I get up every morning and tell myself I want to enjoy life at office today. But I end up preoccupied, nervous or just plain sad. At night, I look back and realise that I failed once again. Tell me how to enjoy life. Make it a short answer, something I can hold in my heart.” — Divya, Age 26.
Swami Vivekananda once famously said, ‘This world can only be enjoyed by Heroes.” Nobody said it better. So, if you want to enjoy your life, be a Hero. That’s your short answer. Hold that in your heart everyday.
Now, for the long explanation. For starters, “Hero” isn’t gender specific. It doesn’t mean a male matinee idol. It doesn’t mean a sports sensation or a rock star. It doesn’t mean the celebrities, the champions or the men we sometimes wished we were. A hero is none of them. Hero is actually a state of mind. It’s your response to the world — your reflection of your inner-self.
How do you become a hero? To begin with, be on good terms with all persons, with the world, with the situation you find yourself in right now. A hero never rages against reality. She accepts her reality even as she moves to change it. Anger isn’t her favorite emotion. She is calm, in the face of adversity, has the strength to smile when others feel the need to cry.
A hero never compares herself to others. She knows that there will always be someone better, fairer, sexier, smarter, richer, more successful than herself. She has the courage to feel good about anyone who is in that list, and has the strength not to let them shake her aim or goal.
A hero is interested in her own career, however humble it may seem. She knows the world has a way of putting down everyone. She will learn to ignore the world and pursue whatever she does till she does it fantastically well, for she knows that is the gateway to future success.
A hero is always looking for virtues in others. Even though she knows there are more frauds than good people, she is never hesitant to seek and praise goodness, greatness or any other virtue in anyone. She can do that because she is confident of herself. Her foundations are rock solid within, and this liberates her. She is nobody’s fool. When she cuts someone down, it is with minimum force — done with poise and grace.
A hero is gentle on herself. She knows how precious her life is, how beautiful all life is. She knows she is a visitor to this planet, here on a short holiday, and it’s important to have fun in every moment. So nothing really needs to be taken very seriously.
She is smart enough to know that if she doesn’t live her present moment in happiness, she isn’t likely to live the future moment either.
So look at yourself every morning, Divya, look at the inner self, look at the true you, till a radiant smile spreads across your face. You know you are a hero. You will live today like a hero.
Nothing and nobody will come in your way, for you hold the keys to your life, and your happiness is solely in your hands. Now go ahead and have a truly great
day.