Let Us Increase the Positive Ripples of Our Lives!

Let Us Increase the Positive Ripples of Our Lives!

How Small Acts of Kindness Create a Life of Great Success

Each one of us is travelling through life with some form of achievement in mind.

Some consider accumulating wealth to be the ultimate measure of success.

      

Others spend their lives pursuing positions, fame and status. 

There are also those who believe that building a loving family and living a peaceful, contented life is all they need.

All these aspirations are perfectly understandable, depending on each person's circumstances and priorities.

However, as I approach the later stages of life, one truth has become increasingly clear to me. 

What truly determines the value of our lives is not how much we have earned or accumulated, but how much goodness we have contributed to the world around us. 

The positive changes we bring into the lives of those around us are the real ripples of our existence.

We have all seen what happens when a small stone is thrown into still water.

     

Circular ripples spread outwards from the point where the stone falls. 

Even after the stone disappears beneath the water, the ripples it created continue travelling for some distance.

Human life is much the same. 

Every good deed we perform does not end with us. 

A kind word spoken at the right moment can restore hope to someone whose heart is broken. 

Visiting someone who feels lonely and forgotten, simply to ask how they are, can make them feel that they are not alone. 

Recognising the needs of an elderly person and offering a helping hand can bring happiness to their entire day.

None of these acts requires great wealth, a prestigious position or personal influence. 

All that is needed is a kind heart that understands the feelings of others.

Quite often, we become so focused on doing something great that we fail to notice the small opportunities for kindness right in front of us.

We dream of changing the world, yet sometimes forget to wipe away the tears of someone standing beside us. 

We think about helping the poor, but fail to understand the emotional struggles of a colleague working alongside us. 

We speak passionately about bringing positive change to society, yet do not make enough time to create a loving atmosphere within our own homes.

In reality, many of the greatest changes in the world begin with these small acts of humanity.

One person may witness an act of kindness and feel inspired to follow the same example. 

Through that person, another may continue the practice. In this way, a single good deed can travel through countless lives, creating an impact far greater than we could ever imagine.

There is one important lesson we must understand here. 

We do not need to be financially comfortable to do good.

We may not have money to spare, but showing love costs nothing. 

We may not be able to afford expensive gifts, but remembering someone's birthday and offering a heartfelt wish requires no financial resources. 

We may not be able to solve another person's problems completely, but we can listen patiently without interrupting when they need someone to talk to.

Sometimes, sitting quietly beside someone without offering any advice can provide greater comfort than all the words of wisdom we could possibly share.

What matters is not how important a place we occupy in someone's life, but how much comfort we bring them during their difficult moments.

Our everyday lives are filled with opportunities to spread such goodness.

Speaking a few loving words to our family before leaving home in the morning, appreciating the efforts of our colleagues, thanking someone who has helped us, treating shop assistants with respect, offering our seat to an elderly person on a bus or train, and encouraging the efforts of younger people are just a few examples of what we can do.

None of these actions may appear extraordinary to the world. 

Yet the happiness they create in another person's heart cannot be measured by any instrument or standard.

Similarly, doing good is not limited to giving material things. 

It must also be reflected in our words, behaviour and thoughts.

Sometimes, controlling our anger can itself be a great act of kindness.

   

Choosing not to utter a harsh word that we could easily have spoken may save a valuable relationship. 

Correcting someone's mistake privately rather than exposing it in front of others can protect their dignity. 

Respecting someone who disagrees with us demonstrates emotional maturity.

We must recognise that these small acts of self-restraint are also expressions of compassion.

There is another truth we should never forget. 

Doing good for others does not mean sacrificing our own lives completely.

Love does not mean forgetting ourselves and living entirely for others. 

We must learn to help people while also protecting our peace of mind, physical well-being and family responsibilities.

Only when there is happiness and peace within us can we genuinely share them with others.

Therefore, just as we show love towards others, we must also learn to love ourselves. 

We should learn to forgive our own mistakes, appreciate our own efforts and allow ourselves the rest that life demands.

Only a heart that is filled with contentment can offer truly meaningful love.

Success in life is not about how many people we have overtaken on our journey.

      

It is about how many people we have helped to move forward alongside us.

When we reach a higher position in life, let us pause and ask ourselves whether the people around us have also grown.

Has our progress brought happiness to our family? 

Have our friendships given our friends greater confidence? 

Have younger generations benefited from our experiences? 

Has our presence brought about a positive change in anyone's life?

The answers to these questions are the true measures of our success.

As I approach the threshold of old age and look back upon the path I have travelled, one truth becomes increasingly evident.

The memories that have brought us the greatest happiness in life are not necessarily connected to our greatest achievements.

Sometimes, it is the laughter shared with a friend, the moment we helped a relative, the day we gave hope to someone who was feeling broken, or the satisfaction of completing a small act of kindness within our ability that remains deeply engraved in our hearts.

The appreciation we once received may gradually fade from memory. 

The wealth we accumulated may eventually pass into someone else's hands. 

But the positive feelings created in another person's heart through our love may continue to live for a very long time.

That, indeed, is one of the most beautiful aspects of human life.

Spirituality is not confined to sitting somewhere in meditation or discussing profound philosophical ideas.

Spirituality also lives through the love, compassion, patience, forgiveness and willingness to help that we express in our everyday lives.

When our hearts respond to another person's suffering, when we feel the urge to offer whatever help we can, and when we do something good without expecting anything in return, we demonstrate the highest qualities of humanity.

When we perform good deeds without expecting others to appreciate or acknowledge them, those actions bring a special sense of peace and fulfilment to our own hearts.

Therefore, dear friends, we do not have to search endlessly for some extraordinary opportunity to make our lives successful and meaningful.

Let us begin with one small act of kindness that we can perform today.

Let us speak lovingly to someone.

Let us patiently listen to someone else's worries.

Let us sincerely appreciate someone's good efforts.

Let us offer whatever help we can, without expecting anything in return.

Let our good deeds inspire good thoughts in another person's heart. 

Let those good thoughts spread further and bring happiness and goodness into the lives of many others.

We have no control over how long we will live in this world.

But we do have control over how much love and goodness we sow during the time we are given.

It is not important how many people know our names. What truly matters is how many hearts carry beautiful memories of us.

At the end of our journey, what we leave behind should not be wealth alone.

We should leave behind the marks of our love, the memories of our compassion and the positive ripples created by the good deeds through which we gave others hope.

If each one of us makes a conscious decision to live as a good human being, the world around us will undoubtedly become a better place.

Let that transformation begin with us!

With love,

Sakthi Sakthithasan

Let Us Learn to Live a Life That Is Truly Our Own!

Let Us Learn to Live a Life That Is Truly Our Own!

A fulfilling life is one that reflects the truth of who we are within.

Quite often in life, we give more importance to living according to what others expect of us than to living a life that is true to ourselves.

What will our parents think? What will our relatives say? What will our friends think of us? How will society judge our worth?

With these thoughts constantly occupying our minds, we end up making many of our life's decisions based on other people's expectations.

And at some point, when we look back, a question quietly arises within us: How much room have we really given to our own wishes and aspirations in the life we have lived?

There may have been something we genuinely wanted to do, but we gave it up because others did not approve.

We may have recognised a path that was right for us, but chose to follow the path taken by others because it appeared safer.

Our hearts may have longed for something, yet we kept postponing our desires, using family responsibilities, social expectations and the fear of criticism as reasons.

This is how life unfolds for many of us.

There is nothing necessarily wrong with many of these choices. After all, we do not live in isolation. We are connected to family, relationships, friendships and society.

However, we must first understand that maintaining these connections does not mean we have to lose ourselves completely.

Giving others a place in our lives is a beautiful quality. But allowing a situation where there is no place left for ourselves in our own lives is not.

Once we understand this simple truth about life, many of our inner conflicts begin to find their answers.

Let us begin to understand our own lives!

### Let Us Make Room for Ourselves Amid Our Responsibilities

Let us consider the life of an ordinary person.

A new day begins for him when he wakes up in the morning. Yet, from the very first moment of that day, his time rarely belongs entirely to him.

Family needs, the rush to get to work, children's education, household expenses and responsibilities at the workplace begin to surround him.

There is nothing wrong with fulfilling these responsibilities. In fact, they are an essential part of life.

But amidst all these responsibilities, has he ever paused to ask himself what his own heart truly wants?

Perhaps he has wanted to read a book he enjoys.

Perhaps he has wished to spend a little time in silence.

Perhaps he has thought about reconnecting with a friend he has not spoken to for a long time.

Perhaps he has wanted to take better care of his body and mind.

Yet, he keeps postponing all these things until tomorrow.

One truth he needs to understand is that life has not been given to us merely to fulfil our responsibilities.

Life is also meant to be enjoyed, even while we fulfil those responsibilities.

Happiness is not a reward that we should wait to receive after every problem in our lives has been solved.

It is a state of mind that we must learn to experience even while problems continue to exist.

If we keep waiting for tomorrow, believing that we will be happy when everything falls into place, that tomorrow may bring another set of worries.

Therefore, we must learn to recognise the little joys available to us today.

Speaking openly with our family, listening to a favourite song, enquiring about the well-being of a friend, enjoying nature for a little while in the evening or doing something we genuinely love — there are so many simple ways to experience happiness.

None of these requires great wealth or extraordinary comforts.

All that is needed is to give ourselves a little permission to enjoy life.

Instead of postponing life in the pursuit of happiness, let us learn to discover happiness in the middle of life itself.

### Let Us Not Decide Our Journey by Looking at Someone Else's Path

One thing that affects us greatly in today's world is comparison.

Someone earns more than we do.

Someone else has built a beautiful house.

Another person travels to different countries.

Yet another proudly shares the achievements of their children.

When we see all these things, we sometimes begin to feel that something is missing from our own lives.

Until yesterday, we may have felt perfectly content with what we had. But after looking at someone else's life, dissatisfaction begins to creep into our minds.

Why does this happen?

It is because we stop evaluating our lives through our own experiences and begin judging them by looking at the outward achievements of others.

One tree does not necessarily take the same amount of time to grow as another.

Some trees grow tall quickly.

Some grow slowly.

Some take longer to blossom.

Does that mean they are not growing?

Human life is no different.

Someone may reach a particular stage in life at the age of twenty-five.

Another may reach the same stage at forty.

Yet another may discover an entirely new direction in life only at the age of sixty.

Does that make anyone's life a failure?

We must stop measuring our growth against someone else's timetable.

Are we a little clearer in our thinking today than we were yesterday?

Have we done something good today that we hesitated to do yesterday?

Have we learnt something from our mistakes?

Have we moved a little closer to a way of life that brings peace to our minds?

These are the real measures by which we should evaluate our growth.

Outgrowing others is not the true meaning of progress. Becoming a better person than we were yesterday is what genuine growth is all about.

### Let Our Decisions Arise from Clarity, Not Fear

In life, we often make decisions in a hurry.

Some decisions are made simply because someone else tells us to make them.

Others are made out of fear of what people might think or say about us.

But before making an important decision, we should take a little time to sit quietly and have an honest conversation with ourselves.

Why do I want to do this?

Is this right for me?

Will this decision bring good to me and to those who depend on me?

Or am I doing this merely to receive appreciation from others?

Questions like these can help us develop clarity within ourselves.

I am not suggesting that we should ignore the opinions of others.

Seeking advice from people with experience is always valuable.

Listening to those who genuinely care about our well-being is equally important.

But ultimately, we must develop the inner clarity to make decisions about our own lives.

We should neither accept everything others say without question nor deliberately oppose everything they suggest.

The mature approach is to think calmly, consider both sides and understand what is right for us.

Sometimes, we may need to leave the path we have followed for many years and choose a different direction.

We may need to change a job we have been doing for a long time.

We may need to move away from certain habits that no longer serve us.

We may even need to change some of our thoughts and attitudes.

When we make such changes, some people may not understand us.

Some may criticise us.

Others may even consider our decisions to be wrong.

But when we have clarity within ourselves that our decision is right, we need not abandon our journey simply because of the criticism of others.

Change is not always a sign that we have been following the wrong path.

Sometimes, it is a sign that we have begun to understand ourselves better.

We have the freedom to change ourselves. We must also develop the maturity to accept and embrace that change.

### Let Us Discover Our Own Rhythm of Life

There is one particularly beautiful idea in this reflection that deserves our attention.

Every human being has a unique rhythm of life.

Some find happiness in being constantly active and keeping themselves busy.

Others find happiness in silence, stillness and thoughtful reflection.

Some enjoy interacting with a large number of people.

Others find fulfilment in maintaining a few deep and meaningful friendships.

Some aspire to achieve many things in life.

Others consider living peacefully with their families to be their greatest success.

There is no need to decide which of these ways of living is superior or inferior.

Every individual has different feelings, life experiences and personal aspirations.

Yet, quite often, we try to follow a way of life that is not suited to our own nature.

We think that because others wake up early and go running, we must do the same.

Because others maintain a large social circle, we feel that we too must have one.

Because others work relentlessly without taking a break, we push ourselves to do likewise.

In doing so, we gradually lose our own natural rhythm of life.

What we need is not to imitate someone else's life.

What we need is to create a life that is in harmony with our own nature.

This does not mean that we should become lazy or abandon our efforts.

We must work towards our ambitions.

We must fulfil our responsibilities.

We must continue to improve ourselves.

But during this journey, we should never forget to take care of our bodies, minds, families and happiness.

When life demands speed, we can move quickly.

When we need peace, we can pause and reflect.

When we need rest, we should allow ourselves to rest.

We must not assume that constantly running is the only sign of progress.

Sometimes, pausing for a while and taking care of ourselves is precisely what prepares us for the next stage of our journey.

In life, how contented we feel along the path we travel is just as important as how far we have travelled.

### Let Our Outer Life Reflect the Truth Within Us

There is a fundamental truth at the heart of this entire reflection.

When what we truly desire within ourselves is different from the way we live outwardly, a conflict gradually develops inside us.

We wish to be loving, yet we speak with anger.

We want to live simply, yet we pursue extravagance in search of other people's admiration.

We long for peace, yet we involve ourselves in unnecessary competitions.

When our inner values and outward actions contradict each other, our sense of fulfilment begins to diminish.

Therefore, the good values we believe in must find expression in our everyday actions.

If we value love, love should be reflected in our words and deeds.

If we believe in honesty, honesty should guide our decisions.

If we admire simplicity, simplicity should be visible in our way of life.

Rather than constantly telling others who we are, it is far better to demonstrate it through our actions.

That is what it means to allow the truth within us to be reflected in the life we live outwardly.

Having reached the threshold of seventy, and having travelled through many experiences in life, there is one truth I have come to realise as an ordinary human being.

We cannot make everyone happy.

We cannot fulfil everyone's expectations.

Nor can we earn everyone's appreciation.

But we can make an honest effort to live in a way that remains true to our conscience.

We can fulfil our responsibilities towards those who depend on us with love.

We can acknowledge our mistakes and make an effort to correct them.

We can rejoice in the growth and achievements of others.

We can continue striving towards our own growth.

At the same time, we can make room for a little time of our own, a few personal interests and a way of life that brings us happiness.

We do not need anyone's permission to do that.

At the same time, we must ensure that our freedom does not interfere with the rights and freedom of others.

When we discover this balance, life no longer feels like a burden. We begin to feel that every day we live truly belongs to us.

### Let Us Live a Life That Is Truly Our Own!

Dear friends,

Let the life we live reflect the truth within our hearts.

Let our decisions arise from clarity rather than fear.

Let our happiness not be postponed until tomorrow, but blossom in the present moment.

Instead of looking at the success of others and underestimating ourselves, let us continue our own journey with confidence and hope.

Let us never abandon our efforts to improve ourselves.

At the same time, let us learn to accept ourselves for who we truly are.

Life is not a race in which we must overtake someone else.

It is a beautiful journey in which each of us travels along our own path and discovers our own sense of fulfilment.

Let us discover our own pace, our own direction and our own happiness along that journey.

For true freedom and inner fulfilment do not come from living our lives by looking at how others live theirs.

They come from understanding the truth within ourselves and learning to live a life that is genuinely our own.

With love

Sakthi Sakthithasan

Let Us Take a Moment to Look Back at the Path We Have Travelled!

Let Us Take a Moment to Look Back at the Path We Have Travelled!

In life, we are always running towards something.

We want to reach a better position, rise a little higher, achieve a few more things, and provide our families with an even better life. With all these thoughts and aspirations in mind, our journey continues.

Along the way, most of our attention is focused on what we need to do next.

We keep calculating where we want to go, how much further we have to travel, and how far others have already moved ahead of us.

But in all this hurry, there is one thing we often forget.

We rarely stop to look back and realise just how far we have already travelled!

Think about it for a moment.

Before reaching the place where we stand today, how many obstacles must we have faced?

How many worries must we have carried silently within us while smiling on the outside?

How many failures must we have experienced before finding the courage to try again?

How many times must we have thought, "I cannot go on any longer," only to wake up the following morning and carry on with our responsibilities?

We forget all these things so easily.

If we look at the life of an ordinary person, progress does not always have to mean remarkable achievements celebrated on grand platforms or spoken about before large audiences.

Even the little changes we have made in our everyday lives can represent tremendous progress.

Someone who was once afraid of almost everything but now has the courage to make a decision has achieved a victory.

Someone who once hesitated constantly, worrying about what others might think, but has now begun to express what they genuinely believe is right has experienced personal growth.

Someone who once reacted angrily to every little problem and damaged relationships in the process, but has now learnt to handle certain situations with patience, has undergone a remarkable transformation.

There are no medals for these achievements.

Nobody will arrange a special platform to applaud us.

Yet these are the very victories that can make our lives more peaceful, meaningful and beautiful.

Let us think back to our younger days.

The fears we had then were different. Our expectations were different. Even our understanding of life was different.

A small failure might have felt as though the whole world had come to an end.

A single remark from someone might have troubled us for days.

When we failed to get something we desperately wanted, we might have felt that life itself had let us down.

But time has taught us many lessons.

It was only after losing certain people that we understood the true value of relationships.

It was only after missing certain opportunities that we recognised the importance of the opportunities we had been given.

It was only after experiencing failures that we understood the value of perseverance.

Today, we are able to look back at sorrows that we once believed we could never bear, simply because we have somehow found the strength to move beyond them.

If that is so, why should we remember only the difficulties we faced and forget the inner strength that helped us overcome them?

There is one appreciation that we owe ourselves in life.

It is not about exaggerating our abilities.

Nor is it about claiming that we are better than others.

It is about honestly acknowledging the difficulties we have faced and the determination that has enabled us to keep moving forward despite them.

Sometimes, we fail to recognise our own progress.

Let me explain this through a simple example.

When a little child is learning to walk, progress comes one step at a time.

The child falls many times, gets up again and tries once more.

The child has no understanding of how far it has progressed.

But the parents celebrate even the smallest step with immense happiness.

As adults, we should learn to do something similar.

Are we a little more patient today than we were yesterday?

Are we now willing to attempt something that we once believed was beyond our ability?

Have we begun to understand other people's circumstances instead of merely looking at their shortcomings?

Have we learnt to avoid repeating the mistakes we made in the past?

If the answer to these questions is yes, then the truth is that we are progressing.

Progress should not always be measured in terms of money, position or fame.

The positive changes in our thinking, the maturity reflected in our behaviour, the kindness we show towards others and the peace that has gradually developed within us are all signs of progress.

There is another important lesson we need to understand.

Comparing our present life with the life we lived yesterday can be beneficial.

But comparing our life with where others stand today can often create unnecessary dissatisfaction and disappointment.

Someone may have secured a good job at a young age.

Someone else may have accumulated the wealth they always dreamed of.

Another person may have fulfilled their ambitions much earlier than expected.

But their journey belongs to them.

Our journey belongs to us.

The opportunities life offers and the challenges each person has to face are never the same.

Something that comes easily to one person may take another person years of struggle to achieve.

Therefore, we should never look at someone else's speed of progress and consider our own journey inferior.

What truly matters is whether we have moved at least one step forward from where we stood yesterday.

For some people, progress may mean the struggles they endured to protect and provide for their families.

For others, it may mean the life of parents who set aside their own dreams and aspirations to build a better future for their children.

For yet others, it may be the journey of someone who left their hometown, relatives and familiar surroundings, travelled to another country and started a completely new life.

Those looking from the outside will never know how many tears are hidden behind such journeys.

But the person who travelled that path knows.

They know where they started, what difficulties they encountered, how many times their hearts were broken and, despite everything, how they managed to rise again.

When such people take a moment to look back at their lives, they may realise that behind many experiences they casually dismissed as ordinary, there was an extraordinary amount of inner strength.

Therefore, when we reflect on our past, let us not spend all our time blaming ourselves for the mistakes we made.

Let us also look at what those mistakes have taught us.

Perhaps we have hurt someone.

Perhaps we have made some wrong decisions.

Perhaps we have failed to make use of some valuable opportunities.

Perhaps we failed to recognise the importance of certain relationships at the right time.

It is natural to feel regret about these things.

But we should not spend the rest of our lives imprisoned by that regret.

After all, we cannot change our past.

But we can learn from those experiences and make our present life better.

Perhaps the anger that once dominated us has gradually diminished.

Perhaps an incident that once caused us great pain can now be accepted with a peaceful mind.

Perhaps we once suffered deeply over people who walked away from us, but today we have learnt to wish them well.

These are all signs of growth within us.

There is no need for anyone else to celebrate these changes on our behalf.

It is enough if we recognise them ourselves.

Standing at the threshold of old age and looking back at my own life, I too have come to understand one important truth.

We have spent far more time worrying about the distance still ahead of us than appreciating the path we have already travelled.

Rather than enjoying what we have received, we have often spent our lives chasing what we did not receive.

But experience has a message to teach us.

Life is not merely a list of goals that we must achieve.

It is also the sum of the people we have met, the lessons we have learnt, the challenges we have overcome and the changes that have taken place within us along the way.

So, let us occasionally slow down our hurried journey.

Let us turn around and look at the path we have travelled.

Let us remember the sacrifices we have made for ourselves and our loved ones.

Let us remember those moments when we comforted ourselves during difficult times.

Let us remember the inner strength that helped us rise every time we fell.

When we do so, a quiet sense of happiness will begin to grow within us.

We will find ourselves thinking:

"I may not have achieved everything I once dreamed of. But the path I have travelled so far is certainly not an ordinary one.

I have overcome so many difficulties to reach where I am today.

For that alone, I deserve to appreciate myself."

Such a thought will not lead us towards arrogance or self-importance.

Instead, it will teach us to value our own lives.

It will strengthen our confidence in ourselves.

There may still be many things left for us to accomplish.

There may be dreams yet to be fulfilled and goals still waiting to be reached.

Let us continue towards them, but not by forgetting the path we have already travelled.

Let us be grateful for the efforts we made yesterday.

Let us embrace the life we have today with happiness.

Let us face tomorrow's journey with confidence and hope.

Because the experience we have gained by overcoming the challenges of the past will give us the courage we need to face whatever challenges lie ahead.

Do not merely calculate how much further you still have to travel.

Also count how many obstacles you have already crossed to reach where you are today.

Sometimes, the greatest appreciation we need is not the appreciation that comes from others, but the appreciation that comes from within our own hearts.

Today, take a moment and tell yourself:

"I may not have conquered everything in life.

I have experienced failures in certain places.

I have made mistakes along the way.

But I have tried to do the best I could.

I have overcome many challenges.

And even today, I continue to live with hope and confidence.

For all these reasons, I appreciate myself!"

With that sense of fulfilment, continue your journey.

Let the path we have travelled remind us of our strength. Let the path ahead strengthen our hope!

With affection,

Sakthi Sakthithasan

The Spiritual Journey Is Not Just About Learning Something New…

The Spiritual Journey Is Not Just About Learning Something New… It Is Also About Letting Go of What We Have Already Learned

From the moment we are born, we spend our lives learning one thing or another.

First, we learn to speak.

We learn to walk.

Then we learn to read, write, work, and manage a family.

As we grow older, our knowledge and experiences continue to expand. We listen to others, read books, accept the advice of elders, and follow the paths shown to us by society.

Without even realising it, we gradually accumulate countless beliefs, opinions and ideas within ourselves.

But have we ever stopped to ask whether everything we have learned over the years is actually true?

Are some of the things we believe in based on our own experiences, or have we simply accepted them because others told us they were true?

It is in asking these questions that an important part of our spiritual journey begins.

When we speak of spirituality, many of us tend to think of learning something new, discovering new mantras, reading spiritual books or listening to the teachings of different spiritual masters.

All these can certainly support one's spiritual search.

However, the spiritual journey is not simply about accumulating more and more knowledge.

Sometimes, true spiritual growth lies in freeing ourselves from the thoughts, beliefs and assumptions that we have already accumulated in our minds.

There are many examples of this in our everyday lives.

### Do We Need to Believe That Everything We Have Been Taught Is True?

From childhood, we are taught many things.

We are told what is good and what is bad, how we should live, and how we should behave towards others.

We trust what our parents tell us.

We accept what our teachers teach us.

We follow what society considers normal.

There is no doubt that many of the things we have learned in this way have become valuable guides in our lives.

However, as time changes, there are certain beliefs that we need to examine again.

For example, someone may believe that they will only be respected if they have money.

Another may think that achieving a high position is the only measure of success in life.

Someone else may feel that they must constantly receive praise and appreciation from others.

But do we genuinely believe these things?

Or do we think this way simply because the world around us believes them?

Take a little time to sit quietly and reflect on this.

You may begin to realise that many of the things we spend our lives pursuing are not necessarily things we truly need. Some desires may simply have grown within us because we constantly compare ourselves with others.

When this understanding dawns, we gradually become capable of letting go of certain unnecessary beliefs.

That, too, is a form of spiritual growth.

### Let Us Free Ourselves from Unnecessary Identities

Every one of us lives with several identities.

To someone, I am a father. To another, I may be a mother.

To someone, I am a husband or wife.

At work, I am an employee. In society, I may hold a particular position or status.

All these identities are part of our lives.

There is no need to reject them.

The problem begins when we start believing that these identities represent the entirety of who we really are.

When someone describes us as a particular kind of person, we often begin to believe that description ourselves.

When someone praises us, we feel happy.

When someone criticises us, we feel broken.

We allow other people's opinions of us to become the measure of our own peace of mind.

This is where we need to pause and reflect.

Can the names and identities that others have given us truly define our innermost nature?

If someone misunderstands us and judges us wrongly, should we begin to believe that there is something wrong with us?

Does our worth diminish simply because someone fails to appreciate us?

Certainly not.

We do not need others to tell us who we are.

We should make an effort to understand ourselves through our actions, our thoughts and the voice of our conscience.

When we begin to shed the unnecessary identities imposed upon us by others and live more naturally, a new sense of freedom begins to emerge within us.

### Let Us Give Up the Urge to Know Everything

In today's world, we seem to have an urgent need to find immediate answers to everything.

Who said what?

Why did they do that?

What will happen tomorrow?

What will we receive?

What is the other person thinking?

We keep asking questions endlessly.

We expect ourselves to have answers to everything in life.

When something is beyond our understanding, we become restless.

We want everything to happen according to our wishes.

But life does not always unfold the way we expect it to.

Some events cannot be understood immediately.

We may never fully understand the behaviour of certain people.

We may struggle to find explanations for certain losses.

And life may allow time to pass without ever providing answers to some of our questions.

At such times, rather than exhausting our minds trying to understand everything, we should learn to leave certain things unexplained.

That is not ignorance.

It is the maturity to accept what lies beyond our ability to change.

When our desire to control everything begins to diminish, many unnecessary struggles within our minds also begin to disappear.

We gradually develop the maturity to accept life as it unfolds.

### There Is a Difference Between Accumulating Knowledge and Turning It into Experience

We may read many spiritual books.

We may learn about the lives of great spiritual masters.

We may listen to countless teachings and practise different forms of meditation.

All these are worthwhile efforts.

But there is one question we should ask ourselves.

How much of what we have read and learned has actually become part of our everyday lives?

We may have read many books about love.

But do we treat the people around us with love?

We may have listened to many teachings about patience.

But when someone speaks against us, are we able to remain calm?

We may have heard countless explanations about detachment.

But when we lose something dear to us, how deeply does our mind become disturbed?

This is where we begin to understand the difference between knowledge and experience.

Knowing something is knowledge.

Feeling its truth and living according to it is experience.

Reading in a book that fire burns is one thing.

Touching fire and experiencing its heat is quite another.

In the same way, rather than knowing a thousand things about spirituality, it may be far more meaningful to understand one simple truth through our own lives and live by it.

There is therefore no need to wear spiritual knowledge like a medal on our chest and parade our wisdom before others.

What matters is not how much we have read, but how much we have changed.

### There Is an Answer Even Within Silence

Let us try to develop a small habit in our everyday lives.

Every day, spend a little time sitting quietly without reading anything, listening to anyone or looking at your mobile phone.

Do not try to stop the thoughts that arise in your mind.

Do not fight with them.

Do not classify them as good thoughts or bad thoughts.

Simply allow them to come and go. Just observe them.

Initially, the mind will wander in many directions.

It will remind you of something that happened yesterday.

It will worry about something that may happen tomorrow.

It will repeatedly bring back words spoken by someone.

But when we learn to remain still without rushing ourselves, we gradually begin to understand our thoughts and emotions a little better.

We are so accustomed to constantly receiving something from the outside world that we rarely find the time to observe what is happening within us.

In that silence, we may sometimes discover the clarity we need.

A problem that has troubled us for a long time may suddenly appear from a different perspective.

We may realise that the anger we have been holding against someone is unnecessary.

We may even become ready to let go of an opinion to which we have stubbornly clung for years.

We do not need a miracle to make this happen.

What matters is that we begin to observe ourselves.

### Let Us Respect Our Gurus and Books, But Not Forget Our Own Experiences

In life, we need good people to guide us.

We need books that bring clarity to our thoughts.

We may also need spiritual teachers who help remove our ignorance.

But we should not mistake spirituality for accepting everything they say without question.

A good guide will never encourage us to remain dependent on them forever.

Instead, they will encourage us to think for ourselves, experience life for ourselves and seek the truth through our own understanding.

We need not accept something as true simply because someone has said it.

Likewise, we need not reject something as false simply because someone else has denied it.

Let us listen.

Let us reflect.

Let us experience.

And when clarity arises within us, let us accept it.

I believe this is a healthy approach to follow on our spiritual journey.

### Sometimes, Letting Go Is the Greatest Form of Freedom!

As we reach a greater maturity in life, one truth slowly begins to dawn upon us.

Over the years, we have accumulated so many things.

We have accumulated wealth.

We have built relationships.

We have gathered experiences.

We have acquired knowledge.

We have accumulated beliefs.

But is the purpose of life simply to keep accumulating more and more?

Should we not also learn how to let go of certain things?

We can let go of painful memories from the past.

We can let go of unnecessary anger.

We can let go of the habit of comparing ourselves with others.

We can let go of the expectation that everyone should think well of us.

We can even let go of the arrogance that makes us believe we are always right.

By letting go of these things, we do not really lose anything valuable.

Instead, we create new space within our minds.

In that space, love can grow.

Patience can blossom.

The ability to understand others can develop.

And we may discover the maturity to accept our lives with greater peace.

I believe this is one of the true benefits of spirituality.

### A Few Thoughts from My Own Life...

Standing at the threshold of old age and looking back at the journey of life, many thoughts arise within me.

Throughout our lives, we are constantly running in search of something.

At one stage, we chase money.

At another stage, we pursue positions and status.

Later, we seek the happiness of our families.

As we grow older, we begin to search for peace of mind.

Yet, it takes us so many years to realise that the peace we have been searching for all along may have been within us from the very beginning.

I am not a great spiritual master.

Nor am I a scholar who has mastered countless books.

I am simply sharing with you the thoughts that have emerged within me through what I have seen, heard and experienced in life.

As far as I am concerned, spirituality does not mean withdrawing from the world.

It does not mean forgetting our families.

It does not mean abandoning our relationships.

Nor does it mean running away from our everyday responsibilities.

It means developing inner peace while continuing to live with our families.

It means reducing unnecessary expectations while remaining connected to our relationships.

It means loving others without trying to control them.

It means accepting with happiness what life gives us and not allowing ourselves to suffer endlessly over what life has not given us.

These, to me, are some of the simplest expressions of spirituality.

There is still so much more for us to learn.

At the same time, we must also examine what we have already learned: which things genuinely benefit us and which keep us trapped within unnecessary limitations.

Sometimes, a book gives us knowledge.

A spiritual teacher shows us a path.

An experience teaches us a lesson.

But it is we who must quietly reflect upon that knowledge, guidance and experience within our own hearts and discover their true meaning.

Peace does not necessarily come only after we have understood everything.

Sometimes, peace comes when we realise that certain things do not need to be understood at all.

Happiness does not necessarily come only when we have everything under our control.

Sometimes, happiness is born when we accept that certain things are beyond our control.

Peace of mind does not necessarily come only when everyone understands us.

Sometimes, it comes when we begin to understand ourselves.

So, dear friends!

On our spiritual journey, there is no need to keep counting how many books we have read, how many teachings we have listened to or how many new things we have learned.

Instead, let us ask ourselves:

How many unnecessary beliefs have we freed ourselves from?

How much anger have we let go of?

How many expectations have we reduced?

How often have we listened to the voice of our own conscience?

Because the spiritual journey is not merely about creating something new within ourselves.

It is also about gradually removing the unnecessary layers that conceal our true nature from us.

Sometimes, true wisdom is not born from learning more and more, but from forgetting what is unnecessary and learning to remain peacefully still.

May our journey of self-discovery continue.

May love, peace and clarity fill our lives as we travel along this path.

With affection,

Sakthi Sakthithasan

Life's Setbacks May Not Be Meant to Turn Us Away, but to Guide Us Towards the Right Path!

Life's Setbacks May Not Be Meant to Turn Us Away, but to Guide Us Towards the Right Path!

In life, each one of us waits and hopes for something.

Every individual has a dream. We may wish to secure a good job, buy a house in a place of our choice, find the person we wish to share our life with, see our children settle down successfully, or achieve success in an effort we have undertaken. We carry many such hopes, dreams and expectations in our hearts as we journey through life.

But life does not always unfold the way we expect it to.

Sometimes, something we have eagerly looked forward to simply does not happen. Certain efforts come to a halt at the very last moment. Some opportunities come our way, only to slip away for reasons beyond our understanding. At other times, just when we believe everything is going according to plan, an unexpected change takes our entire life in a different direction.

At such moments, our hearts are filled with disappointment and pain.

Why did this happen?

Why am I the one facing this obstacle?

Why have I not succeeded despite trying so hard?

These are questions we often ask ourselves.

Some begin to blame their own efforts. Others complain about their bad luck. There are also those who become discouraged, believing that life itself is working against them.

But one truth I have come to understand through my own experiences is that not getting what we hoped for does not necessarily mean that we have failed.

Sometimes, the path we wish to take may not be the path that is truly right for us.

Just because a door we wanted to open remains closed, we should not assume that every door in life has been shut.

### When One Door Closes...

We can find many examples of this in the everyday lives of ordinary people.

Imagine a young man who has completed his education and dreams of joining a particular company. He spends several months preparing for it and making every possible effort. He attends the interview and comes away feeling that everything has gone well. But then comes the disappointing news that he has not been selected.

How disappointed would that young man feel?

He may wonder why the opportunity he wanted so much has slipped away.

However, instead of losing heart, he begins looking for other opportunities. Some time later, he secures another job, which turns out to be an even better opportunity to demonstrate his abilities, gain new experiences and progress in life.

When he looks back one day, he may even wonder why he was so distressed about not getting that first job.

The door that closed that day did not bring his life to a standstill. Instead, it led him towards a path he had never considered before.

Something similar may have happened in one form or another in each of our lives.

A marriage we hoped for may not have materialised. A friendship with someone we trusted deeply may have come to an end. A business we had been running for many years may not have progressed as expected. We may have been forced to leave a place we dearly loved and move somewhere else.

At the time, all these experiences would have felt like great losses.

But when we look back after some years, we may begin to understand that certain decisions and circumstances actually saved us from difficulties we could not have foreseen.

Therefore, when an opportunity slips away, we should not immediately conclude that life itself has rejected us.

### Delay Is Not Punishment!

One of the things that tests us most in life is the waiting period.

When the good news we have been expecting does not arrive on time, our minds become restless. When we see everyone else moving forward, we sometimes feel as though we alone are standing still.

Imagine someone who has been working hard for many years with the dream of building or buying a home of his own.

Because his income is limited, fulfilling that dream takes longer than expected.

Many of his friends and classmates have already bought their own homes and reached a certain level of comfort in life. But he has not yet managed to do so.

It is natural for him to feel disappointed.

However, there is little benefit in comparing his life with that of others and looking down upon himself.

Every individual's journey through life is different.

An opportunity that comes to one person need not necessarily come to another at the same time. The speed at which one person progresses cannot become the measuring scale for another person's growth.

Sometimes, while we are waiting for something we desire, life may actually be preparing us with the experience, maturity and understanding needed to handle it responsibly when it finally comes.

We cannot expect a plant to blossom the day after we sow it.

We have to water it, care for it and give it time. Only then will it grow and eventually flower.

Human life is no different.

We must continue making the efforts that are within our reach. Just because the results are taking longer than expected, we should not abandon our efforts.

### Some Decisions Come to Set Us Free!

In life, there are certain relationships, habits, jobs and desires that we hold on to very tightly.

Even when they no longer bring us happiness, we find it difficult to let them go. Sometimes, simply because we have been accustomed to them for many years, or because we worry about what others might think, we resist making changes in our lives.

But holding on to everything forever is not what life is about.

Certain relationships may continuously disturb our peace of mind.

Some friendships may become obstacles to our personal growth.

Certain jobs may restrict us so much that we are unable to express our true abilities.

When the time comes for us to step away from such situations, it may initially feel like a loss.

But if, after some time, we find ourselves breathing more freely and living with greater peace of mind, we begin to understand how necessary that separation was.

Only when we step out of something that has kept us confined within a small circle can we begin to see the new opportunities and experiences waiting for us.

Therefore, we should not look upon every ending as a loss.

Some endings simply create space for new beginnings.

### Everything We Desire May Not Necessarily Be Good for Us!

There is a simple truth here that we need to think about.

What we desire is one thing. What is truly good for us is another.

A child may want to eat only the sweets it likes. But parents who care about the child's health will also provide the nutritious food it needs.

They do not believe that love means fulfilling every single wish of the child.

In the same way, we too develop strong desires in life. We sometimes believe that if only we could achieve a particular dream, our lives would become complete.

But we rarely think about the difficulties that might follow if that particular desire were fulfilled.

There are people who believe that every event in life happens for a reason. Some also believe that a greater force, beyond our understanding, guides our journey.

I do not dismiss such beliefs.

However, we should not simply attribute everything to the will of the universe and stop making the efforts that are expected of us.

We must do whatever is within our power. We must fulfil our responsibilities sincerely. At the same time, we must develop the maturity to accept whatever results follow.

When things do not happen according to our wishes, instead of fighting with life, the real maturity lies in asking ourselves what we can learn from the experience.

### Do Not Look Upon Unexpected Changes as Enemies!

Sometimes, changes arrive in our lives without our permission or willingness.

People who were once very close to us may move away. We may have to leave a place where we have lived for many years. We may be forced to change a way of life to which we have become accustomed.

It is natural for such changes to unsettle us.

But there is one thing we need to understand. Change is a natural part of life. Nothing remains the same forever.

Something that brought us happiness yesterday may not bring us the same happiness today. An experience that seemed unnecessary yesterday may turn out to be extremely valuable today.

Therefore, when unexpected changes come our way, instead of immediately resisting or disliking them, we should prepare ourselves to face them.

Even within a change that we do not particularly welcome, there may be a new experience waiting for us.

It may also provide an opportunity for a talent within us, which we never knew existed, to come to the surface.

Accepting change does not mean agreeing to everything that happens.

It means learning to change what is within our control and peacefully accept what is beyond our control.

### Do Not Lose Yourself While Waiting!

When something we have been expecting does not happen, we often spend all our time thinking about that one disappointment.

When will it happen? When will things change? When will better days finally arrive in my life?

We keep waiting for answers.

But in the process of waiting, we fail to realise that we are losing the life we are living today.

We tell ourselves that we can be happy only when we get a good job tomorrow.

We believe that we can have peace of mind only when we own a house.

We convince ourselves that life will become successful only when we reach a particular goal.

If we continue living with the belief that happiness will come only when something happens in the future, we end up losing the happiness that is available to us today.

Making good use of the day we have been given is itself a great achievement.

Speaking lovingly with our family, sharing our thoughts with friends, carrying out the work entrusted to us honestly, looking after our physical and mental well-being, and helping others whenever possible — there are so many little joys hidden in our everyday lives.

We must learn to appreciate and experience them.

We do not know what tomorrow holds.

But we do know what we can do today.

Therefore, while waiting for tomorrow, let us also learn to live today's life with love and gratitude.

### Trust Life... And Believe in Yourself!

Standing at the threshold of old age and looking back at the journey I have travelled, I realise that the meaning we give to many events in our lives today is often very different from the meaning we gave them when they first happened.

Some incidents that brought tears to our eyes back then have now become valuable life experiences.

Certain decisions that once made us feel disappointed have given us a new understanding of life today.

Some opportunities that we thought we had lost have eventually led us towards different and better experiences.

I am not saying that every difficulty in life happens only for our own good.

Some losses genuinely cause deep pain.

Some separations leave wounds that take a long time to heal.

Some failures can affect us for many years.

But what I wish to say is that we need not allow those painful experiences to bring our lives to a standstill.

We cannot change what has happened. But we can change the way we look at what has happened.

We may not always be able to recover what we have lost.

But we can learn a lesson from that experience and continue our journey along a new path.

We cannot confidently say that every door that closes in our lives will always be followed by another opening.

But neither is there any need to stand in front of a closed door and spend the rest of our lives grieving over it.

Let us continue our efforts. Let us not lose our faith and confidence.

Let us change our direction wherever necessary.

Let us correct our mistakes.

And where patience is required, let us learn to be patient.

Once we develop the maturity to accept that we cannot make everything happen according to our wishes, many of life's burdens will begin to feel lighter.

Finally, there is just one thing I wish to say.

Just because we have not received what we expected from life, we should never assume that our journey has come to an end.

Sometimes, the path that life takes us along may offer experiences that we would never have discovered had we continued along the path we originally wanted.

We may not know where that new path will lead us today.

But if we continue our journey without abandoning our efforts and our faith, we will be able to learn something valuable from every experience.

There is a beautiful maturity not only in receiving what we desire, but also in accepting what we could not obtain and finding the strength to continue living.

Let us not merely count what life gives us. Let us also pay attention to what life teaches us.

Because sometimes, what life refuses to give us may be just one particular thing.

But what it offers us in return could be a new experience, a fresh understanding, or an opportunity to discover our own true selves.

Let us continue our journey with that faith.

Without allowing yesterday's disappointments to rob us of today's happiness, let us live the present with love and look towards tomorrow with hope.

With affection,

Sakthi Sakthithasan

Setting Boundaries Is Not Selfishness… It Is an Expression of Self-Love!

Setting Boundaries Is Not Selfishness… It Is an Expression of Self-Love!

If we take a moment to look back at the path we have travelled in life, we begin to realise an important truth.

How many times have we sacrificed our own happiness simply to keep others happy?

How often have we suppressed our true thoughts and feelings because we did not want to hurt someone else's feelings?

How many things have we unwillingly agreed to do simply because we were afraid that others might think badly of us?

We have often mistaken all this for love.

We have called it compromise.

We have believed that it is a sign of being a good human being.

But, at some point in life, a question begins to arise within us.

While we have spent so much time trying to keep everyone else happy, what have we actually done to make ourselves happy?

It is when we begin searching for an answer to this question that we slowly understand the importance of setting certain boundaries in our lives.

When we hear the word boundaries, some people may associate it with separation, distance or the possibility of creating cracks in relationships.

But, from the way I have come to understand it, a boundary is not a wall built to keep someone away from us.

It is a safe space that we create to protect our peace of mind and self-respect.

Let us reflect on how this applies to the ordinary life of an ordinary human being.

In our everyday lives, we meet and interact with so many different people.

At home, we have our family members. At work, we have our colleagues. Outside, we have our friends. And within society, we encounter people from all walks of life.

Our circle of relationships continues to expand.

Each person has their own expectations of us.

Some ask for our help. Some share their personal problems with us. Others expect us to behave according to their wishes.

Helping others whenever we can is a good quality.

Sharing in another person's suffering is an expression of humanity.

But is it right to forget our own lives while constantly trying to fulfil everyone else's needs?

Imagine that a friend regularly calls us and spends most of the conversation talking about their problems.

Every time, we listen.

We offer comfort.

We patiently hear about their worries and anxieties.

All this is a natural expression of friendship.

But if those conversations repeatedly leave us emotionally exhausted, should we not recognise that we, too, need some rest?

What is wrong with saying one day,

"I am sorry, but I am unable to talk today. I need a little time to myself. Let us speak another day."

There is nothing wrong with that.

It does not mean that we are rejecting the friendship.

It simply means that we are also respecting our own emotional well-being.

The same situation can arise within family life.

A family should have love, affection, responsibility and a willingness to make compromises.

But if a situation develops where everyone is always expected to put aside their own wishes to satisfy one particular person's preferences, expectations can gradually begin to take the place of love.

A husband may have expectations of his wife, a wife of her husband, parents of their children, and children of their parents.

But when circumstances make it impossible to fulfil those expectations, every individual has the right to explain their limitations honestly and clearly.

We should never assume that agreeing to everything and nodding our heads to every request is what love is all about.

Sometimes, we must learn to say no with love.

Sometimes, we must calmly communicate where we stand.

Just as we respect the feelings of others, we must also learn to respect our own.

This is where the difference between self-love and selfishness becomes clear.

Selfishness is when we pursue our own needs without considering the feelings, rights or well-being of others.

Self-love, on the other hand, is about respecting our own feelings and needs without deliberately hurting others.

We should never confuse these two.

The message is not that we should stop living for others.

It is that while living for others, we must also learn to live for ourselves.

We make time for everyone else, but we must also set aside a little time for ourselves.

We listen to everyone's worries, but we must also listen to the voice within our own hearts.

We wish happiness for everyone, but we must not forget our own happiness.

There are some people in our lives with whom we feel lighter after a conversation.

Even spending a little time with them fills us with renewed energy.

They are genuinely happy to see us grow.

They stand beside us when we fail.

They even point out our shortcomings, but always with affection and concern.

At the same time, there are people whose company leaves us feeling as though we are carrying an invisible burden.

We feel compelled to explain every action.

We feel that we need permission for our decisions.

Sometimes, we even find ourselves having to express our happiness according to what they consider acceptable.

In such relationships, it is important to understand what is happening within us.

Just because we love someone does not mean that we must accept every aspect of their behaviour.

Just because we have known someone for many years does not mean that we must sacrifice our self-respect.

Some relationships may need a little distance.

Some conversations may need to be avoided.

Some expectations may need to be declined.

None of this makes us bad human beings.

When we make decisions to protect our peace of mind, others may not always understand.

They may say that we have changed.

They may complain that we are no longer the way we used to be.

They may even become angry when we do not respond immediately to their needs.

But there is one important truth we must understand.

We do not need anyone else's approval to live our lives.

Nor do we need anyone else's permission to protect our peace of mind.

At the same time, setting boundaries does not give us the right to disrespect others.

Even when expressing our position, we must remain mindful of their feelings.

There is a difference between shutting doors out of anger and establishing boundaries through clarity and understanding.

That difference should be reflected in the words we choose.

Consider the difference between saying,

"I don't need you in my life"

and saying,

"This is not something I feel comfortable with at this point in my life."

The first may create distance and hurt.

The second may help the other person understand our position.

One of the most important lessons we need to learn in life is that we do not have to respond to everything immediately.

When someone criticises us, we do not always have to rush into defending ourselves.

Just because someone disagrees with our decision does not mean that we must change it.

Just because someone has formed an incorrect opinion about us does not mean that we should spend our precious time and energy trying to change their thinking.

Sometimes, silence itself can be the best response.

The time and emotional energy we spend in life are extremely valuable. We must be conscious of where and how we invest them.

For a tree to grow, it needs not only water and sunlight but also a safe and nourishing environment around its roots.

In the same way, for a human being to grow with contentment, love, peace and freedom are essential.

We need a little space to breathe, to think, to understand our own wishes, to learn from our mistakes and to grow in a direction that feels right to us.

Creating that space is what protecting our energy is all about.

It does not mean running away from the world.

It does not mean hating people.

Nor does it mean cutting off relationships.

Rather, it means understanding how much space and importance we should give to different things and people in our lives.

Standing at the threshold of old age and looking back at the journey I have travelled, there is one thought I would like to share with you.

We have spent many years of our lives trying to fulfil the wishes and expectations of others.

At times, we have accepted things that we did not really like.

At times, we have remained silent even when there were things we desperately wanted to say.

For fear of losing someone, we have sometimes ended up losing ourselves.

But as we grow older, one truth becomes increasingly clear.

The person who has to accompany us until the very end of our lives is none other than ourselves.

Others may enter our journey and eventually move on.

Some may remain with us for many years.

Others may leave halfway through the journey.

But the relationship we have with our own minds continues throughout our lives.

Should we not nurture that relationship with love and care, too?

We must give our minds the rest they need.

We must pay attention to the needs of our bodies.

We must make time for the things we enjoy.

We must give ourselves the opportunity to understand and clarify our thoughts.

We must recognise that there is a life within us that deserves attention, rather than spending every moment living solely for others.

This is the message I would particularly like to share with the younger generation.

As you build your lives, listen to the opinions of others.

Learn from their experiences.

Respect your parents and elders.

Show affection towards your friends.

Help others whenever you can.

But while doing all these things, never lose your individuality.

There is nothing wrong with refusing to do something you genuinely do not wish to do.

There is nothing wrong with protecting your time.

There is nothing wrong with seeking a little solitude for the sake of your peace of mind.

There is nothing wrong with making decisions that are appropriate for your own life.

Before expecting others to understand you, begin by understanding yourself.

Discover what brings happiness to your heart and what leaves you feeling emotionally drained.

Recognise the kinds of people whose company brings out the best in you, and the situations that disturb your inner peace.

Once this clarity develops within you, many of life's decisions become much easier.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with expecting to receive at least some of the care and respect that we so willingly offer to others.

We must learn to give ourselves at least a portion of the love that we give so freely to everyone else.

This does not mean that we have to place ourselves on a pedestal.

Nor does it mean that we should consider ourselves more important than others.

It is simply about learning to value ourselves just as much as we value other people.

Here is a thought worth reflecting upon.

Saying no to the things that drain our energy creates the opportunity to say yes to the things that bring life and meaning into our lives.

There should be no hatred in that no.

There should be no selfishness in that yes.

Both should come from a place of clarity, love and self-respect.

The boundaries we establish to protect our peace of mind are not meant to punish others.

They are meant to keep our lives healthy, balanced and happy.

Let us love everyone.

Let us respect everyone.

Let us help everyone as much as we can.

But in that journey, let us never forget to love ourselves and respect ourselves, too.

For just as it is beautiful to live a life filled with love for others, living with love for ourselves is no less beautiful!

Life has not been given to us merely to fulfil the expectations of other people.

We also have every right to live with our true nature, with contentment in our hearts and peace in our minds.

Let us begin to recognise that right and live accordingly.

It is the very moment we begin to respect ourselves that we also begin to truly value our lives.

With affection,

Sakthi Sakthithasan

Discover the Rhythm of Life That Is Truly Yours!

Discover the Rhythm of Life That Is Truly Yours!

*Living a life that reflects the truth within us is the beginning of genuine happiness.*

Take a moment to pause and reflect quietly on your life.

Is the life we are living truly the life we want?

Or is it a life we have shaped around the expectations of others?

Do the decisions we make arise from clarity within our own minds? Or are they driven by the fear of what others might think, what they might say, or how they might judge us?

These are questions each of us needs to explore within ourselves.

Because, quite often, we believe that we are living for ourselves. Yet, in reality, we may be shaping our lives around the wishes, expectations, lifestyles and definitions of success set by others.

If that is so, how much room have we really given our own hearts and minds in the lives we lead?

It is with this thought that I would like to share a few reflections drawn from my own experiences today.

## Our Inner World and Our Outer World

Every human being lives in two worlds.

One is the inner world that exists within us. The other is the outer world in which we live.

Our inner world consists of our thoughts, feelings, beliefs, desires, aspirations, fears and conscience.

Our outer world includes our family, career, relationships, friendships, social life, decisions and the actions through which we engage with the world around us.

There is a close connection between these two worlds.

Whatever exists within us gradually begins to express itself through our actions.

Our thoughts influence our decisions.

Our decisions become actions.

Our actions develop into habits.

And our habits eventually shape the direction of our lives.

For example, imagine someone who carries a sense of peace within.

That inner peace gradually becomes visible in the way they speak, the way they approach situations and the way they treat other people.

In the same way, if someone constantly compares themselves with others, they may find it difficult to appreciate what they already have, regardless of how comfortable or successful their life might be. They will always notice what someone else possesses and feel that something is missing from their own life.

There is something important we can understand from this.

If we want to bring about a change in our outer lives, the starting point must be our inner world.

We cannot pretend to believe in something that we do not genuinely accept within ourselves and continue living that way indefinitely.

True fulfilment begins when there is harmony between what we genuinely feel within and the life we express outwardly.

## Decisions Born Out of Clarity, Not the Pressure of Others

Take a moment to examine some of the decisions we make in life.

From choosing what to study and deciding on a career, to marriage and family responsibilities, from buying a home to making financial plans, many of our decisions are influenced by the expectations of others.

We choose a particular field because our parents want us to.

We follow the same path as our friends because they seem to be progressing.

We adopt a particular lifestyle because society considers it respectable.

I am not suggesting that there is anything wrong with these influences.

Our parents' experiences can support us.

Our friends' advice can guide us.

We can also learn valuable lessons from the experiences of society.

However, before making an important decision, it is our responsibility to ask ourselves whether that decision is truly suitable for us.

Listening to the advice of others is wise.

But handing over complete control of our life's decisions to someone else is not.

Imagine someone preparing to sail across the sea. They may listen to the directions offered by others and learn from their experience. But they must still understand how to steer their own vessel throughout the journey.

Life is much the same.

Learn from the experiences of others, but never forget to listen to the voice within yourself.

The decisions we make should bring us clarity and a sense of responsibility.

Decisions made merely to earn the approval of others may bring temporary appreciation. But, in the long run, decisions made in honesty with our own conscience are far more likely to give us peace of mind.

## Do Not Keep Postponing Happiness Until Tomorrow

There is a mistake many of us repeatedly make in life.

Instead of finding reasons to be happy in the present, we convince ourselves that happiness will only become possible when something happens in the future.

I will be happy when I finish my studies.

I will be happy when I find a good job.

I will be happy when I buy a house.

I will be happy when I clear my debts.

I will feel at peace when my children become successful.

I will finally live for myself when I retire.

In this way, we keep postponing our happiness, one milestone after another.

But when that anticipated future finally arrives, another expectation is already waiting for us.

And so, happiness becomes an endless journey that is always somewhere ahead of us.

Of course, we should have goals in life.

We should make efforts to progress.

There is nothing wrong with wanting tomorrow to be better than today.

But we should not lose today in the process.

There is no need to sacrifice all the happiness of the present in the hope of finding happiness tomorrow.

There are so many simple moments in life that can bring us joy: waking up in the morning and appreciating the sunlight, having a heartfelt conversation with our family, enquiring about a friend's well-being, listening to a favourite song, or simply spending a little time quietly in our own company.

We must learn to recognise and appreciate these moments.

Happiness is not a reward that comes to us only after all our problems have disappeared.

The ability to recognise and appreciate the good things in life, even while facing difficulties, is itself a form of happiness.

## Do Not Measure Your Journey Against Someone Else's Timeline

One of the greatest challenges to our peace of mind in today's world is comparison.

Someone younger than us has reached a senior position.

A person we studied with has bought a beautiful house.

A friend of ours is enjoying what appears to be a successful life abroad.

Someone of our own age has achieved remarkable success in business.

When we see all this, we sometimes begin to feel that something is missing from our own lives.

But there is one important truth we often forget.

Every person's journey through life is different.

We all begin from different starting points. We have different opportunities and family circumstances.

We face different challenges. We have different abilities, interests and aspirations.

When there are so many differences between us, how can it be fair to measure everyone's life using the same yardstick?

One tree grows quickly. Another grows slowly.

One plant blossoms within a short period.

Another takes much longer before its flowers appear.

Yet no tree stops growing simply because another tree grows faster.

Nature gives each living thing its own time and its own way of growing.

Human life is no different.

One person may achieve success at the age of twenty-five.

Another may discover their true path at forty.

Someone else may only recognise their hidden talents at the age of fifty.

Therefore, nobody should feel that they are too late or diminish their own worth simply because their journey has taken a different course.

Comparing where we are today with where we were yesterday can help us grow.

But comparing our lives with the lives of others often creates unnecessary stress and dissatisfaction.

What we need to achieve is not someone else's position in life, but the growth that is meaningful to our own journey.

## The Freedom to Grow and the Courage to Change Direction

Sometimes, once we have chosen a particular path in life, we create an invisible rule within ourselves that we must continue along that same path until the very end.

We convince ourselves that because we have already made a decision, we must remain committed to it, even if it turns out to be the wrong one.

We continue struggling in a profession even when it no longer brings us fulfilment, simply because we have already entered that field.

We remain in a relationship without expressing our true feelings because we believe we must continue as we are.

We hesitate to move away from a familiar lifestyle simply because we have become accustomed to it.

But life is not a compulsory journey along a single, unchanging road.

As we grow, our thinking changes. Our experiences give us new understanding.

Something that seemed right yesterday may no longer be suitable for us today.

There is no need to blame ourselves for that.

Instead, we must have the courage to accept what we have newly understood and adjust our direction accordingly.

Changing direction is not failure.

Sometimes, it is a sign of personal growth.

The real loss occurs when we recognise that we are travelling in the wrong direction but continue along the same road simply because we are afraid of what others might think.

Here, we need to understand an important distinction.

Changing our direction every time we encounter a small obstacle is not necessarily wisdom.

Equally, refusing to make a change even after recognising the truth within ourselves is not wisdom either.

We need clarity to understand when to persevere patiently, when to pause and reflect, and when to choose a new direction.

That clarity is the foundation of our freedom.

## Let Us Discover the Rhythm of Life That Is Truly Ours

All these reflections eventually bring us to one important destination.

That is the discovery of our own natural rhythm of life.

Every individual has a natural pace and way of living.

Some people may need a wide circle of social relationships.

Others may prefer peaceful solitude.

Some enjoy moving quickly and taking immediate action.

Others prefer to think carefully and approach everything at a slower pace.

One person may desire considerable financial growth.

Another may regard the time spent with family as the greatest wealth of all.

There is no universal rule that tells us which of these ways of living is right or wrong.

What matters is understanding our own nature, our genuine needs and our responsibilities, and learning to live accordingly.

In music, not every instrument produces the same sound or follows an identical rhythm.

Each instrument has its own distinctive quality.

It is when these different sounds come together in harmony that beautiful music is created.

Life is much the same.

We must learn to give the appropriate place to every aspect of our lives: our family responsibilities, careers, relationships, personal interests, rest and spiritual exploration.

We should not determine our own pace by looking at how quickly someone else is moving.

Nor should we blindly adopt another person's lifestyle without asking whether it is suitable for us.

From time to time, we should quietly ask ourselves:

What does my heart genuinely desire?

What does my life truly need?

Are my actions in harmony with my conscience?

Only when we begin asking ourselves these questions can we gradually discover the rhythm of life that is truly ours.

Discovering that rhythm does not mean that challenges will disappear from our lives. It does not mean that we will never experience sorrow or difficulties.

But it gives us the maturity to face them without losing ourselves.

We no longer feel compelled to constantly reshape our lives in search of appreciation, praise or recognition from others.

A sense of inner fulfilment begins to emerge.

## A Final Reflection

Standing at the threshold of old age and looking back over the years, one truth that often comes to my mind is this:

What matters most is not how far we have travelled in life, but how deeply we have come to understand ourselves along the way.

We may have spent many years living for others.

We may have fulfilled the expectations of countless people.

We may have achieved many goals.

We may have experienced both failures and successes.

But, during all those years, did we find the time to listen to the voice within us?

Did we actually experience our own happiness?

Did we have the courage to live our lives in a way that was true to ourselves?

These questions are not meant to make us judge or blame ourselves.

They are meant to help us make the days ahead more meaningful.

We cannot change the way we lived yesterday.

But we still have the opportunity to decide how we are going to live today.

So, let us understand our inner world.

Let us recognise our genuine desires and needs.

Instead of allowing the pressure of others to determine our decisions, let us make them with clarity.

Let us stop postponing happiness until tomorrow and learn to appreciate the little joys of today.

Instead of diminishing our own lives when we see others progressing, let us continue moving forward on our own journeys.

Let us not hesitate to choose a new path when circumstances and a deeper understanding call for it.

Above all, let us strive to create a beautiful harmony between the truth within our hearts and the lives we lead in the outside world.

Because life is not about acting out a story written for us by others.

It is about recognising the truth within ourselves and having the courage to live our own story.

Let each of us discover the rhythm of life that is truly ours, and learn to travel along that path with peace, contentment and happiness.

And throughout that journey, let us never lose ourselves.

Instead, let us keep discovering who we truly are.

With affection,

Sakthi Sakthithasan