This post is a confession of a materialist spiritualist, of someone who looks at life differently, who doesn’t follow worldly norms just because they have been defined or it’s a cool thing to do or might be treated as an outcast if she doesn’t practice those norms.

This post is about some experiences (and not theories) that I have had in past few days.

1) From birth till the end, we spend the maximum time with our own selves – people come and go. Then why do we derive our sense of respect from what others think of us?

When people leave, we will be left with what we think of ourselves. Where is the integrity in changing our belief systems to be ‘one of the many’.

Eg: Most people in our circle started drinking/smoking or maybe still do just to feel part of a group.

What happens when a Lion feels like a sheep?

“There is an old Zen story, about a lion who was brought up by sheep and who thought he was a sheep until an old lion captured him and took him to a pond, where he showed him his own reflection. Many of us are like this lion – the image we have of ourselves comes not from our own direct experience but from the opinions of others. A “personality” imposed from the outside replaces the individuality that could have grown from within. We become just another sheep in the herd, unable to move freely and unconscious of our own true identity.”

2)  We often try to be liked by the world around us and when people truly come closer to us, we find that world is full of disturbed people and there is absolutely no reason to be one of them. In fact, that’s the last thing in the world I would want for myself.

I was drowned in the ways of the world last few weeks – leaning more towards materialism and away from spiritualism. I encountered an imbalance in my life with sense of frustration building up and like an emergency, I ran to seek solace within. And I found it.

There I learnt another lesson for myself, the peace I am seeking cannot be found in the company of non-peaceful people.

It is easy to get influenced, it takes courage is to stand for oneself and by oneself even when it means the world wouldn’t value you – It takes integrity to shine in one’s eyes.

It is easy to get swayed but as long as we find it in our heart to come back to our path with deeper commitment, the swaying hasn’t been wasted.

This post is a confession of a materialist spiritualist, of someone who looks at life differently, who doesn’t follow worldly norms just because they have been defined or it’s a cool thing to do or might be treated as an outcast if she doesn’t practice those norms.

This post is about some experiences (and not theories) that I have had in past few days.

1) From birth till the end, we spend the maximum time with our own selves – people come and go. Then why do we derive our sense of respect from what others think of us?

When people leave, we will be left with what we think of ourselves. Where is the integrity in changing our belief systems to be ‘one of the many’.

Eg: Most people in our circle started drinking/smoking or maybe still do just to feel part of a group.

What happens when a Lion feels like a sheep?

“There is an old Zen story, about a lion who was brought up by sheep and who thought he was a sheep until an old lion captured him and took him to a pond, where he showed him his own reflection. Many of us are like this lion – the image we have of ourselves comes not from our own direct experience but from the opinions of others. A “personality” imposed from the outside replaces the individuality that could have grown from within. We become just another sheep in the herd, unable to move freely and unconscious of our own true identity.”

2)  We often try to be liked by the world around us and when people truly come closer to us, we find that world is full of disturbed people and there is absolutely no reason to be one of them. In fact, that’s the last thing in the world I would want for myself.

I was drowned in the ways of the world last few weeks – leaning more towards materialism and away from spiritualism. I encountered an imbalance in my life with sense of frustration building up and like an emergency, I ran to seek solace within. And I found it.

There I learnt another lesson for myself, the peace I am seeking cannot be found in the company of non-peaceful people.

It is easy to get influenced, it takes courage is to stand for oneself and by oneself even when it means the world wouldn’t value you – It takes integrity to shine in one’s eyes.

It is easy to get swayed but as long as we find it in our heart to come back to our path with deeper commitment, the swaying hasn’t been wasted.