should live fully and graciously and learn to be happy. People can only live fully by helping others to live. When we give life to friends, we truly live. Cultures can only realize their further richness by honouring other traditions. And only by respecting natural life can humanity continue to exist. We must try and see everything in a positive light. Whether it is the demise of dear one or moments of deep anguish, we must have come to understand that everything happens for the best. It may jolt us when it happens, but time will always prove that it is for our good. We must take failure as constructive, so it always makes us stronger and more determined to do better next time. We must respect every person we meet. It automatically makes the person more respectful towards us and is the beginning if a greater understanding between us. When people around us hurt us, our attitude must be to forgive them; though it means dealing with pain, it will always help us grow. It is with words like it is with sunbeams, the more condensed they are the deeper they burn. Life is beautiful; it all depends how we view it and what we think of it. It is words that make thoughts.

* Compiled by MEHUL SHAH.