What should we keep in mind to ensure that we remain happy and content? Ayurvedacharya DR PARMESHWAR ARORA shares his views on the subject
Be flexible and set your goals at a comfortable pace: The first point is that we should always be flexible and ever willing to ignore negative self-doubts and negative reasoning. Just a few decades ago, a student who attained 60 per cent was congratulated for getting first division marks. At 75 per cent, he would have secured a distinction. Obviously, our elders must have arrived at this graded scale after some thought. They wanted us to achieve higher marks, one step at a time. Remember, you passed at 33 per cent, got a second class at 50 per cent and so on. You went up the gradient, one step at a time.
The point to be noted here is that one must limit your desire for physical achievements such as a house, car, money, and other possessions. I am not suggesting that you should not have such desires, merely limit them. What you want for yourself are your wishes, and no one is forcing you to get them. You are the one who can decide what you want, and it is up to you to work towards them at your own comfortable pace without getting stressed out. It shouldn’t be that you work hard in office or at your job, and by the time, you come home, you are so tired and stressed that you cannot even speak politely to your family members.
Always keep a positive attitude: Have you noticed that when someone – a boss or your elders ask you to do something, your first tendency is to say ‘no’. Your first reaction is to usually say that you have no time, or that you have not been trained to do that particular task.
First of all, consider every suggestion positively. Look at the new instructions as an opportunity to learn something new. You will find that It will take you much less time to do the task if your attitude is positive. In other words, ensure that you have sakratmak dhristikon, or a positive attitude. Perhaps you think you are stuck to a horrible job and are always reluctant to do it. Try and work towards generating a sense of love for the work through which you earn your salary. If you view your work as some form of torture, then you will never be able to be happy.
Why is it that you view recreational activities as fun? It’s because you love them. So, do the same for your office work too, and you will soon be able to transform your thoughts into something positive and begin to be happy.
Don’t ever talk behind someone’s back. As human beings we love to gossip and often find ourselves ever willing to discuss others behind their backs with other acquaintances. You find that you are always willing to run someone down – it could be your cousin, relative, friend or boss. But why are you doing this? You are voluntarily weaving a negative environment around yourself by running someone down and by criticising them. This will ultimately affect your mood adversely and ruin your peace of mind.
Dr Parmeshwar Arora is a renowned ayurvedic doctor and a lifestyle coach for more than 20 years. He was Senior Consultant at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital for fifteen years and heads Ath Ayurdhamah in Gurgaon.
www.athayurdhamah.com, phone: 88000 00 460