Wake-up Man! A Clarion Call to Start a New Life.

There is a perineal fight going on within. From the moment rings the morning alarm, our fight within starts, and in quarrel of two minds, our pledge to wake-up early is lost. And we fall back in slumber, taking a hope of living a new life also to dreams. The same inner fight keeps going on, endlessly, on each and every step that we want to take, to change our life for some better, but most of the time, our effort to live a bright life loses, and hopelessness wins.

We want to wake-up early, but sleep wins,

We want to exercise, but laziness wins,

We want to read a book, but TV wins,

We want to take risk, but fear wins,

We want to say yes to life, but No wins,

We want to live a life of choice, but self-created limitations and compulsions win.

Despite knowing that the path we are walking would take us to the same place, where we do not wish to go, we invariably end-up walking the same path all the time. And after getting the same results, we wonder how we always end-up at the same rotten place? Then to get some solace, we blame this and that. But deep within, we know the reasons and the answers, but our acquired tendencies are so strong that before them, our wishful and weak efforts cripple all the time.

Thus, the days, months and years will pass, and win after win, the despondency would become ever strong, and the moment of living a life of choice, full of peace and joy, would never arrive. When the realization of this will come, the life would be already desperate, hopeless, and dejected, and would have reached to a point of no return. And at that point in time what we would be left with is nothing but remorse, regrets, discontent, crushing weight of acquired diseases, and a desperate wish “If I could do this and that… or change the course of life”.

The above realization that has come to me, I take it as a clarion call, which has come from far (due to His grace), to wake-up, as it is still not too late. Now having realized what is what and knowing at least that we are not our tendencies and that we can lead a conscious life and not the life driven by the tendencies and compulsions, why not re-look at the course that the life has taken, and take some actions, to learn, un-learn and re-learn, by following the life transforming principles and teaching of enlightened souls that blessed this planet, like our beloved Om Swami Ji, Sadhguru, Swami Vivekanand, Paramhans Yoganand, and so on. Learning from these great souls, I have listed some principles (paraphrased) that I have decided to follow to create a life of choice and not compulsions –

• At any given moment do what demands the moment and the situation – do not entertain any thought (most of the time thoughts cripples you and make you do opposite). Like you know that once alarm rings, you have to get-up – here thought (thinking) is not at all required. So, mantra is “Just Do It”.
• Ignore all your thoughts, they have no existential value, and they nowhere reflect the reality or can predict the future. They are nothing but reflection of accumulated information/ recorded experiences/ thoughts/ ideas and dogmas formed/ likes and dislikes, etc – they are like smell constantly emanating from the garbage. They will keep coming – let them come and go – you are not that.
• Whenever you find yourself getting immersed in your thoughts or getting carried away with them, come back to your Breath (present moment). If you find it difficult to be with breath, change the thoughts with more encouraging, promising, positive thoughts.
• Your thoughts are treacherous, they always cheat you – in the morning they will convince you to do something and in the afternoon they will try to convince “I should not have done it”. Don’t listen and argue with thoughts (Inke muh mat lagana – haha). Just observe them – let them arise and dissolve.
• Our dharma is to love unconditionally, to be considerate and to forgive, notwithstanding how the other person behaves – because I am accountable to my karma and the other person for his own. Remember, whatever we do (in thoughts, words and deed), comes back with interest.
• Do Duty for sake of Duty. Love for sake of Love. No attachments, no expectations.
• Weakness is biggest sin – weakness brings fear – be strong. Ever powerful god is within you – purpose of life is to realize that divinity.

Like our beloved Swami Ji says, at least take a baby step towards transforming your life. So, I have decided to take at least some baby steps on this new path, with new hope. Let us see, with His blessings and grace, how far I go?

Om Shanti!

PS: Those who are still stuck in the middle of inner fight like me – think about it!