Know Your True Potential

Knowing self is very important. True potential is seldom known. Typical apprehensions are common i.e. I can't do this, if I do I will fail, I am not the right person to pursue this and the list goes on. These apprehensions haunts us very badly. People around us make feel like this only as they carry such thoughts. Each person in this world is unique. There are huge possibilities if we really explore it by developing an unbiased thought process. Most of the time we don't know the level of skills, and abilities we own and remain deprived of the unbelievable benefits throughout our life. There are many examples. If we search history we find that how ordinary persons can convert themselves into outstanding achievers.

Actually we create our own boundaries and gradually get habitual of a set comfort zone which we don't wish to cross as if there is an ocean just besides it. We draw lines across our own path and most of the time these lines are results of fear and illusions which are totally nonexistent. Time provides nice opportunities but we feel like we don't deserve it and everything passes in front of our eyes. 

There are two type of personalities. First those who are self inspired and second, those who always need inspiration from outside. Those who fall in second type, should invariably strive to stay in company with people of positive mindset and read good books. One has to come out from negative thoughts and focus on " I can" and this will manifest their true potential. Many people I met during my motivational sessions and observed repeatedly that when they share their stories the most prominent fact comes on surface is that they didn't know themselves. They wait for some magical trigger which will change their life and all these thoughts makes them more vulnerable to inactions for a prolonged time.

Know well about your real limitations and simultaneously see to it that a little push in your efforts can make visible changes within you. I repeat, there is a huge potential, open doors and see "yes you can". It is true that entire world is not our own asset but there is something special in this world to own for everyone and that special space we have to find and know the true potential of ourselves.

Let's find it and make our life more balanced and meaningful.

CA Ashok Madrecha

Have Some Spiritual Touch

Life is not a destination, it is always a journey having different milestones for different people. While moving ahead everyone gets tired sooner or later. All are never satisfied with their pace or achievements but there is a great need of spiritual touch in everybody's life. 

One may ask what is this spiritual touch. Each one of us may follow any religion but spiritualism should essentially put us more in our very own soul. It should make us feel free from inner self. It enables us to communicate with our inner self. There are different way to get spiritual. One should have a divine touch of spiritualism on daily basis. We may find it by meditation or going to particular religious place for prayers, helping others and so on. Even looking peacefully at some clean and calm water in a lake or observing stars at midnight may make us feel spiritual. There are different ways but one should follow the real spiritual feeling . It gives us required pauses and recharge our inner system with positive energy.

Life finds its balance if there is some spiritual touch in it. If our energy gets scattered, It provides the requisite focus. It is not necessary that one should spend long hours to get spiritual. Even a daily 20 minutes time too can make a lot of difference. Practicing it regularly is essential. I followed it and suggested to many. The result was quite amazing. There were paradigm shift and people stopped complaining about availability of right resources and presence of wrong circumstances. Initially they all started with dual mind-set but those who were consistent, they are now clear about it and enjoying higher consciousness in their life. The spirituality is not the only means and the way, just to fulfill a wish.This is not a spirituality. It is something else and one should not get confused with it. If understood properly spirituality may change your life completely so let us have a spiritual touch.

आत्मविश्वास (Self Confidence)

अंतर से उठ रही अविराम तड़पती आवाज

ओ प्रिय तन्हाई पास आओ आज  .…।

तमन्नायें दबती रही, निराशाएं घर करती रही।

झूठे दिलासों के बीच, अमर आशाएं मरती रही .…।

घने कोहरों के बीच, जंगलो में टहलता रहा

कृतत्व और पुरुषार्थ, करने को मचलता रहा .…।

अब सन्नाटों में समय से, कुछ प्रश्न करने की अभिलाषा है

उत्तर मिले या ना मिले, बरसो पुरानी जिज्ञासा है .…।

कहूँगा समय को ,सत्य साथ लेकर आना

ना चलेगा कोई बहाना, मुझे तो बस उत्तर पाना .…।

उलझनों से निकलने की ठान ली है

वक़्त की नब्ज जो पहचान ली है .…।

अब अवरोध सभी हट जायेंगे

गम के बादल छट जायेंगे .…।

विसंगतियों को चुनोती देता हूँ

पूर्ण विश्वास से संकल्प लेता हूँ .…।

समता को अपनाकर,अंतरिक्ष से आगे तक इरादा है

आत्मबिश्वास के आगे ये लक्ष्य कौनसा ज्यादा है .…।

अब तूफ़ान मुझे रोक नहीं पाएंगे

राहों में कोई टोक नहीं पाएंगे .…।

रुक गए यो बहुत खलेगा

घबराने से काम नहीं चलेगा .…।

सब दिशाओं को निर्देशित कर दूंगा

मुरझाए दिलों में नयी उर्झा भर दूंगा .…।

पल प्रति पल प्रयत्न करूँगा

मै विजय श्री का वरण करूँगा .…।

मै विजय श्री का वरण करूँगा .…।

…अशोक मादरेचा

आशा (Hopes)

समर्पण  के सेतु से परमात्म तक की यात्रा
आत्मा के हेतु से बंधे हुए हर असहज को
सहज कर देने की ऊर्जा और दिशाओं को
सीमित कर दे ऐसी कृपा की मात्रा। 
हर पल के अस्तित्व को नव आयाम देती हुई
स्वयं को पहचानने की लालसा का अनुभव
होना तो शुरुआत है पर यही मंजिलो तक का
सफर करा देती है विश्राम भी देती हुई।
इरादों का बुलंद होना, और सतत परिश्रम का पालन
कुछ दूर नहीं होता फिर, मनुष्य के लिए
क्या करना है, क्यों करना है, कब करना है
इस उलझन से निकले तो, सफलता करेगी गुंजन।
पुरुषार्थ और आडम्बर का फर्क स्पष्ट रहे हरदम
व्यर्थ में जाया ना करे समय और साधनों को
प्रमाद से दूर रहकर, आनंद के भावों में विचरे बस
इतनी सी बातें है, फिर क्यों कष्ट सहे हम।

-- अशोक मादरेचा

Life - Stuck up or Straying ?

Most of us sometime faces a situation where we feel bored and a drastic reduction in enthusiasm in life. If this situation persists for longer than one should think seriously and see whether he or she is stuck up or straying. There are real life questions out of which some have plain answers while others have no answers and most probably these unanswered questions put us in such situations.

Life is full of ups and downs but those who have clarity and ability to weed out indecisiveness, can visualize their state of mind and handle all uncertainties of life.

Symptoms of feeling stuck up or straying:

1. Roaming aimlessly: One can see such people going out frequently with no aims in mind. Frequent absence from job without being sick is another sign.

2. Irritating behavior: Such people's behavior changes and they are irritating more with family members and even with close friends.

3. Procrastinating work: Even if they have enough work, but don't finish it in time. Lingering work schedule is the most common symptom and this reduces their effectiveness too.

4. Frequent visits to social media: They are addicted to social media. One can find them spending hours of their valuable time on updating social media status and chatting with unrelated people.

5. Consuming more alcohol and drugs: Many of them start drinking more and even consume drugs probably to forget and avoid such feeling of stuck up and straying.

6. Searching happiness in strangers: This is something unique but true that such people strive to find happiness in strangers instead of their most trusted friends or relatives.

7. Irregular intake of food: Their food habits and intake get irregular and health too starts deteriorating.

8. Lack of interest in job: Even if their job is well secured they feel a lack of interest in the job. They keep forwarding their resume for better jobs.

9. Sudden aggression or depression: Pattern of their reacting changes and they become vulnerable to behave with sudden aggression or depression.

10. Seeking approval even when not required: Sometime they disbelieve themselves so much that for every action they seek approvals from friends or other persons.

11. Blaming self and others for no reason: This too is a very common symptom. There is no reason but they blame self or others and gradually develops such a habit too.

So what to do to overcome such situations? Any friend or relative of that person who notices such symptoms than either he or she must take such efforts to bring him out of such situation. Though there is no rule of thumb, but one can explore some ideas here.

1. Be practical: Anything practical works in this world. One should be practical and see everything, be it work, goal, objective, or else, all must be practical to achieve. Many times things do not work just because they are not practical and people get stuck up.

2. Avoid company of negative people: When somebody is already in the grip of indecisiveness and if he accompanies negative people then things would worsen so better to avoid such people.

3. Consult true mentor: If you have trusted mentor, you are lucky. Consult and tell such mentor that you feel such symptoms.

4. Indulge in creative activities: When all doors are closed inner door is a most preferred avenue to go with. Any creative activity like gardening, painting, writing and reading poems may help us lot.

5. Refresh goals: If goals are not within reach, make fresh list and ensure that you truly wish to pursue them.

6. Judge direction: If feeling stuck up than ensure that efforts too are in the right direction. Review the direction again and start your journey afresh.

7. Begin with small steps: To move one should start with small steps. Expecting windfall benefits at the beginning would be irrational.

8. Assess your limits: Always know the resources you have at your end. This helps you to decide your limits. If the limit is well defined one will not feel stuck up.

9. Read a good book or view a movie on inspiration: Thought provoking books and movies for inspiration helps a lot. One can always read such books or views such movies.

10. Change your place for some time: Moving some time with close friends or relatives to a place of serene beauty filled with nature may bring a new life to our routine.

11. Always keep hopes alive: Last but not least, keep your hopes alive. Nothing remains permanent be it good or bad. Fire only purifies gold so be positive, there is some creation taking shape and which might be most suited for you.

We should also understand that to get stuck up and to feel straying are two different situation and one can face both at a time too. Mute point is that one should be aware of his status to overcome this. Collective efforts as suggested above will certainly move one to clarity and control the situation. If the problem is related to a person than one should also think of the whole problem in that person's perspective too. It makes a lot of difference. Our own rules and presumptions may be far different than it ought to be. What sounds good for us may be worse for others. So be positive and make your life more balanced, live and vibrant.

How To Stay Happy

When somebody asked me "How to stay happy" I took risk to reply such question which is generally asked to some Saint or spiritual leader, I explained it as under:

Whole human life is chasing something , getting something, having something or maintaining something. The person was not satisfied and he insisted to explain it further and I had to elaborate my reply and the question and concept implied in it both were manifest.

In this world we are mostly busy in four type of activities:

1. To make or get money and wealth,
2. To have name, fame and be influential.
3. To love and get loved
4. To keep up all the above three in favor on sustained basis.

We can notice well that almost everybody is busy with the above four kind of activities. Level of busyness might be the different person to person depending upon his or her priorities. Now coming on the question "How to be Happy", the point here is that if we are in these four activities only than our happiness would be limited to our needs. In other words, if my need of wealth is acute than it would give happiness to the extent the money and wealth I can consume, the moment the need gets satisfied, happiness will start finding new definition in another activities and it will shift its focus to other activities and this shifting becomes a habit. In this process the real happiness is never finding its value and due importance too. So what to do ? simple answer is that if we can spare part of our time for any such activity which does not fall in these four activities than happiness starts coming in.

To make it simple, such as if someone draws a picture , sing a song, plays piano, walks in a garden, looks at beautiful stars in night, observes sunrise, listen music, meditates, prays, forgives, studies positive thoughts, involves in good sports, supporting others and so on. All these should not have any motive which if eventually leads to the four activities than happiness would be artificial and not the real. In simple words if we start involving in any such activities which is not categorized as part of the four mentioned above than most probably there would be happiness and balance in life too. Those who practices it well, would know it better.      

Connect or Reconnect Well

Life demands connecting and reconnecting with variety of people. It is very important to understand how we connect or reconnect with people. It is well-known fact that if we respect someone, it makes him happy and if we hurt his ego it would invite his anger. If we salute or shake hand with smiling face it makes a lot of difference. If an employee while attending his or her duty says good morning to boss, it makes difference. If two friends are meeting after a long time then they would notice each other how they are reconnecting. Successful people always balance their life by maintaining their behavior in right direction. I noticed many cases where promotion of particular employees was kept on hold explaining no reasons and the only reason was that the employee did not know the basic knowledge of how to connect well. Not only in job, it affects our personal life too. Take an example, a person arranged a party and invited many friends. One of his good friend could not come due to sickness of his spouse. The friend called and expressed his inability to come. While attending call, the person simply said OK and not even bothered to ask about health of his friend's spouse. Here we miss out badly and forget how to connect properly. If some sweet words can heal someone than why not to say and win heart too. Is it necessary to have some academic educational for all these gestures.

Sometime thinking of who will start first makes thing complex. Life is like a river and there are only two sides. We all too have to move and flow between these two sides only. My point here is that these two sides are always facing each other and they have to stay internally well-connected for the flow of the water. The same is true when we interact with someone and our inner self remains well-connected to communicate better and have a nice relationship too. The connecting or reconnecting naturally makes a lasting effect. There are different way to connect by meeting personally, talking on phone, gifting something, helping someone by extending a favor and so on. Let us connect better to have balance in our life.