A lot of people deeply believe that they are not good enough. "I am not good enough!", they say. According to me this is a trap. It can sometimes make a person feel like it is almost impossible to get out of this feeling. For most of us who feel we are not good enough, our... Continue Reading →
The Desire for Validation
Validation is a very deep and subconscious need for all of us. Validation is healing. Validation is soothing. But how do we know when our desire for validation has consumed us? This is a little story based on Indian Mythology. The Ramayana is considered one of the greatest epics written in Indian Culture. Valmiki is... Continue Reading →
The Carpenter
Once upon a time, two brothers who lived on adjoining farms fell into conflict. It was the first serious rift in 40 years of farming side-by-side, sharing machinery and trading labor and goods as needed without a hitch. Then the long collaboration fell apart. It began with a small misunderstanding and it grew into a major... Continue Reading →
Stuck and Helpless
Question : My sister is married and living away from home. But she isn't happy. She confides in me and tells me of all the difficulties that she faces with her husband and in-laws. She seems to be stuck and helpless. I also feel that she is not telling me many of the things that... Continue Reading →
Innocence
Innocence is a quality that every child is born with. Some of us lose it along the way. Some of us know how to keep it intact. Some of us work towards finding it later in life. Innocence is such a beautiful quality that it really shapes the way you think and the way you... Continue Reading →
The Maharishi Effect
This post is an extension of my previous post "The 100th Monkey Effect". The 100th Monkey effect talked about how information reaches a certain critical mass in the Collective Consciousness, and the entire population becomes aware of the information. This is a post about another study that influences the Collective Consciousness. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi (founder... Continue Reading →
Happiness – State of Being or Situational
I believe that every human is striving through every moment of his/her life seeking happiness. However, each of us defines happiness differently. What is happiness for one might not be happiness for another. Across our lives, we all identify special moments where we experience happiness. And these moments are special for us when put in... Continue Reading →
How can I accept that?
Question : I have gone through a very painful and traumatic period in my life. And I just can't seem to accept what I had to go through. The experience has crushed me from within. I have tried very hard to forgive the people involved and to let go of the past. But I have... Continue Reading →
Children see, Children do
Question : My 8 year old son is absolutely hooked on to Video Games and Mobile Phone Gaming. Right from the time he wakes up he is thinking of his games. When I ask him to do his homework or study, he is just not able to concentrate because he is still thinking of his games.... Continue Reading →
Life is Unfair
The greatest war that the land had ever witness was over - the war of Mahabharat. All the great warriors had ascended to higher realms. Each of them were in a reflective space and were looking back at their own lives. In one particular interaction between Krishna and Karna, Karna starts to say, "My mother... Continue Reading →
Forcing Happiness
Question : I have gone through a lot in my life. I usually tend to get into a depressive mood very easily. Lot of my relatives and friends ask me to focus on the positive and focus on doing things that make me happy. They even tell me that being depressive is not spiritual. I... Continue Reading →
What you resist persists
This post is in an extension of my earlier post "Meeting the Dark". We resist the 'Dark' in us. And the simple reason we do that is because we all want to be accepted, celebrated and belong to the tribe. This is the deepest conditioning that every human is born with. And we would do... Continue Reading →
Is Tom & Jerry really for kids?
I loved Tom & Jerry like crazy when I was a kid. I probably didn't spare any opportunity to watch it on TV. My parents were very happy that Tom and Jerry kept me entertained when I was not at school. Till this day, I love Tom & Jerry and I can have a hearty laugh... Continue Reading →
Meeting the ‘Dark’
This post is going to be metaphoric in nature. And so while you read this post, I would like you to think in symbolism. 'Light' and 'Dark' are symbolic words. They are not absolute. Many religions talk about Light and Dark in absolute terms. The popular belief is that 'dark' is evil and bad. However,... Continue Reading →
Difficult People
Question : There are some people I meet who somehow always pick up little things I might say and make it a big deal. It is always so much of stress to be in their presence. I never know when that person would pounce on me, when he/she would misunderstand me and 'put words in... Continue Reading →
Compliments
I recently met a friend and the first thing I found myself telling her was "Wow, you've lost so much weight!". And pat came the reply, "Oh! I am tired of hearing so many versions of my weight. Some say I've lost weight...some say I've gained weight. I honestly do not care about these compliments... Continue Reading →
Don’t we all?
I was parked in front of the mall wiping off my car. I had just come from the car wash and was waiting for my wife to get out of work. Coming my way from across the parking lot was what society would consider a bum. From the looks of him, he had no car,... Continue Reading →
Dependence or Support??
Question : I am a mother of 2 kids. I am currently going through a separation with my husband, after 12 years of marriage. I had given up my career when I chose to be a mother and was dependent on my husband for the last 12 years. It started out as financial dependency, but... Continue Reading →
Karmic Patterns and Therapy
Question : If all that is happening to us is Karma, then how can you resolve it and why would you want to resolve it? Are you trying to play God by being a therapist and trying to change things? Answer : Yes indeed, everything happening in our lives has a reason. And it is... Continue Reading →
Am I really lazy?
"Oh! I am a very lazy person..." I hear this from many people. Personally, I do not believe there is any mental condition called 'Laziness'. It is just a word that describes behaviour in a very flippant and judgmental manner. What might be happening inside the mind of a 'Lazy' person is a whole other... Continue Reading →
Self-Talk
"Gosh! I look sooo terrible in this dress!!" "Ugh! I'm so fat!!" "I hate my hair...actually I hate my nose and lips too..." "My skin is so bad. I'v even got ugly wrinkles all over!" "My tummy always embarrasses me!" "I can never look good in any pic!" "I look so old!" "I wish I... Continue Reading →
Daily Meditation
Question : What is meditation? What is the purpose of meditation? People tell me I need to meditate, but I don't think I could ever sit silently for long hours with my eyes closed. Answer : The answer to this question can have many different perspectives. Simply because 'meditation' itself is an extremely profound concept.... Continue Reading →
Tuning in to the Inner Voice
Question : When I go through life, I come across many dilemmas. I'm not sure at times, if what I'm doing is right or wrong. I try my best to listen to my 'Inner Voice', but it is exactly at these moments I feel I just can't hear my Inner Voice. So what do I... Continue Reading →
Getting past the Past
Question : There are some negative memories in my life that I just can't get over! The moment I think of it I seem to just spiral down into a negative state and it seems as if the rest of my day is just a total disaster. How do I get out of this state?... Continue Reading →
The Blame-Game
The Blame Game is one of the oldest games ever played. The game is extremely simple. It is almost intuitive in nature. Anybody can start playing it with anybody else. In fact, many people start playing this game even as a kid. Kids start with blaming the floor when they fall down. It's actually even... Continue Reading →
The Violet Tree 