*Emotional Intelligence* by psychologist and science journalist Daniel Goleman is a groundbreaking work that challenges the traditional understanding of what makes people successful in life.

मनोवैज्ञानिक और विज्ञान पत्रकार डैनियल गोलेमैन द्वारा 1995 में प्रकाशित *भावनात्मक बुद्धिमत्ता* एक अभूतपूर्व कृति है जो लोगों को जीवन में सफल बनाने वाले कारकों की पारंपरिक समझ को चुनौती देती है। हालाँकि लंबे समय से बुद्धि को बुद्धिमत्ता का प्राथमिक माप माना जाता रहा है, गोलेमैन का तर्क है कि भावनात्मक बुद्धिमत्ता—अपनी और दूसरों की भावनाओं को पहचानने, समझने और प्रबंधित करने की हमारी क्षमता—उतनी ही महत्वपूर्ण है।

मनोविज्ञान  के आधार पर, गोलेमैन पाठकों को भावनात्मक बुद्धिमत्ता के पाँच प्रमुख घटकों से परिचित कराते हैं: आत्म-जागरूकता, आत्म-नियमन, प्रेरणा, सहानुभूति और सामाजिक कौशल। वह दर्शाते हैं कि ये गुण व्यक्तिगत और व्यावसायिक दोनों ही स्थितियों में हमारे व्यवहार, संबंधों, निर्णय लेने और प्रदर्शन को कैसे प्रभावित करते हैं।

गोलेमैन के काम ने “स्मार्ट” होने के अर्थ को नए सिरे से परिभाषित करने में मदद की और शिक्षा, नेतृत्व और मानसिक स्वास्थ्य के क्षेत्र में एक वैश्विक आंदोलन को जन्म दिया। वैज्ञानिक अंतर्दृष्टि को व्यावहारिक सलाह के साथ मिलाते हुए, *भावनात्मक बुद्धिमत्ता*  पुनर्विचार करने के लिए आमंत्रित करती है—बाधाओं के रूप में नहीं, बल्कि मानव विकास और जुड़ाव के लिए आवश्यक उपकरणों के रूप में।

Published in 1995, Emotional Intelligence by psychologist and science journalist Daniel Goleman is a groundbreaking work that challenges the traditional understanding of what makes people successful in life. While IQ has long been viewed as the primary measure of intelligence, Goleman argues that emotional intelligence—our ability to recognize, understand, and manage our own emotions and the emotions of others—is equally, if not more, important.

Drawing on research in psychology and neuroscience, Goleman introduces readers to five key components of emotional intelligence: self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills. He demonstrates how these traits influence our behavior, relationships, decision-making, and performance in both personal and professional settings.

Goleman’s work helped redefine what it means to be “smart” and sparked a global movement in education, leadership, and mental health. Blending scientific insight with practical advice, Emotional Intelligence invites readers to rethink how they approach emotions—not as obstacles, but as essential tools for human growth and connection.

आप किस बात से दुखी हैं? ऐसा क्या है जिससे आप दुखी हैं? आप अपने आस-पास की स्थितियों और परिस्थितियों से दुखी हैं। आप अपने आस-पास के लोगों के बारे में दुखी हैं। क्या वे वहाँ स्थायी रूप से या हमेशा के लिए रहने वाले हैं?

लोग व् स्थितयाँ बदल रहे हैं। यह सब एक बहती नदी की तरह है! नित्य परिवर्तनशील ,जागो और देखो कि जिस व्यक्ति को आपने कल रात देखा था वह आज सुबह, आज शाम या कल वही व्यक्ति नहीं है। आप अन्य लोगों के बारे में दुखी क्यों हैं? पता है उनकी मनोदशा पानी की सतह पर बुलबुले की तरह हैं। गतिशील हैं; वे आगे बढ़ रहे हैं। आप स्थितियों और परिस्थितियों से दुखी हैं। वे कब तक वहां रहने वाले हैं, हमेशा के लिए नहीं? वे सभी गतिशील हैं और बदलते हैं। आपके शरीर के स्वास्थ्य के बारे में आप और क्या दुखी हैं? यदि आप बहुत स्वस्थ हैं तो भी आप अपने शरीर पर कितनी देर तक टिक सकते हैं? क्या आप इसे हमेशा के लिए पकड़ सकते हैं? एक दिन यह छूटने वाला है। यदि कोई शरीर बीमार हो जाता है, तो उसकी देखभाल करें , बस। मानसिक रूप से उत्तेजित होना इसे और भी बदतर बना देता है। बीमार और स्वस्थ होना शरीर की प्रकृति है।

अपने वास्तविक स्वरूप में, आप उस पल मुक्त होते हैं जो आप देखते हैं कि यह आपके अंदर नहीं है। यदि आपको दर्द होता है, तो शरीर में इसके होने का निरीक्षण करें। यदि आपके मन में जकड़न या खुशी है, तो देखें कि यह तंग, उदास, दुखी या खुश है। बस निरीक्षण करें कि आप आनंद नहीं ले रहे हैं, और यह कहीं और हो रहा है, जैसे कि यह कहीं और हो रहा है।

अब मेरे शब्दों पर विश्वास करें: ‘आप कर्ता नहीं हैं’। इस ग्रह पर जीवन ’हो रहा है’ सब कुछ गतिमान है। आपका मन उतार-चढ़ाव, दुख और खुशियों से गुजर रहा है। इसके अपने तरीके हैं, अपना समय है।

केवल एक ही तरीका है कि आप यह देखकर खुश हो सकते हैं कि आप कर्ता नहीं हैं; कि सब कुछ बस हो रहा है।

इसे होने दो। यह सोचते हुए कि आप कर्ता हैं और आप तनाव को बढ़ाते हैं, और आप बहुत अधिक बेचैन हो जाते हैं। इससे बाहर निकलने के लिए कुछ करने की इच्छा एक और काम कर रही है। ‘ आप यह जानते हैं, लेकिन फिर इसे और अधिक हलचल शुरू होगी । और अगर आप सरगर्मी रखते हैं, तो यह समस्या बनने के लिए बाध्य है। कोई रास्ता नहीं है कि वह बस जाए। जब आप महसूस कर सकते हैं ‘मैं कर्ता नहीं हूं,’ जब यह विश्वास, यह विश्वास आप पर हावी हो जाता है, तो यह अमृत है। इससे आप खुश हो जाएंगे।

जागरूकता की इस अग्नि से , ज्ञान की इस अग्नि से , उस सारे अज्ञान को जला दो और तुम्हारे दुख को नष्ट कर दो।
श्री श्री रविशंकर – आर्ट ऑफ़ लिविंग

What are you unhappy for? What is it that you are unhappy about? You are unhappy about the situations and circumstances around you. You are unhappy about the people around you. Are they going to be there permanently or forever?

They are moving and changing. It is all like a flowing river! Wake up and see the person you saw yesterday night is not the same person this morning, this evening or tomorrow. Why are you unhappy about other people? Know they are all like bubbles on the surface of water. They are fleeting; they are moving. You are unhappy about situations and circumstances. How long are they going to be there, not forever? They all move and change. What else are you unhappy about the health of your body? How long you can hold onto your body even if it is very healthy? Can you hold on to it, forever? One day it is going to drop. If a body gets sick, attend to it, that is all. Getting mentally agitated makes it even worse. It is the nature of the body to be sick and healthy.

 In your true nature, you are free the moment you see it’s not in you. If you have a pain, observe it’s happening in the body. If there is tightness or joy in your mind, observe that it is tight, sad, unhappy or happy. Just observe that you are not enjoying, and it is happening elsewhere, as though it is happening elsewhere.

Now trust my words: ‘you are not the doer’. Life is ‘happening’ on this planet. Everything is moving. Your mind is going through ups and downs, sorrows and joys. It has its own ways, its own time.

There’s only one way you can be happy seeing that you are not the doer; that everything is just happening.

Let it happen. Thinking you are the doer agitates you further, and you become much more restless. Not to do, to undo, is another doing. The desire to do something to get out of it is another ‘doing.’ It’s something like a pond being muddy. You know this, but then start stirring it more. And if you keep stirring, it is bound to become muddier. There is no way it can settle down. When you can feel ‘I am not the doer,’ when this confidence, this faith dawns on you, that is nectar. With that, you will become happy.

Let this fire of awareness, this fire of knowledge burn all that ignorance and destroy your sorrow. Do not be unhappy. There is no need to be unhappy or sad about your body, and the things happening in your mind, about people, situations, events and circumstances around you. Then, what can you be unhappy about? Can you be? Is there any other thing to be unhappy about? Is it? Sukhī bhava ! It is an order as well as a blessing.

—- SHRI SHRI RAVI SHANKAR – FOUNDER ART OF LIVING

Source : http://www.wisdom.srisriravishankar.org

And once discovered, he consistently kept resigning from his comfort zone and to share the secret of his success with the entire world. It is this very urge of helping people and doing something good for the society that inspired him to take the initiative of changing people’s lives in the form of “Free Life-Changing Seminars and Sessions”.

No wonder people connect with him and his mission of ‘Sharing’ is now being actively propagated and practiced by millions. It is his diligent focus, the great support of his family and the faith of his team that keeps him going.

Apart from being a successful entrepreneur, he is a guide, a mentor, a role model and a youth icon for millions of people all over the world. People love and adore him for his great mission of making everybody believe in them and helping people to make their life ‘Aasaan’ (Easy).

His unshakable faith in the divine power grants him strength to thrive. Being at the helm of success, it is quite astonishing to know that money does not lure him. And that’s why, profits don’t drive his organisation. It’s an emotional bonding with each and every person working in the company that matters for him.

Capable of building an entire new industry or an organization, he is satisfied to adhere to his self-made benchmark that states, “If you have more than you need, simply share it with those who need it the most.”

With a completely distinct aura than any other person of his age and stature, he rose above the rat race and broke through the age-old myth of ‘Life is tough’ with his simple mantra ‘Aasaan Hai’.( its easy )

His web is : http://www.sandeepmaheshwari.com

Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.

Truthful words are not beautiful,
Beautiful words are not truthful.
Good men do not argue.
Those who argue are not good.
Those who know are not learned.
The learned do not know.

The sage never tries to store things up.
The more he does for others, the more he has.
The more he gives to others, the greater his abundance.
The Tao of heaven is pointed but does no harm.
The Tao of the sage is work without effort.

 Empty yourself of everything.
Let the mind rest at peace.
The ten thousand things rise and fall while the Self watches their return.
They grow and flourish and then return to the source.
Returning to the source is stillness, which is the way of nature.
The way of nature is unchanging.
Knowing constancy is insight.
Not knowing constancy leads to disaster.
Knowing constancy, the mind is open.
With an open mind, you will be openhearted.
Being openhearted, you will act royally.
Being royal, you will attain the divine.
Being divine, you will be at one with the Tao.
Being at one with the Tao is eternal.
And though the body dies, the Tao will never pass away.

BY :    LAO TSU

http://www.daily-tao.com

In 1948, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) for all people and all nations.  the United Nations stated in clear and simple terms rights that belong equally to every person. These rights belong to you. Familiarize yourself with them. Help to promote and defend them.

WHEREAS it is essential, if man is not to be compelled to have recourse, as a last resort, to rebellion against tyranny and oppression, that human rights should be protected by the rule of law,

WHEREAS it is essential to promote the development of friendly relations between nations,

WHEREAS the peoples of the United Nations have in the Charter reaffirmed their faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person and in the equal rights of men and women and have determined to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom,

WHEREAS Member States have pledged themselves to achieve, in cooperation with the United Nations, the promotion of universal respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms,

WHEREAS a common understanding of these rights and freedoms is of the greatest importance for the full realization of this pledge,

Now, therefore, the General Assembly Proclaims

THIS UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS as a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations, to the end that every individual and every organ of society, keeping this Declaration constantly in mind, shall strive by teaching and education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms and by progressive measures, national and international, to secure their universal and effective recognition and observance, both among the peoples of Member States themselves and among the peoples of territories under their jurisdiction.

1. All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
2. Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty.
3. Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.
4. No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms.
5. No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
6. Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law.
7. All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law. All are entitled to equal protection against any discrimination in violation of the Declaration and against any incitement to such discrimination.
8. Everyone has the right to an effective remedy by the competent national tribunals for acts violating the fundamental rights granted him by the constitution or by law.
9. No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile.
10. Everyone is entitled in full equality to a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal, in the determination of his rights and obligations and of any criminal charge against him.
11. 1. Everyone charged with a penal offense has the right to be presumed innocent until proved guilty according to law in a public trial at which he has had all the guarantees necessary for his defense.
    2. No one shall be held guilty of any penal offense on account of any act or omission which did not constitute a penal offense, under national or international law, at the time it was committed. Nor shall a heavier penalty be imposed than the one that was applicable at the time the penal offense was committed.
12. No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks upon his honor and reputation. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks.
13. 1. Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each state.
    2. Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country.
14. 1. Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution.
    2. This right may not be invoked in the case of prosecutions genuinely arising from non-political crimes or from acts contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations.
15. 1. Everyone has the right to a nationality.
    2. No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his nationality nor denied the right to change his nationality.
16. 1. Men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion, have the right to marry and to found a family. They are entitled to equal rights as to marriage, during marriage and at its dissolution.
    2. Marriage shall be entered into only with the free and full consent of the intending spouses.
    3. The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State.
17. 1. Everyone has the right to own property alone as well as in association with others.
    2. No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property.
18. Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.
19. Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression: this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.
20. 1. Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association.
    2. No one may be compelled to belong to an association.
21. 1. Everyone has the right to take part in the government of his country, directly or through freely chosen representatives.
    2. Everyone has the right of equal access to public service in his country.
    3. The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government; this will shall be expressed in periodic and genuine elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret vote or by equivalent free voting procedures.
22. Everyone, as a member of society, has the right to social security and is entitled to realization, through national effort and international co- operation and in accordance with the organization and resources of each State, of the economic, social and cultural rights indispensable for his dignity and the free development of his personality.
23. 1. Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favorable conditions of work and to protection against unemployment.
    2. Everyone, without any discrimination, has the right to equal pay for equal work.
    3. Everyone who works has the right to just and favorable remuneration ensuring for himself and his family an existence worthy of human dignity, and supplemented, if necessary, by other means of social protection.
    4. Everyone has the right to form and to join trade unions for the protection of his interests.
24. Everyone has the right to rest and leisure, including reasonable limitation of working hours and periodic holidays with pay.
25. 1. Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.
    2. Motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and assistance. All children, whether born in or out of wedlock, shall enjoy the same social protection.
26. 1. Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical and professional education shall be made generally available and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit.
    2. Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups, and shall further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace.
    3. Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children.
27. 1. Everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts and to share in scientific advancement and its benefits.
    2. Everyone has the right to the protection of the moral and material interests resulting from any scientific, literary or artistic production of which he is the author.
28. Everyone is entitled to a social and international order in which the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration can be fully realized.
29. 1. Everyone has duties to the community in which alone the free and full development of his personality is possible.
    2. In the exercise of his rights and freedoms, everyone shall be subject only to such limitations as are determined by law solely for the purpose of securing due recognition and respect for the rights and freedoms of others and of meeting the just requirements of morality, public order and the general welfare in a democratic society.
    3. These rights and freedoms may in no case be exercised contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations.
30. Nothing in this Declaration may be interpreted as implying for any State, group or person any right to engage in any activity or to perform any act aimed at the destruction of any of the rights and freedoms set forth herein.

it really is not selfish to consider your own happiness as your top priority for the following three reasons.

You are importantIt is true. You are an important person. I don’t care about your profession, employment status, or income. You are important. Look back at your past. Think about how different the world around you might be if you had not been born. How has your life impacted others? Don’t dismiss small contributions as unimportant because the truth is that it is often these many small changes that lead to a greater good.
   Now think about your life right now. How many people depend on you among your family, friends, and community? If you stayed in bed tomorrow how many lives would be affected by your absence?
   Now think about your future. What potential exists for your life to impact the lives of others? Think about your home and family, your friends and community, and your professional life. Don’t think about probabilities but rather possibilities. You have the potential to change many lives just by being you and living your life. You are important because you are the sum total of all these effects: your past, your present, and your future. What you have done, what you are doing, and what you can do in the future are all the elements that make you an important and valuable person who deserves to be happy.

Your happiness people aroundWhile your family and friends should not depend on you to make them happy it is very true that if you are unhappy you can make it much more difficult for others around you to be happy.
   There is an old saying that frequently crops up on sitcoms and tee shirts, “If Momma Ain’t Happy, Ain’t Nobody Happy.” This is often good for a laugh but we all know it is true. If a parent is unhappy then often the rest of the household will be unhappy too.
   It only takes one bad apple to spoil the whole barrel, as another the old saying goes, and this is true whenever any group of humans gathers together. If one friend or family member is not happy then their unhappiness can spread to infect the others in the group.
   You deserve to be happy for yourself but you should also strive for happiness so if you are going to spread a mood then it will be a good one.

Your happiness affects the worldHow many times have you been simply going through life, not really in a good or bad mood, and then someone took a moment to give you a smile. What happened to your mood? Did you smile back? Another old saying is that smiles are contagious and this may be a very powerful argument for your own personal happiness.
   Can you imagine possessing the power to spread smiles? You do not need to imagine it because you already possess that power.
   You simply need to get yourself into the habit of smiling. Smile at your loved ones, smile at your friends, and smile at strangers on the street, and soon you will be making a strong contribution to make the world a happier place.
   Your happiness is important because you are a significant person, your mood impacts your family and friends, and your happiness affects the world. 
 By  :  Deanna Mascle is a teacher, coach and freelance writer in the USSource : sunday times 

What should you do with rest of your life? About three thousand years ago, a Jewish king named Solomon aired his opinion on the subject. As he put it, he “wanted to see what was worthwhile for men to do under heaven during the few days of their lives”.
   Solomon was an interesting character, and he had a lot going for him. He was intelligent. Indeed, this sageking still has the reputation of being the “wisest man who ever lived”.
   He also had the means to do practically anything he wanted to do. In his old age, Solomon found time to reflect on his lifelong experiences. And he passed his thoughts down in writing. He starts off by telling us that everything in life is meaningless.
   “I know, because I have seen it all. You name it, I’ve done it. I not only did it, but I did it in a big time, kingly fashion. I denied myself nothing, nothing at all. But looking back on it now, I can tell you none of it amounted to a hill of beans.”
   “What do you think is worthwhile in life? The pursuit of pleasure? I had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines. I had music from men and women singers; all the wine I could drink; and a palace full of people falling all over themselves doing everything they could think of to get in my good graces.
   “Sure, it is enjoyable up to a point. But when you get everything you want whenever you want it, you quickly discover how meaningless pleasure really is.
   “Here is what I’ve learned: Whenever you seek pleasure, pleasure eludes you. The only way you may find pleasure is by seeking something else first. It could be nothing more than paying someone a sincere compliment, or giving someone a hand with an unpleasant task.
   “The idea is that when you least expect it, happiness suddenly bubbles up like a well inside of you. You don’t find pleasure; pleasure finds you. Pursuing pleasure is like chasing after the wind.
   “If not pleasure, then what? Wealth? Do you think you should dedicate your life to the pursuit of wealth? I had houses, vineyards, gardens, parks, fruit trees, reservoirs watering groves of trees, slaves, more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem, horses and chariots, and more silver and gold than anyone can imagine. I had it all. But if money and things could buy happiness, then I would have been the happiest man that ever lived.
   “But what did I discover? Just this: Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. A rich man doesn’t even sleep well at night. He’s too worried about his money.
   “Money has its uses, but don’t lose perspective. We were born naked, and when we die, we’re going to take with us just what we brought into this world. Whatever we acquire will be left to someone who had not worked for it.”
   If neither pleasure nor wealth are worthwhile pursuits, how about the scholarly pursuit of knowledge?
   “Oh yes, I spent a great deal of time in study. I learned everything I could about every subject under the sun. That’s how I got my reputation for wisdom. It didn’t fall out of a tree, you know. What did I find out? Only this: The more you learn, the more you discover there is to know. Even the brightest of us are ignorant of many things. Certainly, wisdom is better than foolishness, but remember, in a few years, both the wise man and the fool wind up in the grave. Before long both are forgotten.”
   So, pleasure, wealth, and knowledge all have limited value. What’s left? Work? “Yes, I worked. I built houses, planted vineyards, gardens, parks, fruit trees, and groves of trees. I delighted in my work. That was my reward.
   “Of course, it was merely a temporary ‘feel-good-about-it’ sort of thing. In the long run, all of our toil is useless. Whatever you make, you can’t take with you. And in due course, whatever we create will be torn down or destroyed and soon forgotten.”
   So, the wise man threw a wet blanket over most of the things people devote themselves to today. Then what should we do? How should we spend our brief time on earth?
   The answer is simple: “A man can do nothing better than to eat, drink and find satisfaction in work. Enjoy life with the one you love. Be happy and do good as long as you live. Whatever you do, do it with all the might because you never know when life might end.
   “While we are young, enjoy life as much as possible. But don’t forget, God will judge everything we do. The years slip by quickly. Infants turn into youths, youths into adults, adults into middle age, and middle age into old age. It doesn’t take long at all.
   “All too soon, the troubles and afflictions of age sap the strength and weaken the mind. Then death calls your number and body returns to the ground from where it came, and soul returns to God who gave it.”
   Solomon concludes his advice with this warning: “God will bring every deed into judgment including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil. God will bring to judgment both the righteous and the wicked.”
   Has Solomon’s 3,000-year-old advice stood the test of time?
   Some things have changed. Primarily, we have more gadgets these days than they had back in his time. But our basic choices remain the same. We can dedicate our lives to pleasure, money or possessions, or knowledge, or work. Then again when we reflect on the brevity of life, the certainty of death, and the promise of judgment, we might decide Solomon knew what he was talking about.
   But what about God judging the good and wicked? The moral law certainly implies that God cares about us, what we do with our lives, and the choices we make. Also our longing for justice, often frustrated in this life, leads us to believe, we will get whatever we are due in the world to come.
   By the end of the book, Solomon reaches a different conclusion: Life has a point after all. Our sojourn can best be described as a sort of boot camp or school of hard knocks. We are here to learn. Learn what? Learn that pleasures, money, possessions, knowledge, and work all have only limited value. None of these pursuits should be the focal point of our lives.
   Our primary task is to develop character, that is, a certain type of character. Earth, we discover, is nothing more than a large training centre for character. Those who graduate have learned their lessons on: fair play, unselfishness, humility, courage, faithfulness, honesty, truthfulness, and treating others with respect.

 By : Jerry Boone

Source : sunday times

Is it possible to consciously choose to create a more satisfying life experiences?   The reason why most peo ple have only a few satisfying life experiences is because they are almost completely unconscious. They are operat ing on automatic, on subcon scious programs that run qui etly in the background, dictat ing their every move, pulling on their emotional strings, se lecting their perceptions, and organising their experiences around past hurts, fears, and insecurities.
   Ironically, they think that they are conscious. Acting out in a crazy, self- and other-de structive way is not con scious. And it is only because of acting out on our drives that we are unconscious Someone who is conscious does not let their drives dic tate their thoughts, feelings and actions. Instead, they choose the best possible op tions available to them based on what they currently know A casual survey of people around you will quickly re veal that impulsive actions are the norm. Rationality takes a back seat to innate ten dencies and urges.
   The way to become con scious is to become aware Awareness is stepping back and looking at everything for the first time. It is pulling the subjective ego state out of the equation and making an at tempt to see what is the way that it is. Awareness is not simple. It is not something that you naturally snap into And this is why spiritual dis ciplines like yoga, focusing on your breath, meditation mindfulness, and so on exist and have the power to change your life for the better. The natural state for human be ings is to be hypnotised by the onslaught of conditioning that began since birth. Thus the natural state for human beings is to be unnatural. It is to perceive through the lens of bias. It is to hear selectively. It is to act impulsively, regard less of consequences. It is to defend the ego from all possi ble threats while at the same time pretending to make a show of being open-minded rational, and even objective.
   Another way of describing this phenomenon is to say that the neocortex is used much less often than the mammalian or reptilian por tions of the human brain. Yet it is only the highly-developed and functional neocortex which will inform our actions to choose the best possible ex periences. The emotional brain and the instinctive brain take over the show.
   Thus, if we desire to have more satisfying life experi ences, we have to be present to the moment. This means that we have to be aware. We have to be cognisant of the envi ronment. And we have to recognise our own subcon scious programs trying to bubble up to the surface to take over our experience.
   If you are aware enough the past does not have to equal the future. You can, in fact choose your ideal future and find ways to reach it. Howev er, because most people are not aware enough that the fu ture happens to be a constant repetition of past patterns.
   The weight of past experi ences, because it is unexam ined and therefore uncon scious, has a stronger pull on them. The way to create awareness is to take on the practice of some psychologi cal or spiritual discipline which will train you to think in an original and creative way. Those who choose not to examine the past are con demned to repeat it.
   Cultivating awareness is not easy, but there is nothing more worthwhile. The culmi nation of supreme awareness is enlightenment, the uncan ny ability to be in a stream of constantly unfolding satisfy ing experiences.
   Ultimately, it is a spiritual experience to be in charge of your own mind and direct it away from unconscious act ing out to conscious delibera tion. The culmination of this discipline is awareness. And the gift of awareness is con nection with your own divine nature.

Life is full of risks. There is a certain element of risk taking that is inherent in every venture we undertake whether it is in business, or in marriage, in a profession or in athletics. We never have complete security within ourselves. For we know that every moment we live, our lives are in constant danger. A stray bullet may hit us, a car emerging out of nowhere may crush us, and a slip of the foot may result in our death. So life is unpredictable. We get no warning, we are afforded no red alert, and we get no second chance at life.
And we might as well face the fact that our life is a dying life. As soon as we are born, we begin to die and every day we manage to somehow survive, we have only gained another step towards our grave. Each morning when we wake up from a refreshing sleep, we have died a little during the night. As we go through the streets of the city, we are dying a little. As we go about our business on the job, we are dying a little. In essence, we are living in the land of the dying.
It will help you to accept life on its own terms rather than struggle against it. Identify and move from
the limiting and conflicting, either/or,black or white,all or nothing illusory perception of life to an attitude that is open to all aspects of reality. We do this by accepting life on its own terms