The Deceptive Smile

It was this very morning when I was having a conversation with a particpant of the Happiness Program. During the brief interaction she exclaimed how she was good at deceiveing a smile on her face. Though she seemed lively and jovial, I was sure about the fact that this indeed was not the reality blooming in her heart.

The habit of a large portion of individuals has become to take things at face value and miss out on the reality. If you have ever scrolled through your social media feed or looked at Snapchat stories (certainly you must have!), you might have noticed the smiling and happening lives your friends are living. I know how you wish to have a life like them! But the apparent reality underneath is certainly the opposite. I have met many people who seem to be the trendsetter in their circle but trust me, the condition of their mind is something that is nothing short of alarming. People are so much bothered about the future, opinions of people, whirpool of emotions, that they seem to give a miss to real life! Depression, lethargy, loss of focus and other serious issues are becoming a dominant aspect of their lives.

Though this seems to be normal for many, something needs to be done right away. A recent study by NCMH (National Care Of Medical Health) observed that around 6.5 per cent of our population (India) suffers from certain mental disorders. Given the size of the country this is appalling!

Our thoughts and emotions are very subtle, they change just like the weather, impacting our personal and professional aspects of our lives along with our relationships on a daily basis. We all know that this is the problem but have we thought of a solution? The way out of these feelings is through the practice of certain techniques. (some which have been practiced for millenia – Yoga and Meditation) These need to be integrated in our day to day lives, only then can we uplift the state of our minds, and consequently of others too. I have come across a dozen people who exhibit the traits that I am talking about here. Some who walked on my advice have been successful in uprooting the sorrows of their life and some who haven’t are still stuck in their struggle to deal with their emotions and mind!

Life for me isn’t about celebrating once in a month but living it every moment. Some people take joy in chilling after office hours, travelling after a few months of busy schedule or abusing their body with recreational substances (ironically which they feel gives a high to them.) Though I have had my fair share of each of theses in the late teenage years, there is no need for any of it anymore! While writing this post I am actually unable to find how it feels to be depressed, sad, lethargic or angry. I am actually surprised at myself that the last 3 years of my Art of Living journey, has brought me to this stage! Integrating Yoga and Meditation has done wonders to my well being! The perils of life and adverse situations do keep coming up but my mind is much more aware about the apparent reality – this too shall pass! THIS WAS SOMETHING THE KNOWLEDGE OF WHICH I LACKED IN THE MOST DIFFICULT STAGE OF MY LIFE! BUT NOT ANYMORE 🙂

Isn’t that the ultimate wisdom. Look at the night sky today, within a few hours its going to disappear, look at your boss screaming at your colleagues – who knows in a few months, your boss or yourself would be working in a different place. We need to start looking at life with the eyes of impermanance and start living with an attitude that makes happiness and joy permament. To my experience this is only possible through MEDITATION!

So, why don’t you start meditating too?

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