A Journey Worth Living

Life has been really busy in a good way. I feel gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. Because wisdom is looking back at your life and realizing that every single event, person, place and idea was part of the perfected experience one needed to build life they dream. It’s what you did with what you have and say, 'I can't believe I did that', than to look back and say, ' I wish I did that'. That makes a whole difference. It’s important to realize that whenever we feel being rejected from something good, it was actually being re-directed to something better. According to me gratitude is not pretending everything is good. Its noticing what still is. Because "You live life looking forward, and "Understand life looking backward". 

I love following my custom’s, traditions, rituals, celebrate festivals. No doubt, Rituals are beautiful, Prayers are powerful. Visiting temples, offering diyas, all hold deep meaning and faith in our lives. But somewhere between worshipping God and following our traditions, one must not forget the values those prayers are meant to teach us. I believe spirituality is not only about what we practice in front of God, but also about how we behave with people created by Him. Physical maturity is bound to time, whereas spiritual maturity is bound to obedience. No matter how educated, talented, rich or cool you believe you are. How you treat people ultimately tells all. After all Integrity is everything. Because people will forget, what you did, what you said, but people will never forget how you made them feel.

Spiritual maturity is not knowing what to do with your whole life but just knowing what to do next. Spiritual health is the path to inner peace regardless to turmoil around you. We visit temples, light diyas, we fold our hands. But is that enough to call it spirituality? Spirituality is not how loudly you pray. Your words create echoes in people's hearts for years. But True spirituality creates peace. How you speak, how you forgive, that is our real offering to God. Real devotion is not about showing faith. It is about living it every single day. 

Because life is a magnificent, ongoing adventure rather than a puzzle to be solved. Kindness, compassion, respect, patience, honesty, these are all forms of devotion. Actually, faith and humanity were never meant to be separate, because the most meaningful spirituality is when these both walk together. The journey will be tough, but the reward is worth it. The journey between what you once were and who you are now becoming, is where the dance of life really takes place. And perhaps, the ultimate goal in life is not to arrive somewhere, sometime. But to embrace the journey, to wander and simply to be. Not to own everything, but to belong somewhere. And to live so fully that forgetting becomes impossible. 

Recently I read about the strangest village in the world. Where a traveler entered this village, and happen to see a graveyard there, and he was shocked. The first tombstone said lived three years. Second one said five years. And third one lived nine years. After seeing this the traveler was disturbed. He thought, what's happening in this village. Why are people dying at such young age. Is there any disease. Later he went and checked with the Mukhiya (Head of the village). And he said that; those are not their biological ages. In our village, we only count the number of years somebody spent doing seva, laughing and caring in service. So, somebody might have lived up to 80, but they spent only six years of humanity, we put six on the tombstone. And we call it the ''Seva Age''. Later traveler looked back at the graveyard again, and for the first time he understood between existing and living. So, what's your seva age? 

In Bhagavad Gita - Chapter 4, verse 34, Lord Krishna says - The three psychological prerequisites for acquiring the true spiritual knowledge, to approach humility and seva, is through having a Guru in life. Because the Guru (spiritual master) is revered not just as a teacher, but as an illumined guide who is essential for dispelling spiritual ignorance and awakening divine wisdom. Seva/ Service as mentioned in Bhagavad Gita - Karma Yoga, Lord Krishna says, performing your duty without attachment to the results - dedicating all actions as an offering - frees you from ego and brings ultimate peace. 

I feel life becomes worth living, when you utilize the time that is given to you. All this knowledge comes only when; one has a Guru/Master in life. A Guru helps us to recognize that we are not on earth to see how important we can become, but to see how much difference we can make in the lives of others. So that, one can make their life's 'Journey worth living'. 

As quoted by my master Gurudev Sri Sri Ravishankar ji - ' Seva (selfless service) is a joyful duty that brings true contentment. It is the expression of a life dedicated to a higher purpose. 

Have you looked the world this way? Start Now!!