This article is a thanksgiving tribute to my furry son who came into our lives eight years back and has been teaching us some good lessons in life.
Forget your own unhappiness by creating a little happiness for others because when you are good to others you are best to yourself
# Be simple: Simplicity is the essence of life. Being simple in your lifestyle, in your relationships, in your approach to facing adversities and in your communication with others, will hold you in good stead. This is what I learn from peanut each day, no worldly possessions to boast about and no expectations to conquer.
# Trust your instincts: We humans have to learn to trust our inner voice that is constantly talking to us. We need to find the time, out of this rat race, to reflect on a regular basis, and listen deeply to what we feel and understand about situations that are daunting us. Weigh all options but listen to that inner voice, our gut feeling, it never goes wrong. Peanut is extremely perceptive about people and relies only on his instinct, while interacting with strangers. Got to learn a lot from him.
# Celebrate small wins: Many of us just “live on” with life and wait till that day when we will have all the money, time, love, to be happy. Instead we must endeavour to find happiness in all the small things that happen each day. An impromptu movie with friends, some retail therapy, listening to your favourite music, playing with small children, dancing to your favourite tune, reading your much-loved author……Find happiness with the small things in life. For most pets just a nice pat, a warm hug or a small bite of their favourite munchies is enough to get that broad smile and wagging tail, happiness.
# Love thy self: Learn to love yourself. Take care of your physical and emotional self. When you look and feel good, it radiates that glow on your face. It a huge lesson we human need to learn from the animal kingdom. Have you ever seen an animal being nasty to oneself? Never…. they love to groom themselves occasionally and relieve themselves of the stress.
# Dump past baggage: Learn to live in the moment. We humans tend to hold on to a lot of emotional experiences of our past, which comes in the way of enjoying our present day. We need to learn to forgive and forget……and move on. Each day is a day of new possibilities and new opportunities. Peanut never loses an opportunity to impress new friends with his antics and always is hopeful to be treated with a tasty munchy.
# See the world with different lenses: It is only when we are in acceptance of ourselves completely, the way we are, including our deficiencies and weaknesses and our emotions, will we be able to see and sense situations from others point of view as well. It is only when we are free from selfishness, that we can learn to be contented in life. The starting point is by trying to expect nothing in return for all your actions…. easier said than done….one can begin by trying to show unconditional love. Peanut has taught us this important lesson by always showering his unconditional love without any expectations other than a pat or a hug.
# Mark your own territory: Attain mastery in at least one or two areas of your chosen subject. Once you have an expertise in any one area, you can then make your mark, be in control of your experiments, and others will listen to you. Being confident and possessive about your knowledge is not bad. Peanut can go to any length to mark his territory while taking his routine stroll.
# Fight for the Bone of contention: Always believe in your values and fight for your beliefs if you feel you are right. Have the conviction and confidence and stand up for what you strongly believe in. Never compromise on your value systems, however much is the pressure on you to do so. In the long run you will realise that you have gained the strength to live by your values. Yup, Peanut can be quite a stubborn bull at this, if challenged.
When you do things from the soul, you feel a river moving in you. A JOY.
Suparna's Yugen 