The healthiest approach in life is often to focus our energy on the things within our control. Finding a balance between perseverance and self-care is important. It’s normal to experience sadness, frustration, or even anger when we don’t get what we want. Breakups, career problems, dealing with losses, financial issues, there are a million things that can put us into miserable frame of mind. Spiritual strength can help us overcome hardships. Spirituality is our connection with the Universal Energy – Almighty.

Spiritual surrender means that a believer makes his attempts to get his desired goals with his thoughts, ideas and deeds in harmony with the Universal Energy whom we call God. When we surrender spiritually, automatically we stop forcing solutions on situations that are not in our control and instead trust and have faith that there is a Divine force taking care of everything in a perfectly coordinated manner.

When we surrender, the first practice comes automatically to practice letting go of things and circumstances we can’t control. This helps us to free ourselves from our fears.  God’s timing and rewards cannot be challenged. To surrender first we need to control our inabilities, wrong advice, identify where we have power and where we don’t. Face challenges in worst times. Don’t give up on friends, relatives in your worst fear/worst case scenario but let go of emotional attachments. Don’t depend too much on others, have the emotional connection with Almighty – you never know God will encourage one of them to help you.

One of my friends Aditya met me few weeks back, and while discussing over a cup of tea, he informed me that his sister was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer few years back.  It was before social media craze; Aditya has a compiled list of people around the world which they called “prayer chain.” It was an extensive email list of people who would pray for known/unknown ill people, natural calamity, wars and many other problems.  Aditya at once emailed them all, asking them to pray for his sister. Each one prayed their Divinity to give her strength and motivation to withstand the harsh treatment for cancer. Forty-eight hours later, the tumour shrank almost by 30 percent! His sister survived. It took her two years, she is alive. Aditya says he surrendered his dilemma, his fear, his anxiety to the Almighty.     

Surrender the situation to God and let Him do His divine work with you! We must accept our powerlessness. Accepting our powerlessness sends us directly into the arms of God where we feel empowered.  

This is story of Nilima, a lady who highly believes in prayers. She always prays to the Almighty saviour to allow her to help people around her. On a freezing and windy day, she was waiting at the post office for some transaction and looking out for a cab to return home. She noticed an isolated homeless woman freezing in a corner. The woman was waiting for little food she looked weak and famished; she had only a tiny cup filled with pennies. Well, sometimes life leaves people unfortunately helpless. In her poor state, the woman looked at Nilima with some hope of help. Nilima couldn’t purchase food with a credit card at nearby shops; all she could do was sympathise.

The woman accidentally dropped her bowl, and all coins scattered across the ground. Though she had nothing to give in return, Nilima rushed to help the woman gather each penny and fill them back into the cup. In a shaky voice, the woman sincerely murmured, ‘God bless you.’

Her words moved Nilima’s heart, and she offered up looking at sky a silent prayer. When she turned around, one kind woman had put money in the bowl while another ran to get her some water. It was a miracle in due time! As more people crowded around the woman, placing money into her cup, a woman asked if she was feeling alright and warm. The saviour, the Father, had heard Nilima’s powerful prayer and miraculously bestowed protection on the needy soul. It might look like a minor incident, but it has a huge lesson when it comes to spiritual surrender. Faith can move mountains.

Whenever we ask for divine protection and guidance for all those who are going through bad weather, natural calamity, accidents on ill conditioned roads, our spiritual surrender to Lord, can keep them safe from any harm or danger. 

When you make peace with your fears and anxiety, they are then less likely to show up. When you become okay with your worst-case scenario, you are no longer bound by a particular outcome or fear because you truly are okay with any outcome. This releases you from unconsciously helping to create the undesirable outcome because you are no longer resisting it nor have negative emotion going towards it, which feeds it. When you surrender to the God, you are freed of all negative thoughts. When we surrender, we become mindful of a higher power, and when we trust in a higher power that is trying to show and give us something greater.

There is no religion in the world which does not highlight the need of surrender to God as the first and the foremost commitment. Surrender is the simplest path to rescue, to relax, to live peacefully in life. In Hinduism, in its holy book ‘Bhagavad Gita’, Lord Krishna clearly says, ‘Abandon all your worries and just surrender unto Me’.

In Islam, a person abides by the five main Pillars of Islam; following the faith means surrendering or submitting one’s will to God. This means that Muslims in their daily life should strive for excellence under the measure of God’s will.

The Christian’s idea of surrender is the concept of surrender to God’s Will. Surrendering to God’s will results in both the surrender of our will to His, in His sovereignty over all things, in which His ways of operating and thinking prevails over humanity’s and Satan’s (Devil).

The Sikhs also surrender to God; they believe true happiness is attained by accepting and submitting to the Divine Will.

Surrendering to God means one doesn’t worry about the outcome of his/her efforts and doesn’t lose sleep if things are not going his way. Also, does not feel morose if things don’t fall into place according to one’s plan. After surrendering to God’s will one simply accepts life as it unfolds, without complaints, discontent, or resistance. God is Universe. To surrender to the universe means pushing yourself through your fears, worries and self-doubts. It means letting go of what you have studied and opening the door to new possibilities. Possibilities that are planned by the universe specifically for you.

Each one of us has a life purpose which is the central motivating aims of our life; the reasons we get up in the morning, the aim we strive to achieve. Purpose guides life’s decisions, it influences our behaviour, shapes goals, offer a sense of direction, and creates meaning. For each person the purpose is different. For some, purpose is connected to vocation, for some purpose is connected to serving society and for some it is cheating the society.

Surrendering helps us let go of expectancies so that when things don’t go as planned or expected, there is no disappointment; instead, there is hope in knowing that everything happens for a reason and has its own timing. Each event takes place at certain time and for a purpose.  A calm state of mind means that you do not become angry or upset, especially in difficult situations. This state in Sanskrit is called ‘Sthitapragya’ which means a person of steady wisdom, the one who has experienced the truth from within, one who is contended.

We fear surrender because we consider it to be somewhat meek state, submitting our power, giving up a sense of self-direction, losing the ability to choose, being enslaved etc, etc.

Surrender goes deeper than that. It is not merely a position that we take during praise and worship; it’s a posture of the heart. To be in complete surrender before God requires our utmost intensity. That everything we are, and we aren’t, every good and every bad or terrible part of us, every inch of our being put down before Him. While doing this, we become vulnerable.

Surrendering to God will deepen our relationship with Him beyond words, but it requires action from within us. It is giving what we are to Him, all the good, the bad, and the ugly. To have strong faith and knowing He will only bring about the best for us. That we are safe in His hands; we are surrounded by His energy, He is with us every inch, every angle.

The action of surrender is life changing. We will never experience more emotional, or spiritual intimacy with our Creator after we surrender ourselves, fully and completely, with our heart and soul to Him.

That is whole; this is whole; From that whole this whole came; From that whole, this whole removed, What still remains is whole.

Tough Adi Shankarachrya wrote the annotations on Vishnu Sahasranamam first; in fact he wanted to write annotations on Lalita Sahasranamam (Goddess Shakti) before Vishnu Sahasranamam. There is an interesting story behind it.

Shankarachrya one day decided to write interpretations/annotations on Lalita Sahasranamam. He asked one of his disciples to bring palm-leaf manuscripts of Lalita Sahasranamam. The disciple went to the room where it was kept and returned with the manuscript. When Shankarachrya opened the manuscript, he found that it was Vishnu Sahasranamam. He again asked the disciple to go back and bring Lalita Sahasranamam. When the disciple returned, Shankarachrya found that it was again Vishnu Sahasranamam. The third time, again Sankaracharya instructed the disciple to bring Lalita Sahasranamam only; and even the third time the disciple returned with Vishnu Sahasranamam.

A little annoyed, Shankaracharya asked the disciple “Didn’t you understand properly, I told you to bring Lalita Sahasranamam.” The disciple replied “Revered Sir, all the three times I went to bring Lalita Sahasranamam only but there is a cute little girl in there who told me to take Vishnu Sahasranamam every time and I followed her instructions she is divine.” Shankarachrya at that time understood that Goddess Shakti (Amba) wanted him to write commentaries on Vishnu Sahasranamam and he completed the divine task; as Lord Vishnu is seen as the preserver of all that is – the Universe. He is described as the omnipresent, essence of all beings, the master of past, present, and beyond future.

Instantaneously, Adi Shankarachrya wrote “Om Poornamadah;” madah means completeness, totality and also Infinity. It is an abstract concept of Universe and the ultimate truth, “Brahman” means God, Almighty is a complete entity. This mantra has a superb meaning – you can take as much as you want from the Universe, you can even take infinity from it, even if you do that nothing can diminish it, it remains unlimited and immensurable!! It means we (each one of us) are connected to the Almighty. Each of us is element of the infinite constituting the infinity. When the eternity is so full, so complete how can one feel incomplete? The fullness here symbolizes accomplishment, realization, integrality, wholeness of our being. These words express the deep aspirations of the human heart, aspirations which cannot be long suppressed. Every bit of our existence, every heart beat, every pulse, each breath of ours is towards life’s fulfillment. Whoever you are, or whatever is it that you do, when you really want something, your desire is originated in the soul of the universe. Therefore, when you want something from the bottom of your heart, the entire universe conspires in helping you to achieve it. So don’t feel you are unaccompanied or unaided in your effort; have a keen/urging desire while continue your hard work to achieve it and see the change. There is no sorrow once we realize we are ever full, we are Bliss.

It can also be construed as – if you give, you will never fall short of things in life. We, the human are so scared to give/impart thinking that we will fall short after giving. In fact the more we give the more we receive, because the infinite wants us to be inclusive with completeness. The energy you put out will always re-circulate and find its perfect way back to you. Have Trust in Life. The essence of this Shanti (serenity) mantra is indeed profound. OM SHANTI, SHANTI, SHANTI!!!

Faith balances the psychological and emotional disturbances in our life. Faith expresses a hope in our mind. Faith is total trust, confidence or assurance in somebody, a theory, an idea, or something. Faith is connected with belief in God; more than a yearning, it is closer to a belief, that your wishes will be fulfilled. A belief is deep-rooted in the mind but faith is based in the heart. The world is full of diverse castes, creeds and religions; the way of thinking of each society is different, their impressions and philosophies are different but yet, each one has been grounded because of faith. Faith has a lot of positive energy. Faith is a quality that is inbuilt in a cultural mentality. It has been there right from beginning of mankind. However logic has always challenged faith. When ‘if’, ‘but’, ‘can it?’, ‘does it,’ ‘will it’ crops up in mind, faith is challenged or disputed. Faith gives immense strength to our mind, the moment we try to rationalize faith, it creates imbalance and we lose our peace of mind.

Faith gives us little peace, consolation, comfort and security; it gives us awareness that the creator – Almighty is guiding us. We are being protected by Him. We act in faith even when there is no guarantee, no certainty. There is such a lot of unpredictability in life about everything. Yet, we transact, we take up jobs, start businesses, hire people, take higher degrees, we marry someone, produce kids, bring them up – do you realize – we do so many things by one single emotion which is called faith. Without faith the world would have stopped up. Faith speaks the language of the heart. It is an expression of hope that goes beyond the conscious mind. All that we hold precious and valued in our life strongly rests upon faith in people, faith in relationships, faith in nature, faith in goodness and its potential.  When from the history of mankind there are evidences of cheating, grabbing, warring, brutality and viciousness on one side, on the other side there is compassions, tenderness, kindness and concern. Faith helps us fight the bad.  Faith makes us stronger human.

It seems shortly after turning fifty Leo Tolstoy experienced a profound spiritual crisis. With his all recorded great works which had made him so famous in world, he found his sense of purpose diminishing, he felt his celebrity and public acclaim fluttering. Tolstoy started sinking into a state of deep dejection and melancholy despite having a large estate, good health for his age, his wife was good and she had borne his fourteen children. Tolstoy was a public figure and had gained eternal literary fame. Still he faced a mental trauma and was on the brink of committing suicide. It seems he made one last grasp at light amidst the darkness of his existence, turning to the world’s great religious and philosophical traditions for answers to the age-old question regarding the meaning of life. Tolstoy – the great literary man has mentioned about faith in his later mythical works.

Life is not anything but roller-coaster ride. When things go right, when you are doing well, people will ignite your passion for achievement by believing in you, supporting you and cheering you. But when you experience bad time, when you journey becomes bouncy, the same people criticize you for the smallest mistakes. They defame you. When you have to rise to the occasion and face the challenges of life on your own, only faith gives you the ability to fight it out. It is therefore important to have faith in yourself and in your capacity to perform to the best of your ability. When faced with rough situations, always believe in yourself. If you don’t believe, no one else will. Your self-confidence and esteem stem from a strong belief in who you are and what you stand for. It is very important to bear in mind that you are your number one supporter and fan. Secondly, life is what you make it. Believing that you can make it happen for yourself is an important step towards making a life which you imagine. You must consider that you can do it and that you will succeed. Napoleon Hill has said it precisely it takes a person’s half lifetime to discover the objectives of his life. A lot of the decisions you make and things you do depend upon you; so arm yourself with faith in yourself.

Do you know that for Newton the world of science was by no means the whole of life? He spent more time on theology than on science; indeed, he wrote about 1.3 million words on biblical subjects. Yet this vast legacy lay hidden from public view for two centuries until the auction of his nonscientific writings in 1936.

It’s only your faith in the God and yourself which helps you in worst times in your life. I have read this little story somewhere which I am sharing with you all. Read on:  One rainy night, at 11:30 p.m an older African American woman was standing on the side of an Alabama highway
trying hard to tolerate a lashing rain storm. Her car had broken down and she desperately needed a ride. Soaking wet, she decided to flag down the next car. A young white man stopped to help her, generally unheard of in those conflict-filled days of racism in 1960’s.  The man
took her to shelter, helped her get assistance and put her into a taxicab.
She seemed to be in a big hurry, but she took down his address and thanked him. Seven days went by and a knock came on the white man’s door.   To his surprise, a giant console color TV was delivered to his home. A special note was attached. It read: “Thank you so much for assisting me on the Alabama highway the other night. The rain drenched not only my clothes, but also my spirits. I wanted to rush home to meet my dying husband. Your timely help enabled me to make it to my dying husband’s’ bedside just before he passed away……………………God Bless you for helping me and unselfishly serving others; sincerely, Mrs. Nat King Cole.”

That’s the charm of having faith. God sends somebody to help you because he can’t let down your faith in Him. How important is faith? It takes faith to believe that what God always supports your right deeds. He holds you in tough times. Your faith helps you trust and walk each and every day. Whatever faith you have inside of you will determine the outcome of all your deeds. Many people mistakenly identify faith with religion, but faith predates religion. Faith is intangible…………..it’s abstract and subjective. Everyone has their own measuring sticks as to what information is credible and worthy of trust.

These lines of Thomas Aquinas superbly explain what faith is: “To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible”.

There are different opinions on whether or not to celebrate birthdays. The Wikipedia defines it as a day that comes once a year when a person celebrates the anniversary of his or her birth. It has a reason for celebration as it gives you an opportunity to reflect on your life’s journey every year on the day you were born.

As per some research done on this topic by some scholars, in ancient Egypt, when pharaohs were crowned they were considered to have transformed into gods. It seems the Egyptians used to celebrate the coronation date of promoting of pharaohs with pomp and shows; this was given much more important than their birth into the world. Scholars have noted this in Bible’s reference as the earliest known mention of birthday celebration.

In another mention, the Greeks used to offer moon-shaped cakes to Artemis – the lunar Goddess as a form of tribute to her. By paying respect Artemis the Greeks used to feel that they could energize the glow of the moon also. It seems the Greeks lit candles and put them on cakes for a radiant effect. The Greeks most likely took the idea of birthday celebration from the Egyptians, since just like the celebration of the pharaohs as Gods; the Greeks were celebrating birthday of their goddesses. So friends’ birthdays were celebrated even in the ancient times, though with a difference.

Your birthday represents completion of another year of your life. A birthday party is celebration of life that you have enjoyed and lived through. Your birthday represents how far you have come. It is good to be thankful to your parents, family and friends for what you have in life and what you have accomplished. You should celebrate the achievements you have added to your being. It’s a way of appreciating the fruits of life. It is a window to the chance of a lifetime, the chance to fulfill your unique mission. So a birthday is a momentous occasion, to be celebrated just as an organization’s birthday, a nation’s birthday, an event’s yearly celebration and a fête as a ceremony.

I think it is much more than an occasion of receiving gifts. On a larger canvas, it is a chance to remember the day that a major event occurred, to celebrate and give thanks to the Almighty and to reflect upon how well we are fulfilling our calling.

When people give you cards, gifts and parties, it’s their way of saying that they enjoy your existence and because of you the world is a better place to live. The very existence of human, organizations, nations, events are made up of moments and changes in their lifespan. The lifecycle goes through so many changes.  In his book From Beginning to End: The Rituals of Our Lives, Robert Fulghum says that rituals are timed by beats of the heart, not ticks of the clock. So, birthdays are the milestones of a life. You should enjoy because your heart ticks, you should enjoy for the experience added to your life. And, enjoy it for an extension of life.