A friend came to me the other day and said, “There is a training session on Isha Yoga being held next week, you should join it.”
( for those who are not familiar with Isha Yoga, you can visit the website at
http://www.ishafoundation.org/ )
“What is it?” I asked him.
“Isha foundation is working towards human well-being and global harmony and progress. They are conducting a program called Inner Engineering which helps in creating harmony in the body, mind and emotions.”
“Oh! Another Art of Living type,” I said with a smirk.
“No it is different. I have done it and it has made a tremendous difference,” He replied.
“Like what?” I asked.
“I have found peace with myself and I am much happier.”
“What makes you think that I am not happy?”

The conversation went on for half an hour with my friend finally telling me that it was useless talking to me.

As if the telemarketers were not enough of a nuisance, I now have my own friends telling me what to do. Makes me wonder, what is it that people want? Why are they not happy with the way they are? Why do they want another mortal human being to tell them how to live? I mean I can understand advice on buying something, let’s say a TV set or some advice on investing money or how to make money on the Internet. But finding happiness? How does someone else know what makes you happy? What are the qualitative requirements for being a happy person? For that matter, how happy can one get? Little happy, very happy, more than happy… it goes on. You are setting yourself up for a want which will always remain that, a want. I can safely conclude that one is never going to be happy with the level of happiness he / she achieves. That be the case, what are we trying?

Here is the dichotomy - Assuming that Sadhguru Vasudev, the founder of the Isha foundation or for that matter Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, the founder of Art of living and so many others like them are not sitting on top of a scam, they are following what their heart and mind is telling them to do. They are doing what they like to do and are living life on their terms. Come to think of it, even if they are scamsters, the above still holds good. Living life the way they want. That is why they look and probably are happy and content with themselves. However they are telling the other people how to live. In effect, the people, their followers, will be trying to live the lives of Sadhguru Vasudev, or Sri Sri Ravi Shankar or whoever their Guru is. How can they ever reach the level of happiness and contentment that their guides, gurus or mentors have achieved?

One can find happiness and be content with one’s self only if they live the way they want, do the things they want. For me, if you are going to follow some one else’s diktats on life you might as well stop living. One of each kind is enough for this earth.

I, for one, am very sure. This is MY life and I will live the way I want to. I will make mistakes, I will stumble and fall, I will fail, I will sin, I will be unhappy and I will be depressed but I will not let anyone tell me how to live MY life. I will still be happy and content in the knowledge that (a) I did it myself and (b) just like happiness and success, unhappiness and failure are also relative and temporary.

Millions of people are trying to find happiness and contentment by following others. It’s not going to work. Reclaim your life today, it’s the only one you have, and live it the way you want to.