The Wealth of Good Counsel

When we are born into a family, we also inherit wealth or the lack thereof. I am not talking about material wealth even though material wealth is the most obvious one. Some people have very loving and supportive parents while others are born to bossy parents who expect children to do whatever they command. At the other extreme, we have abusive parents who by nature are vile to everyone around them and their children are no exception. Some children have many siblings or relatives around them while others have neither siblings nor caring relatives who can substitute parental care giving when needed. Each of these situations has a unique effect in shaping a child’s life.  The wealth that I am going to talk about is that of good counsel. Our behaviour towards others and life in general depends a lot on whether we have a good advisor or not.

When I look back at my life, I feel that what I have missed out on the most is the presence of someone who would give me good advice. Today is different because I have Swami ji’s guidance and the support of Os.me family. I have never met Swami ji and often jot down questions that I would want to ask him when I meet him. By some divine grace, he seems to know what I am thinking about and I find the answers in his YouTube videos. Let me give a very specific example. I was puzzled about ancient and highly revered Indian sages who were known for their bad temper. In particular, I was think of rishi Durvasa. When I found Swami ji talking about rishi Durvasa and his anger, I was amazed. How did he know that I was thinking of this? Swami ji’s teachings on Os.me and in his YouTube videos have calmed me a lot.

But, good counsel can come from anywhere and we must have an open mind to receive it. Recently, I was selling something and insisted on cash payment because the amount was small. When the buyer came to collect the product, they did not have the exact cash and so I settled on a lower amount. I was not happy. Then, a friend forwarded me a video that most likely originally came from Os.me family. This showed an individual who was helping everyone around him. What he got in return was not money, not recognition but pure emotions of happiness and gratitude. This opened my eyes. If I have something to offer to someone that can bring happiness to their life, the profit margin should not be my criteria.

As I look back on my life, the mistakes that I have made in my life are driven a lot by bad advice. When you are a child, you naturally start emulating people around you or trusting them blindly. What I have realized is that most people are very stingy when it comes to providing good advice. They will suggest things that will create a scene and which they will happily enjoy subsequently. It is funny how people will donate hundreds of rupees because it brings them recognition in society but when it comes to giving out good advice they back out. You can overcome poverty, personal or professional hardships, emotional turmoil, or any other challenge when you have a good advisor. The moral of the story is that don’t shy away from either giving or receiving good advice. It is free and it will bring you happiness and contentment in life.