You Are a Billionaire!

You are already a billionaire . Yes, you read that right. A billionaire .   You have been given an incredibly precious  gift of 2.5 billion seconds of lifespan .( Assuming an average human life expectancy of 80 years) .

So, what have you done so far  with this endowment ?

Have you invested it wisely ? Have you squandered it away?  If your answer to the first question is Yes ; then you must be one of the blessed few. Congratulations! If your answer to the second question is yes, read on .  This thought came to me while reading Swami ji’s post on the Top 5 regrets. How many of us wished we had created a different life? How many of us wished we had found Swami ji earlier and started on the spiritual path earlier?

We would have heard the adage Time = Money countless times. How many of us truly optimize this potential however ? Potential isn’t fixed – it can be anything. Very few over achieve. Most of us underperform to this potential and die with our dreams still unborn. As Oliver Wendell Holmes famously wrote “Many people die with their music still in them. Too often it is because they are always getting ready to live. Before they know it, time runs out.”

So, now that you know you are a billionaire behave like one. Pick up your biggest and most burning desire and go for it full throttle . There is enough in your life bank to help you even if there are a few setbacks and reversals.

One of the Kabir’s not so famous dohas which hit me pretty hard was

रात गंवाई सोय कर, दिवस गंवायो खाय ।
हीरा जनम अमोल था, कौड़ी बदले जाय ॥

( I wasted my nights sleeping away , I lost my days feasting and partying . My life and (this human birth) was precious like a diamond but I gave it up for pennies )

Saints and mystics through the ages in Sanatana Dharma have believed that the human birth – one among 8.4 million possible births –  the highest state of evolution given our consciousness-  is a precious blessing that should be utilized well with the goal of merging with the Divine . Osho wrote-“ The human life is a wonderful gift from the almighty as it’s the path towards liberation. It has infinite value.” So consider the twin gift of being a human billionaire .

If you like me are regretting spending the billionaire fortune of time chasing the things that won’t matter – endless scrolling on social media , mind numbing binge watching , binge eating , binging on senseless pleasures – then its time to wake up and  realize – we still have a substantial fortune left which we can invest wisely and fulfil our goals – material and spiritual .

Instead of having a pile of regrets  – its better to have a solid action plan of what we will do with this beautiful gift of life going forward. The journey may look daunting and the goals unachievable to begin with but as the popular saying goes -the journey of a 1000 miles starts with a single step. Start with a micro habit – for a day for a week for a month – and before you know – as Swami ji says – your life itself becomes a sankalpa.#bebettermewithosdotme is a great platform for doing that. How have you fared in January?

On that note let me share with you the articles that had me hooked last month .

A Thousand Marbles  : Swami ji reminds us to re look at our priorities and be mindful of how many of our marbles are left  so that we are able to fulfil our burning desires and live a meaningful life focussing on what truly matters .

 Sam Harris and Christopher Hitchens are dead wrong about my religion : – For the first time I am referring a post outside os.me. Its an engaging read which lays out why there may not be any conflict between science and spirituality. A motorcycle monk ; as the author calls himself also details why the arguments of the aforementioned rationalists appear brilliant to start with but become dull due to selective references and endless repetition. Do you agree?

 The first Offering :  Rashmi Om shares the beautiful story of Swami Vivekananda’s first song for Ma Kali. The story is as mesmerizing as the bhajan Swami ji sang.

Brahmasthan– Vaastu specialist Dr Jayshree Om outlines the significance of the mystical brahamsthan , indications that its not well placed and remedies. Read on to get it right in your life.

Please remember to follow me as an author if you wish to receive updates on Sanatana Dharma every month . Finally , if you really want to create that micro-habit you may get inspired by the crisp  thoughts on the ultimate habit tracker from  habit expert  James Clear – the author of Atomic Habits . Swami ji also emphasized the importance of tracking the quality and quantity of meditation (which is what I am trying to do and found this approach very effective).

Happy reading and don’t forget to share your thoughts dear family !