Positivity Hacks: Surf It!

So, times are hard at the moment. My heart and love goes out to all those who are in pain and suffering at the moment. This “V-which-must-not-be-named” (let’s call it The V) is creating some havoc and it’s everywhere. No not the virus necessarily, but the news about it. In fact, did you know that viruses are not living beings? Their only purpose is to make our lives miserable, because they have no life of their own! It is absolutely heartbreaking to see what is currently going on in India and I pray that everyone is safe, both physically and mentally. 

This post however is not about The V, but instead about how to fill yourself with positive energy, happy vibes and transformative moments despite what’s going on around us. We all know that there are necessary measures to be taken, including staying indoors, social distancing, hand washing and hiding your smile, I mean wearing masks. 

But what about our mental, emotional and energetic wellbeing amidst all the chaos that is going on around us? While we are all battling to see some positivity nowadays, it is very hard to do so, especially given that the world is filled with news about the damage caused by The V. However, believe it or not, a lot of it is actually in our hands, especially if you are blessed to be here on os.me. Swami has constantly spoken about the impact of collective consciousness.

If enough of us meditated on the same thing at the same time, we would attract universal consciousness to bring changes beyond imagination. ~ Om Swami

Can you imagine what a world filled with only sad, negative and depressed people would look like? I’d rather not. The world, especially India, is currently in doldrums and you may be against the idea of being happy when everyone else is suffering. However, it may actually be a great idea if we go by the concept of collective consciousness. A few more happy families in a neighbourhood, could definitely lift up the mood of the whole area. A happier you, means a happier family, a happier country and a happier world! It all begins with us – we can only help others if we are healthy and happy ourselves.

With the help of Anew, I am about to share three tips which will make us ride this temporary wave of chaos. They are very simple to apply, but the impact is extremely profound. I have practiced them myself during one of those waves and to be honest, let alone surviving these few weeks, these tips are actually life-transforming. 

1. Say NO to news channels! Say yes to Google news.

Firstly, in the current situation, I found it extremely useful to skip watching the news altogether. You see, the media leaves us with absolutely no room to breathe, with or without a mask, as it is constantly feeding us with an overdose of depressing news. I feel that one of the biggest mistakes we can do in such depressing times is to fill our minds with external information about the pandemic. 

Use Google news instead of watching the news! 

If you live in India, just type ‘India’ in Google, click on the ‘News’ tab and read some headlines. If a meteor is about to hit the world or aliens have invaded, you will know about it. Is anything you watch in the news really useful other than causing mental strain? You decide!  A quick skim of Google news takes 10 seconds and keeps you up-to-date and if we really care for ourselves, we are less likely to click on the links.

2. Create a Virtual group to discuss Om Swami’s posts.

As of today, Swami has written a total of 447 posts. He takes on average 8 hours to write up each and every one of His posts. Os.me is no less than a scripture and the posts no less than verses – simple and profound ones. I say so because every time you read any one of His posts, the wisdom and guidance you will gain is beyond comprehension. Sometimes the meaning is different every time you read a post, depending on your state of mind. (This explains my multiple comments on His posts). As we have time on our hands or while trying to avoid the news and unnecessary The V gossip, let’s try to invest our time into our own progress. Find someone or even a few people who can get into a virtual group.

The idea is to pick one of Swami’s posts everyday.

It can be on any topic or in any order! Read the post, understand it and absorb it. Thereafter, just share your favourite parts with your group of friends. Watch yourself be awed as you relate profoundly to the post! I can say without a doubt that Swami’s posts will never fail to give you the answers you seek, if you truly want guidance. And your mood? Watch yourself jumping up and down from the energy boost. 

Which brings me to the next point: 

3. Dance your heart away!

Yep! Dance!

I hear you say: “Dance during the pandemic?” That’s right! 

You can dance alone or dance with your virtual discussion group/partner! Pick a song, play it and dance away. The idea is to dance in the love of God, which is basically a kirtan. Leave it all, plug in some headphones, close your eyes and feel the music. Move away, clap away and dance your heart away.

Why should you listen to this little minion? There are two reasons:

1. It will be your daily dose of exercise.

It’s a fun way to get some endorphins released, which will also give you enough boost and addiction to get through the day, asking for more ‘Kirtans’. And here’s the best bit: You can call these sessions whatever you like! Dance101, Fun-Time, os.me-craze, I-love-me, We-love-us, Bhaav-time. You name it and keep it to your group! Are you a guy, or shy, wondering how you can dance? Well, you can! Watch this guy here and come back to tell me why you cannot dance!! Any excuse? Yeah, I didn’t think so either!

2. The emotional cleansing will recharge you and increase your devotion.

I think there is no better way to increase one’s devotion than dancing away in the love of the divine. And this exercise does just that. It allows us to forget everything and hold the lord or your guru in sweet remembrance. To get you started, I would suggest this song by Nusrat.

And oh here’s a glimpse of the lyrics:

“I wonder which of my merits led me to Thy grace,
But thy grace, oh my Lord, cannot be earned by merit.
I look and see only Thy mercy beyond the accumulation of merits.
I dance in ecstasy with my arms up in the air and eyes filled with tears of gratitude!
In ecstasy I dance balle’ balle’ balle’!”

Tempted yet? I don’t think I need to say anymore! Dance the day or the night away, lift your mood up. Pick your songs, be it Bollywood, devotional, western or Nusrat. It is essential that we take care of our health and wellbeing, for it is the only way in which we can truly help the world. Happier people are kinder, more loving and have a clearer mind to act accordingly in any circumstances.  

And here’s a little extra tip: Find and share a joke everyday! If you can’t find one, look in the mirror (Swami told me this in a Swaminar answer, and this joke has never failed me! His words and myself)

As we seek His refuge, let’s keep smiling, reading Swami, dancing, joking and watch our world transform in no time!!! Don’t let shtuff hit the fan, act now:)

So, are you in?