Why refreshing the spirit is important.

What happens when we see a beautiful picture? Or we come across an environment which is bright, clean, well kept and tidy?

On the other hand, what happens when we enter into an environment which is filthy, smelly and dark?

Clearly, the environment we find ourselves in impacts us. And while we get used to ignoring these signals, the environment often over-whelms us. And most of the time in our lives when we cannot control the environment in which we find ourselves, what should we do? Give in to despair? To hopelesness?

In fact as I have learnt over the past 4 decades of my life — winning over the environment is the biggest challenge of life and the one that separates the average from the exalted. Think of Gandhi, Mandela or Martin Luther King. They found themselves in circumstances where an easy path ahead did not exist. Especially a path which was positive.

And yet they did not try to find this path by factoring in the environment they found themselves in. Rather they tapped into the reservoir of hope and goodness inside them which made them believe that even amidst darkness — if someone has the courage to light a lamp — the darkness does diminish.

And so they all became that light. And continuosly by “recharging” themselves — kept at their chosen path and ultimately triumphed. And their victory eventually transformed humanity in unimaginable ways!

So the lesson I get from them is that no matter how dark my circumstances — I must belive in the light within too.

And by continuously refreshing myself — offer hope, joy and optimism to this world!