Find happiness within

Oh! How we harbour dull aches, sharp pains and inflammations that have their emotional roots in the past. Be it a grudge against our parents for abandoning us or a teacher's scathing comment that we would amount to nothing in life, we let these negative experiences fester inside of us.

But it is time we let those musty, rusty chains crumble to dust. Let us choose to make a fresh start, happy and overflowing with serenity. Let go of anger, insecurity and those other delusions, and discard past memories, as they are useless and inaccurate.

Shed negativity

Only if we let go of yesterday, can we master today. Without those negative emotions running rife, make life beautiful, easy for yourself and people around you. People respect transparency and a simple no-fuss approach. Moreover, it is a fact that pain never clings to someone who follows the path of purity.

When we have no anger, only even-mindedness; no cravings, only selflessness; no insecurity, only stability; no delusions, only clarity; no self-pity, only as the Zen master describes, "a strong back yet a soft, sweet front," we stay healthy and emanate positive vibes.

Sometimes, it may seem like people are taking advantage of our goodness. A smart way to tackle the situation is by understanding that while our process of self-purging continues, others still have accumulated negativities, problems and disorders that are colouring their actions towards us. So, it is best if we don't stop the self-purification. Rather, get rid of more negative baggage from our psyche - drop impatience, distrust and doubt. The more negatives we shed, the lighter, healthier, fresher we feel in body, mind and spirit.

When in doubt

If doubts continue to plague us, it is best to get some clarity by sitting in a tranquil place with our eyes closed. Singing a song till the mind stops all thoughts and resonates only with the song. Then while remaining in this harmonious state, we are more likely to arrive at an answer. We end up feeling a peaceful reassurance called love.

Love directs us to spread happiness both within ourselves and outside, whether people around us do their part or not. Love is often seen as 'mushy' and 'weak'. But, it's not. Love is an attractive and irresistible energy.

Dwelling on problems, complaining, blaming is a waste of time and drains our energy. It doesn't result in anything. It's like running on a treadmill that refuses to stop, however tired and frustrated we become. When we step off that tiring emotional treadmill into the peaceful, welcoming space called love, we open our eyes to a world of possibilities.

It is said that every problem has 25 solutions. As we look at each possible solution, our creativity heightens, and eventually we wonder whether the problem was ever a problem after all, or was it only an instrument to get us on the right track for growth?

I know two people who felt they were abandoned as children. But, once they shed their anger and bitterness, they discovered what was growing all along in their heart, behind those dark emotions, was compassion.

Recently, we read about a woman suffering from a terminal illness. Her life hung in balance after a difficult surgery. Finally, when the crisis passed, she woke up with her face paralysed. What broke her heart was that she could not smile at her children anymore. The illness robbed this woman of her smile. Please don't allow the past to rob you of your smile. If you feel somebody didn't give you enough love, pour all the love you have to make up for that shortcoming. Maybe that's your life's purpose - to bring more healing, loving and compassion to this world.