We may sometimes wonder why we are the way we are. Why do we do the things we do? Our actions are caused by our thoughts (vrtti) and those thoughts come from our print (vasanas), which is who we are because of our past actions. But how can we change the core of who we are? What tools (upadhi) can we use to reach our higher purpose?

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We are revisiting one of our old Freedom Talks, our series of bite-sized episodes with Vivekji! In this next mini episode, we ask the questions: How should we handle people who always misinterpret our actions in a negative connotation even though we have good intentions? What to do when we are taken advantage of by others? Can we align our goals with our guide? And if yes, how? How can an introvert handle the expectations of family and friends? Is bhakti a path to become one with the Supreme Self? How do we apply shreyas when we need to make life decisions?

Revisited: How can an introvert handle the expectations of family and friends?

Many of us probably have probably at some point felt we have/had a  reactive personality, we felt distracted, or dull. How can one develop a calmness of body (dama), quietude of mind (sama), and understanding (uparama) so that one can have a more balanced inner world?

Escaping to Embracing

We all feel we can create joy but that only leads to disappointment. When we have guidance in our lives we realize that joy cannot be created. How can one go from acting (karma), to depending (bhakti), to having insight (jnana), to prioritizing (viveka) to independence (vairagya)? How does one step lead to the next on this journey to joy?

Serve, Smile, Surrender

Our mind is like a river -- sometimes it’s dashing and splashing with a never-ending flow of uncontrollable tides, and other times it’s calm and serene, slowly passing by like a lazy river. How do we tame this mind, so that we can use it for our own Higher purpose, rather than be controlled by its instinctive, impulsive, lightning-fast strikes? How can we best use the teachings (mantra) of the Scriptures, so that we have a chance of practicing them in daily life? And before that, how do we even remember (japa) these teachings as we attempt to captain our humble boat among the rapids of our minds?

River of Thoughts

In life we have many ups and downs. Why do we feel moments of happiness and other times moments of sadness or anger? What can we do to always have this feeling of completeness no matter the situation? In this episode Vivekji talks about how our sense of individuality (jiva) leads to attachment or incompleteness and how this cycle continues because of our relationship with the multiverse (jagat) and creator (Ishwara).

Past to Present

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