Lift yourself by yourself

 "The mind is everything. What you think, you become."— Often attributed to Buddha

We have all heard about being mindful and being alert to our thoughts. Manifestation, in this context, refers to the way our thoughts can shape our perceptions, feelings, and even the outcomes we experience. By focusing our attention and intention, we can influence our reality in subtle but powerful ways. This is why being aware of your thoughts is so important.

Observe your awareness, then take a peek at the emotions that follow. Try this: pause for one minute and simply notice what thoughts arise in your mind. Notice any emotions that come up as you observe your own thinking, without judging or trying to change them. If you want to explore further, you can also try focusing all your attention on your breath for a minute, gently bringing your mind back whenever it wanders. Or, engage your senses by noticing five things you can see, four things you can touch, three things you can hear, two things you can smell, and one thing you can taste. These simple practices help ground you in the present and increase your mindfulness.

When you read exciting news, excitement will follow. But if you read sad news, anxiety will follow.

Emotions guide energy in a certain direction. Energy can feel low or high, depending on how you respond to that awareness.

Be mindful of each thought, and practice pulling yourself out of them when you notice they are not serving you. This means observing your thoughts without getting caught up in them and gently redirecting your focus to the present moment—such as your breath or physical sensations. Developing this ability helps you avoid being carried away by negative or unhelpful thinking and fosters a more balanced, calm state of mind.

When negative thoughts pull you down, simply do a physical activity like clapping your hands or laughing forcefully, even if your heart wants to cry over sorrow or loss. The ability to lift yourself up will give you the confidence to boost your emotions at any point in life, and you will not be dependent on anyone to uplift you.

From Acting to Letting Go!

 

"R, can you please show the right emotions here?" my drama teacher asked in elementary school. She would clutch her papers in frustration while I laughed during a scene that needed me to be serious.

My acting was so bad that my confused look in the play gave the impression that I had a cold, and my nervous act made people laugh because they thought I was silly.

I ended up ruining the whole point of the play.

Even though I loved everything about Hollywood and Bollywood, I joined the drama club every year until I was a teenager. Because of my acting, I was always given small roles. Still, I didn't mind being on stage, even if I only had one word to say. Just being part of it made me happy.

As a teenager, I began to lose hope in acting because I struggled to convey my emotions effectively through my words when it mattered most.

It was hard to accept that my dream of becoming an actor was slipping away from me. Still, I kept practicing in front of the mirror for hours, hoping to get better, but nothing seemed to work.

While I spent all that time in front of the mirror, I noticed that trying to act out emotions brought up a lot of memories—happy, angry, worried, or anxious. Sometimes, just saying a word would bring back a flood of old feelings. Perhaps that's why, when I tried to study, my mind felt too full to absorb anything new.

It made me reflect on the amount of baggage I was carrying, especially at such a young age in my 20s. I was ambitious to pursue many goals, but clinging to past reflections would hinder my progress.

I realized that I needed to let go of my passion for acting, especially since, after many attempts, it had not yielded the desired results.

But it made me wonder: how many times should we keep trying before we decide to stop? I think if one goal starts getting in the way of others, it's okay to let it go.

Embrace your failure and move on!

This became my mantra.

Although it took years to let go, I am glad that my failure to become an actor made me realize that acting was one of the many goals I had to forget about.

As I stand here today, my gray hair filled with wisdom and memories, I feel content with the times I aimed to hit the ball into the net while pursuing many hobbies.

Some attempts resulted in goals, while many did not.

Acceptance has always been the key factor for me, guiding me through every setback and moving me forward.

Mantra for today: Failure is a stepping stone to success as long as we are aware of the setback and choose to act on it.

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This is pure fiction!
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A Land of Tears

FTSF is here. Join in the fun.

“If I could live anywhere I would live in the land of tears"

Tears signify emotions, and when an individual is emotional; he is truthful to himself and others.

Sure, it will be a land of constant tears, and that could get dreary, but there will be mixed feelings in the air.

There will be tears for:

• Vulnerability 
• A sign of cooperation
• A sign of helplessness 
• Relieving stress 
• Laugh so hard until one cries
• Joy
• Regret

Advantages

Relationships will grow healthy because of tears. Each individual will be transparent as tears will help him unfold the emotions within in while letting go of his ego.

That place will be a land of contentment as sorrows and happiness will accompany man. However, tears will help this man unfold as a result, his thoughts will be see-through, and his actions will be lucid.

Mantra for today: A person without tears; tends to suffer more.