We should also free ourselves from the belief that it is only the future which counts the most. In this treadmill of achieving socially valid goals, we keep trying to win a prize that eventually dissolves in our own hands, before we even feel the slightest of happiness of having achieved it. We also fail to notice so many potentially fulfilling experiences of the present in this race. The most crucial step in freeing ourselves is the ability to find rewards in the events of each moment. If we learn to enjoy and find meaning in the ongoing stream of experience, the burden of stress for achieving something often falls down from one’s shoulders. Inner power returns when rewards are no longer externally connected. We learn to enjoy the genuine rewards of life and stop running after the prize that is sometimes just out of reach.

Once we have defined our goals, the learnings gained from overcoming obstacles along the way, leave us feeling more skilled, unique and capable. In the process of getting these individual accomplishments, an attitude of collaboration and co-operation with others can add a sense of harmony and fulfillment in life. We learn to be more sensitive to life, when we cultivate a space for care and respect for other souls and their ideas and lives that are beyond the physical self. This human integration and flow makes the present more enjoyable and it adds self-confidence to us, which allows us to build skills and also make significant contributions to our family, friendships, workplace and society.

(To be continued tomorrow …)