We all read Shakespeare's famous one liner , "All that glitters is not gold". But have we really embraced it? Gone in it's depth? Unfortunately "NO", have we reflected on it we wouldn't have been here where we are today. We think we are in a golden era with the latest technology surrounding us giving us all the comfort we need for a good living. But, what actually is good living? Is it about daily running errands to earn money to live a luxurious life and having no time for ourselves or for needy people around us? Or is it about, Being a part of the rat race and competing for the top while pushing other people down? Well, I believe it's the most pitiful and painful life one could ever live. We have become like that dog who is so hungry, that he starts chewing upon a bone, relishing it, and not able to realise the self harm the activity is causing as after some time he starts tasting his own blood misunderstanding it with the bone's. We are so much blinded with the hunger of money, comfort, pleasure, and other worldly desires that we have completely ruined our personality. We all have become hollow inside. All that is left is conflict and agitation, which is only going to result in a painful end.

Before going to the root cause of this havoc, let's read about the times when life was nothing but peaceful and joyous filled with sheer love.I am talking about the times of our fathers and forefathers, which is before 1980s. At that time, resources were at it's minimum. People were truly rich not by money but by good character comprised of values, and virtues, which also became the building blocks of their integrated personality. Their virtues helped them to live a satisfied life and their character made them live happily, fulfilling solely their needs, that is, Bread, Clothes and Shelter. Apart from this there was nothing they ran or wished for. There used to be the tradition of joint family where one child was raised in the crowd, with timely meals he used to get an equal share of scolding and beatings, which increased his patience and tolerance power with an addition of major lessons, and virtues required to live the life. Living like this also inculcated sensitivity towards people, which on it's later stage got converted into love. The most important perks of joint family was that it made a person more responsible towards not only his immediate family members but also the society, building a strong character. Less the needs of a person more integrated his personality is, because then instead of a running mind he becomes still, he is more in himself then running here and there to fulfill his wants. He is satisfied and has no desire of worldly pleasures. He gets in divine peace. That's what old generations did, they worked only for satiating their three basic needs and living peacefully.

That's what they taught their children as well. But, as timeline increased so did the evolution, evolution of people their expectations, and their newly discovered toy, which is termed as "Technology". What was happening earlier is like it never existed in the first place. Wants has taken place of needs, nuclear families has outnumbered the joint one's. Child is raised by a nanny and if lucky enough by his own parents who treats him like a prince fulfilling all his demands and covering his mistakes, and by this unknowingly turning him to a weak person with an immature personality and a zero character. They themselves run for their wants and expects their child to follow their footprints and in order to that they start forcing not only their expectations but also their dreams on the child. We all have watched and appreciated the movie "3 idiots", I would like to quote some of it's incidents here, as to convey my message clearly. When the character named "Farhan" is born, the first sentence his father says is "Mera beta engineer banega" , "My son will become an engineer". Now just imagine in reality, all the years a person keeps along listening to the same thing and getting burdened by such expectations, what will happen to his personality, how agitated he will become, conflict will be the only thing left. And this is the sole reason of depression, he gets so depressed and in pressure when he is not able to fulfill his parents dreams, also cannot share it with anyone fearing the curse words that would be thrown on him by peers and parents. At last he is left with no choice but to end his life. Recalling the scene from 3 idiots again, on the funeral of a character named 'Joy', who committed suicide due to the pressure of his professor, the protagonist of the film named "Rancho" goes to that same professor and delivers this monologue," There is a good news sir, no one knows what happened, Postmortem report says that intense pressure on wind pipe, resulting in choking. Those fools are assuming that he died because he hanged himself. Engineers are very clever sir, they made the machine to calculate the pressure of wind pipe, but what about the pressure of 4 years that he has been dealing in his brain. If they would have made that machine, it would have been clear that, it's a murder." Again in the class the hero of the film states that, " What will happen with this kind of education, you will learn anything ? No, it would only increase your pressure, and this is a college not a pressure cooker."

So above examples clearly state the root cause of the havoc caused by us in this time. It all began with our childhood, our education. Naturally our teachers have taken the same education so they will pass on the same. But now is the time we people can bring the change, change that should be started from the upbringing. I am not saying that we should do exactly what happened in the old times, no that would turn into a conditioning and traditional approach which will stop our inner growth and we will be dead inside. What I am trying to say is, with time, there should be improvisations, something new which would help us to grow spiritually not those changes which would deplete us. For example, A tree regenerates itself with the new branches but it's roots remain the same, and we have amazingly strong roots comprised of virtues and strong character with an integrated personality, we just have to regrow them. We have a solid foundation of our holy books like Geeta and Ramcharitmanas which inspires us to live our life joyfully and peacefully. I know change is difficult because it is unknown, and it's very normal, human psychology is like that, that they are afraid of unknown and their natural tendency is to remain in a comfort zone. But are we really comfortable?, are we in peace? Don't we have any botheration of earning money or living a luxurious life? Or fulfilling our wordily desires? Reflect upon this, compare this time with old times, are we really fulfilling only our needs or the wants has replaced them? Are we not comparing with others on the terms of position, ranks, lifestyle? Is this what we call comfort, being 24*7 unsatiated, agitated, in conflict? Do our mind not need rest? Why do we go to vacation, or do not go to work and say that I am on a holiday? Why do we say I want to relax on Sunday?

This means that on working days you are tedeous, you are not enjoying, you have so many thoughts in your mind that you are not able to relax, to be at peace. It's also said that when love doing some work you haven't worked a single day in your life. Work according to your interest your skills, only then you will enjoy and be at peace.Being in the quiet place of your office cabin also seems noisy to you. It's because you let your expectations, wants, and fears overpower you.

Drop the expectations, believe that whatever you get will be your destiny and on time no one can snatch it from you. Separate your wants from your needs, your body needs only three things to survive happily, rest is all your mind deceiving you, and deviating from your inner self. Let go of your fears, try to understand the reason behind it, give it time stay with it, the solution of your problem will itself come to you be patient.

Be sensitive towards people their problems, don't have a prejudiced thinking this is good and this bad, god is everywhere and our shallow thinking avoids us to see it in it's true form. When you will be sensitive enough, love will itself come to you and then where ever you will go whosoever you will meet, Positivity, love, and joy will be the only thing you spread, and you will be blessed by the divinity.

Wear your heart on your sleeves, show your true emotions, expressing your feelings will not make you vulnerable but only show pure and innocent heart. Give up the heartless robotic personality, listen to your heart and follow it's lead. The true joy and peace is in giving not gaining.

Let go of everything and try to know what you truly are. If this would be the strategy which is inspired by the old times and improvised with a new thinking nothing and no one can stop us to live in peace which would result in a world which is full of eternal divine love.

This is what the truth is and that's why I believe "Truth never hurts, it heals".

.   .   .