Diwali is what you make it to be. This is what it means to me:
D – Dream
Dream big, small, medium – doesn’t matter. BUT DREAM every day (Preferably, in the daytime). Dream of a wish, of an achievement, of an accolade or anything that you see yourself, finding fulfilment in.
Dreams are the messages you send to the Universe to help understand what you want. Then the Universe prioritizes and decides what’s good for you.
Ps – If you want to understand the power of dreams, listen to Martin Lurther Kings’s speech here and then remember President Obama J
I – Innovate
Take a process, a product, an indulgence and innovate on it. Think of how it can be done better or more efficiently.
Years ago, we trained the office staff to use Excel to report petty cash. That made them familiar with computers. Now, that same staff tests complex games and even does light programming.
If Steve Jobs asked himself, “Why are there buttons on a mobile phone screen”? (which led to the innovation of the iPhone), what have you asked yourself recently?
W – Wait
Learn to wait. Wait. Wait. There is a world clock; then there is a human clock and then again there is a clock of the Universe. All these clocks are NOT synchronized.
Lot of things take time to happen and WAITING is nothing but INVESTING in time to let fruits ripen. (watch some trees if you don’t believe me).
Warren Buffet is among the richest men in the world just because he knows how to WAIT. What’s your tearing hurry?
A – Accept
The first step to Stardom is acceptance of all things. Your circumstances, your family, your upbringing and the opportunities you have had. When you accept, then you accelerate.
Accepting is the first hurdle in life’s race which MOST people don’t want to cross. They start the race again and again and hit the acceptance hurdle and fall & fail.
Jump over acceptance and run the rest of Life’s race. It’s a cakewalk thereon.
L – Laugh!
First, learn to laugh at yourself. Then laughing at situations will come naturally.
Think about it – If a day in the last month was horrible, can you even remember it today? Now think of some terrible days in the years gone by – they will not seem so bad now.
The ability to laugh (not always physically J) is a simple method to put your mind and energy into a positive state. It’s like having a positive charge or a negative charge. If you can laugh at situations, there is a certain ‘immunity’ that comes over you that acts like a lifeguard forever.
A while back, in an Art of Living course (DSN), I was asked to do an impossible task (usually part of the curriculum). My job was to go and tell strangers “Mein Paagal hoon – I am mad”. I was taken aback and skeptical but went ahead with the challenge. The only strategy I used was humor and a laugh. So, when I met the first person on the road – A Black and Yellow Cab Driver, I laughingly told him, “I am mad”! He thundered with laughter and said, “I am mad too…” and then went on to give me a sermon on how the whole world is mad J
Chill. Relax. Take it easy. Just laugh it out and you will be fine.
I – Inspire
Inspire yourself and the people around you. I don’t CARE how low or sorry you are feeling about yourself, take 30-60 minutes a day to collect yourself and INSPIRE someone around you. You could inspire them about ANYTHING in the world (how to speak better; stand upright; co-ordinate clothes).
When you inspire, your Karma rejuvenates and begins to create circumstances for more inspiration. It’s like a nuclear reaction – Your Inspiration triggers a wave of further inspiration that needs to feed itself like a Frenzy.
The only thing worth living for after God and Guru is Inspiration. The rest will come and go.
****