God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can and wisdom to know the difference
— Reinhold Niebuhr
Life is a journey full of challenges and marked with twists and turns. It is also very unpredictable – full of fun, success, disappointments, joy as well as sorrows. The most intriguing part of life is ‘Unpredictability’! You never know what is going to happen tomorrow. We all plan, set goals, have ambition and work hard towards success. Yet many times we are unable to achieve our goals despite our sincere efforts.
In such situations our guiding principles (which we need to define for ourselves as individuals) play a very important role for our wellbeing. These very principles give us the courage to keep fighting the odds and remain motivated regardless of the difficulties and failures we face.
The following seven principles can be applied effectively to lead a better life.
Whatever happens, happens for your good
Remember, God has carved out a life for us with some purpose. Therefore whatever happens to us, happens for our good. This belief acts like a motivator to face failures. It is also important to realise that failure is a part of life and you cannot escape it. This is the essence of positive thinking.
Do your Best and thereafter don’t worry about results
The Bhagwatgita says “karam kar phaal ki asha maat kaar” (Do your work or karama with full dedication and thereafter don’t worry about the result). Let the Almighty decide and eventually you will get compensated for your efforts. This also helps us keep our peace of mind. Tensions build up when we have huge expectations.
Be Humane
Always be helpful to others. Make it your basic attitude and habit. When you help others you get help from others too. Utilise your power and position to do good for everyone.
Count your blessings
There are millions who don’t get three square meals a day. Many are below the poverty line and homeless, across the world. Be grateful that you have a home to stay, clothes to wear and food to eat. God has given us enough.
Charity
You don’t have to be a millionaire to do charity. Even if you feed a stray dog or cover a dog shivering on a cold wintery night with a small old blanket it is an act of charity. Helping an elderly person by writing up an application or filling a railway ticket form is an act of charity. We misunderstand the idea of charity and always link it with money. But any act of helping another person with your efforts is a form of charity. At the end of it you must experience the ‘Joy of Giving’.
Go with the flow of life
Life is unpredictable; therefore take it as it comes. Go with the flow of life, do your best but accept whatever comes your way.
Follow your heart and make opinions
It is important to have our own ‘conviction-based principles’. For example we know that honesty, integrity, hard work, caring for others and compassion are universal and will always remain true. One must make decisions according to these. Once your heart is clear and your conscience is clean, your actions are bound to be correct. All successful people therefore know where to draw the line according to what they feel is right. Listen to your heart and you will always get the right answer. Your heart is your compass.
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