A little Change – Key to living better!

Years ago, when my grandmother was first introduced to a washing machine, she was very clear on the attitude towards it:

It is ugly (we all have a thing about aesthetics, if it looks good, must be good!).

It is useless.

It is a waste of time.

I do not need it.

And it will not ever be as good as being hand washed on a stone!

Nobody likes change. I hate change (though I portray a very change friendly image to the world). We have many rational reasons against change. My grand mom, for sure, would embrace this washing machine, like I do, if she were here today. And I seriously do give it a hug, once in a while, if I hear an unhappy grumble from her (my washing machine). Yeah, I am a very giving person that way!

The point is, most of the times, we live our lives in misery without being able to see the most obvious solution right in front of us. We close ourselves to the world and see only our imagined realities. Oh! And we are so good at that, aren’t we? Now how do we come out of this? I sometimes feel, if only there was a door that one could open and come out of oneself, to see the beautiful world outside. And guess what! There is a door! The key to it are just a few ‘changes’ that we need to bring in to our lives.

We have eradicated many epidemics, invented many new ones. We have increased our life expectancy by prioritizing health. But sadly, the word, health, connotes just our physical ailments. We do not acknowledge the importance of our mental well-being. And I am writing this to emphasize on the importance of this mental well-being, the acceptance of this well-being in to our holistic picture of health. And let’s face it, if we are going to be alive till 80, might as well have a wrinkly (or botoxed) “smiling face” rather than a “I bite” face.

Now, the key to the door. In one word, it is just change. But the beauty here is, I am not talking about huge mind blowing changes we all hate. These are really things that we all want and will enjoy changing. And just these small changes in the way we analyse and interpret things will change our perception about ourselves and everything around us enabling us to find joy and beauty around us. And believe me, if we could just open ourselves to it, we will see the beauty and bliss in the small things we miss out.

First things first, learn to relax! Breathe. Meditation is one of the best ways to train ourselves to remain calm and to take control of our heart and mind. This 5 or 10 minutes that we can give ourselves is the best way to relax.

Slow down. Do one thing at a time. Do things that must be done and that you enjoy. Ask yourself why you are doing what you are doing. If you are able to convince yourself with a reason that seems justifiable to you, then do it. And whatever you chose to do, do it with your heart and soul. Enjoy every bit of it.

Being mindful, being aware of each passing moment, appreciating and accepting it, helps us live and enjoy being alive. Only this moment, this present moment is real. Mindfulness, being here now, helps us accept the present non-judgmentally without worrying. And when we do this, we are better prepared to face the problems of today and of the future.

Let’s start with these changes now. It is as obvious as the washing machine. We will embrace it one day or the other. Sooner the better, I say!!!

In Spring, hundreds of flowers,

In Autumn, a harvest moon,

In Summer, a refreshing breeze,

In Winter, snow will accompany you.

If useless things do not hang in your mind,

Any season is a good season for you.

~Mumon Ekai