Everything is overrated

 Everything is overrated- money, career, marks, success, failure, popularity, relationships, trends, fashion, sex... (especially sex - all the titillation thrust at us lifelong across all forms of media and entertainment. You just can’t get a break from the only formula some humans think that humanity needs. Now the AI algorithms think so too :))

If you think you are not scoring enough as yet on one or more of these aspects, do not fret. There is enough time for you to get bored with whatever you are desperate for today, just relax.

So, what are we here for, anyway.

The answer I liked the best so far was from a sermon that I heard from a monk recently. In summary, he said, we all are a part of the superpower (God) that created us. We have over a period forgotten what our origin is and what we are capable of being. We have relegated us to be human like when we are perfectly capable of being God like. Our aim in this lifetime is to get close to becoming one with The One. Almost like being capable of manifesting what we want to. If we don’t get there yet in this lifetime, we carry forward our opening balance of prowess from this lifetime into the next and get there in the next life and so on and so forth. He also mentioned that one needs to follow a righteous path, lead a balanced life, follow laws of nature and be in full control of your mind and body to even think of getting there. He further said that the masters have created techniques like Kirya Yoga to help our progress to our ultimate destination.

When you are ready for a path like Kriya Yoga, you will get your summons, and you will find your master and guru. But till that time, here is a more level1 version of why we are here.

I think we are here to

1. Be happy (simple pleasures of life and whatever works for you, other than your vices)

2. Be a learner for life.

3. Be useful, be kind to others (your folks- parents, siblings, friends, other humans, animals, future generations, meek, poor...) and teach others what you have learnt.

4. Be a better version of yourself over a period (no short-term pressure)

These four reasons are inter-related. When you learn, you can be useful and then you are happy. Or when you are useful, you are happy and then motivated to be more useful and you learn more. When you are happy, you learn and you are useful, you automatically become a better version of yourself.

 The following is a set of life hacks I have come to believe that will help your cause while you are here.

1. If you want to walk fast, walk alone. But if you want to walk far and enjoy the walk, walk together. Co-opting is better than competing. You raise the bar up and pull your friends up there. If you don’t, then you will never scale greater heights, as you will be complacent where you are, but if everyone you mingle with is at your level, the bar keeps going higher.

2. Trust in God but lock your car. Your so-called success is a result of your efforts and your luck. There are things beyond your control. Trust that the universe will give you what you want (if you notice otherwise, then trust that it gives you what you need, which in my view is better than getting what you want).  But you can't just sit and do nothing or scroll reels endlessly. Do your karma, use common sense. Take the first step, don't dread the journey- the second step will follow and so will the next.

3. Greater the good, greater the success. The universe usually conspires to make an attempt for greater good more successful. So try and tie your individual aspirations to greater good and make The Universe your mate, your business partner.

4. Change is the only constant. Noting is permanent. Do not cling to things when it no longer works or is relevant. Fight for what you believe, but when you get overwhelming feedback that your belief is obsolete, adapt, change and move on.

5. Success and failure are overrated. Time heals your failures and pales your success. There is no need to cling to success or failure. Every new day is a new beginning. Be wary of success early in life and things that come easy. You have to work hard to keep it by you. Early failure teaches you great life lessons. Learn from it and everything gets better. Failure at any point is a speed breaker or an intersection, a chance for you to slow down or take a new road.  It is ok to take a new path occasionally. You might find something new that can change your life in new ways.

6. Your problems are not unique. With 7 billion on the planet today, and with billions more who have come and gone, the probability that your problem is unique and / or has not been resolved at all is highly unlikely. Google gives you answers, but more headaches too.  Share your issues with someone older, they have seen more in life, just because they have been here longer, they may know someone, who knows someone to whom something worked or did not.

7. Habits, maketh the man. Chuck porn booze, smoke, drugs, processed foods. You won’t know when the master becomes the slave. Incorporate desirable habits -sports, walks (the world reveals itself better to the one who walks, so slow down), treks, hobbies, music, arts, talks, debates, catch up with people in person. Offline gives you energy. Online drains your energy, your battery and the fluids in your eyes. Remember that Karma is as true as gravity is. What you become is a function of what you have been.

You will not follow these things every day, it is human to have the odd slip up, it is ok.  Buck the trend of transgressions at the earliest. Tomorrow is a new day but today works better.