Make your life journey better than yesterday...

 

Make your life journey better than yesterday...

Our national leader Gandhiji used to say, “Your future totally depends on what you do today.” He also said, “It is health which is your true wealth, not gold or silver.” The reality is that we all work hard to collect silver and gold for our future security, but in doing so, we often forget how important our health is. I was talking to a housewife who spends her entire day taking care of everyone. Due to menopause and other health issues, it has become difficult for her even to walk around the house, and going out has become almost impossible. She is around 50, and at such a young age, she is withdrawing from social activities. She worked hard raising her two children, who are now doing well and earning well for themselves, but she cannot enjoy the fruits of her efforts because her legs don’t support her. If she continues this way, without taking care of her health, how will her life journey be better than yesterday? Those who are good and devoted to others should first learn to take care of themselves. If you, as an individual, feel good, then everything around you also feels good.

One of my gurus once shared a lovely story: People go to take a holy dip in the Triveni waters so that all their sins get washed away. Someone asked River Ganga, “You receive all our sins, what will you do with them?” She replied, “I will carry them with me and deposit them in the sea.” The sea was then asked, “Where will you deposit our sins?” The sea replied, “I will deposit them with the clouds.” The clouds were asked, “Now that you receive our sins from the sea, what will you do with them?” The clouds proudly answered, “I will shower them back through rain, and of course, that rain will fall on you.” Imagine, our sins, though washed away, return to us eventually. In the same way, our good and bad karma also return to us. To make our journey better, we must learn from our past experiences and improve ourselves to create a better future.

Nature has its own cycles, which continuously bring change. All those changes are natural, positive, and beneficial for us. But what do we humans do? Our thought process arises in our brain, which works like a factory called the mind. The quality of the product depends on the quality of the raw materials used. Similarly, our thoughts are the products of the mind, and our emotions are the raw materials. If we, like nature, feed our mind with positive emotions such as faith, hope, courage, confidence, forgiveness, compassion, and love, then our thoughts too will be nourished. As a result, our past, present, and future will align positively, just like the cycles of nature.

The simple formula is: the input in our brain equals the output. If you learn to control your thoughts, your mind will be filled with emotions that you can manage, and those emotions will radiate positivity, making your life’s journey positive. Many times, our mind wavers and thinks in many directions: I want a palatial house, I want to marry a handsome man or a beautiful woman, I want revenge, I want a job, I want a child, and so on. But if, along this journey of thoughts, each step turns towards positivity, then everything changes. The beautiful journey of life becomes smoother and more fulfilling.

Science says the brain is a physical organ with weight, shape, and size. You can see it, operate on it, and even touch it. Its strength, however, is limited to about 10%. The mind, on the other hand, is weightless, like software. It has no shape, no size, cannot be seen or operated on physically, yet it exists in every human being and has a strength of 90%. Imagine! Although we humans possess a brain, most of our actions are driven by the mind. And the emotions that fill the mind are placed there by us. This means that to make our future better than yesterday, we must work on our mind more than our brain.

The difficulty with us humans is that our entire lives are spent chasing the things we desire and running away from the things we dislike. This reality often makes us harsh on our physical health or unstable with our mental health. In such a state, it becomes impossible to discover our true selves or find inner peace. For Lord Krishna, even during challenges, playing the flute and spreading its melody was a way of finding peace. His music mesmerized nature and everyone around. He beautifully explained that when the mind wavers, we must pull it back and direct it towards noble goals, because such goals lead us to the true purpose of life.

When we wake up each morning, we are gifted with a brand-new chance to shape our lives. Yesterday may have brought struggles, disappointments, or even mistakes, but today offers the possibility of change. Each small positive habit, whether it is walking for a few minutes, practicing gratitude, or spending time in prayer, adds up and gradually transforms the journey of life. Improvement does not always come in big leaps; sometimes, it is hidden in the smallest steps we take consistently.

Another important aspect of making life’s journey better than yesterday is our relationships. The way we speak, listen, and respond to others creates ripples that shape not only their day but ours too. A kind word, a forgiving heart, or even a smile can heal wounds we may not even see. By nurturing love and harmony in our relationships, we nurture peace within ourselves. This inner peace then becomes the guiding force that makes our journey more fulfilling and meaningful every single day.