Rise

 It is so easy these days to fall into the negative mindset - not just a negative mindset, but descend all the way down to depression. I think the worst effect of this Pandemic has been on the mind. Of course, many people have suffered physically and financially as well. But even the few who have managed to escape the physical or the financial problems, are still falling into the mental or the  emotional trap.

What causes it? There's no dearth of negative depressing news of course. But even more than that is the fact that you see people around you - people close to you who are suffering - suffering physically, struggling financially and all of that is taking a toll on the mental health.

Thinking more about this, esp. in my case, I saw that everything was fine - everyone in my immediate family was healthy, my work was going well, maybe a little too much, but well, so then what was the reason to descend into this negative mindset..so much so that I didn't feel "like talking to friends,  I started getting up later and later..just because the motivation to get up early wasn't there.

And this is when I normally like getting up early, I like the quiet before the kids are up, the cool breeze,  birds chirping, sitting quietly in the morning, with a cup of hot tea.

The main reason for this feeling down was getting stuck in the I, me and mine mindset. The pandemic has also brought with it a lot of fear..and this fear is another factor that propels us into the I,me and mine mindset.

It is important to remember that

aptopasevet bhavanti aroyangyam (आप्तोपसेवेत् भवेत आरोग्यम्‌).. when you serve others, that's when you gain your health..and in this case it is talking about health as in physical, mental, and spiritual. If we get stuck in the I, me and my -then that is a path to depression. Thinking bigger than yourself, a goal that is higher than your self..that is what leads to positivity.

But I believe that the starting point is still your self. I believe that just getting yourself in a positive frame of mind - where you yourself are at peace, and anyone who is in touch with you feels better after meeting you - I think that's where the serving starts. But what is the way to get there. And I am going to list some of the things that have worked for me in the past. Whenever I forget any of those, that's usually when my trouble begins.

The main thing is the self talk.. what is your self talk. If your self talk is negative or hopeless, then that is the message that you're sending to your sub-conscious mind. So your self talk needs to be positive. But not just positive, I think it also needs to be believable to your conscious, logical mind. The most important times for great self talk are right before going to sleep and just after waking up. So record your self talk in you own voice and listen to it just before sleeping. What you put in your mind just before sleeping gets faster into the sub-conscious mind. The other important time is as soon as you wake up - start your day with gratitude. Think of all the good things in your life - starting with the fact that you are still alive. It works better for me if I write it down, but sometimes I only think about it.

Having a morning routine, one that makes you happy is a great motivator for getting up in the morning. I start with gratitude, listing all the things that I am grateful for and the also listing or reflecting on all the things that I would like to achieve or focus on.

The other things that brings up the mindset is being out in nature. I used to love cycling, or just going for long walks in nature ... But with all this lockdown, suddenly being forced to stay mostly indoors - that is another reason for depression. But now that it is opening up again, it is important to spend time in nature - maybe going for walks/hikes where there aren't many people around - would be good.

I will work on my mindset and keeping it positive. I think that if all people started doing a few of these things, we'll find ourselves in a much better world.

The need of the society right now is to Rise - Rise up and beyond yourself, let go of the I, me and my mindset - and serve! If everyone follows this, we'll soon be over the last hurdle, and we'll find ourselves in a much better society than before.

Boundaries

I had read an article about the Silicon Valley. And it touched me..it felt like that article was expressing what I'd been struggling to put into words.

It perfectly described the good things about Silicon Valley - how everything is easily available in the Silicon Valley, how people have great salaries, children get to attend the best schools and have all the latest gadgets and toys. There is also a lot of natural beauty in and around the Silicon Valley for people to enjoy - the weather is also great  most of the time. But even after all this, mental health issues are on the rise among youngsters in the Bay area. People seem to be stressed a lot. People have become so involved with money, startups and the material world, that they've forgotten a lot of the human values of helping others, and caring for others. Most people work a lot and are stressed. And this had led to stress in the families.

It seems like new problems start when the basic struggle for food, clothing and housing ends.

I were having tea with a friend and discussing this article, when suddenly he asked..

"Do you know what is the difference between an animal and human?" 

"The ability to think and reason and to learn and grow" I said.

"No! The main difference between an animal and human is that humans do not have a boundary. Animals are bound in boundaries that they cannot get out of. But humans do not have a boundary.

Once animals have their basic needs of food and sex fulfilled, then they're satisfied. 

But that's not true with humans. With humans , once basic needs are satisfied, then the other issues of the mind come up. This is because humans are not satisfied with the basic needs of food, clothing, shelter and sex. They are looking for and need something more to be satisfied. And they can get whatever it is that they desire - if they can get out of their boundaries - out of their self imposed limits and beliefs. 

They can create their own destiny. Anything that humans decide, they can achieve. But instead, most of the time, in ignorance, they create a boundary around themselves and around society. This restricts their thinking, their creativity and their world. 

Most people don't think about what it is that would give them real satisfaction and happiness. What is it that they're looking for in life?

Why is it that they desire those things? Would it give them real happiness?

Real satisfaction only comes when one is thinking outside of the 'I'. As long as people are stuck in the me, myself and my needs ...then they'll not find the answers to bring real happiness since that lies outside this me and myself. Only when we think of how we can be useful to others and bring happiness to others, then we can find happiness and satisfaction for ourselves.