FEATHERS OF POSITIVE PHILOSOPHY!

From Sampath’s Desk:

  

FEATHERS OF POSITIVE PHILOSOPHY!

  

The concept of ‘philosophy’ used here is about the empirical aspects of life such as - how to find joy and happiness generally and to keep ourselves cool and unperturbed, clothed with feathers of positive philosophy in the face of ordeals and distress. Again, on the one side, it is about feeling self-joy, and on the other, a solace-seeking exercise during trials and tribulations. Some tips have been attempted here.

 

If you happen to be rich in wealth and affluent, think that God has given you the extra wealth and money for helping others. The best way to find joy and happiness is to make others happy by charity without expecting anything in return much less gratitude. It is only the possessor of wealth who should be actually grateful to God for providing him/her the opportunity to help the needy. It is of course easier said than done, but the real joy lies in giving and in going to the succour of the less fortunate. In fact, happiness will be more enjoyable and exciting if shared with others.

 

Good and bad events are part of life. Try to take them in your strides. There are positive edges to one’s thoughts like the following:

 

Ø  You have got to think high to rise.

Ø    You have got to be sure of yourself before you can ever succeed.

Ø  Life's battles never just vanish even for the strongest and the most dauntless and assiduous, but the person who ultimately wins is the one who thinks he/she can.

Ø  Success depends upon how high you bounce back when you are thrown out of gear and made to hit the rock bottom. Let your comeback be stronger than the setback.

Ø  Success …. It is what you achieve with the precious little you have got.

Ø  Chapters of our life should have more beginnings than endings that provide you opportunities to explore, exploit, experiment, encounter and experience leading to the inevitable success, taking you to peaks of excitement and ecstasy.

 

Difficulties in your life don’t come to destroy you but help you realize your hidden potentials. Remember, smooth roads make no good drivers, smooth seas make no good sailors, and clear sky makes no good pilots. Problem-free life will not produce great warriors or heroes. So, be bold and face challenges. 

 

Success is like your own shadow. If you try to catch, it will be elusive. Ignore it and walk along your way; then it is certain to follow you. Happiness will be limited if you reserve it for yourself only, but when you share it with others, you will realize how big and precious it is. You will also feel the sublime lightness in your heart brimming with self-satisfaction.

 

On a stronger plank, try to have the determination of a mirror. For, it never loses its ability to reflect even if it is broken into thousands of pieces. Build a house of strength using the stones and bricks thrown at you. Success without a positive approach is only a fluke/luck. But success with a positive attitude and action is an achievement.

 

The negative edges to be ignored are:

         

Ø  If you think you are beaten, you will be.

Ø  If you think you dare not, you do not.

Ø  If you like to win whom you always dreaded and skeptical about with pessimism, it is almost certain you would not.

Ø  If you think you will lose, you are half lost to start with and end up with a sure loss.

Ø  If you think you are outclassed, you will be.

 

Have some dynamic philosophies to guide you. For example, the right philosophy at a debacle or fiasco could be:  “It is a slip this time – better performance next time.” Failures are not sins, and definitely not the end of the road or blind-alley. Sometimes, even success may not be the ‘be-all-and-end-all’. Failure is a nature’s plan to prepare you for further competence-building, greater performance, and eventual success. When God solves your problems, it means you repose more faith in Him while He does not solve your problems, it means that He has more faith in your abilities. Of course, this is not to undermine or underestimate your capability; however daunting a task may be, you will have to make the best of your effort and leave the rest to God. Work earnestly with a motto to turn difficulty into opportunity, failure into success, and weakness into unfaltering strength. For such persons, failure is neither a blow, jolt, nor stumbling block. After a failure how to recover from the depths you have fallen into and bounce back to greater heights is more important that clinches the issue!

However good you may be, it is no guarantee against a misfortune befalling you. If you happen to face a difficult situation making you mumble or grumble thus, “this should not have happened to me”, or, “what sin I have done to face this failure, harassment, punishment and/or ill-treatment?”, or, “I don’t deserve the injustice meted out to me” - take comfort and cheer up by comparing your position with still harder and harsher situations faced by others. If something happens which is beyond your control, leave it to the Lord Almighty. 

Aspire to inspire before we expire. There is always a reason to smile which is the real make-up for one. Train your mind to see the good in every situation. Happiness is not the absence of problems, but it's the ability to deal with them. Don't limit your challenges; rather challenge your limits. Focus all your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new. Don't longingly look at the already closed door; instead, search for an open door of opportunities and greener pastures. The worst distance between two persons is a misunderstanding. Development and progress are impossible without welcoming and adopting changes. Those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything. 

A beautiful heart can bring things into your life that all the money in the world couldn't obtain. Life is too short to have ugly cushions on your couch. So, have the right ones. Let no limitations limit your limits or create new limitations preventing you from giving a limitless performance. 

Everyone has to have a purpose of life. If you can’t figure out your purpose, figure out your passion. For, your passion will lead you right into your purpose. Allow your passion to become your purpose, and it will one day become your profession.

 

Have a purpose of life and a life of purpose. Passion thrives on purpose as much as purpose thriving on passion! Fuel your passion towards your purposeful profession. Passion-driven purpose and purpose-driven passion are both self-propelling to make your life purposeful. Live a life of purpose purposefully, and not purposelessly.

 

In this context, it is pertinent to recall the golden quotes of Swami Vivekananda, “The greatest sin is to think yourself weak. Never lose faith in yourself; you can do anything in the universe. Choose the highest ideal and live your life up to that”.

 

 

R.SAMPATH

21/2/2021