The Yoga of Life - - 8 Principles to Get You on The Right Path

The eight spokes of Wheel of Life

Some may call it Karma some may call it what you give is what you get and so on. The way i see it, is how you are and present yourself, carves the path and the future options and people you'll meet. Just as a reminder, you can and you are always able to choose who you are. If you get defined by what society, religion and other crap is telling you what to do and what to get locked on, then i'm very sorry for you, you're doomed even you don't know it.

Now, that doesn't mean you have to start terrorizing others, but that you have to realize there is more to you than what you are lead and told to believe and act like .

No matter who you are, what you believe and what you do, this 8 Ways i'm going to list below, are a standard way of improving yourself and echoing the results further outside of you.

1. Right View. The right way to think about life is to see the world through the eyes of wisdom and compassion. In other words, Don't loose your head and think about how you can help others through your actions, having a positive intent at it's roots, the desire to understand how that one person feels and how you can best help.

   

2. Right Thought. We are what we think. Clear and kind thoughts build good strong characters. That means, loose that mental fog, and see what is the next thing you have to do, and if possible through that see if you can create an option that allows you to help someone, by doing whatever you were doing anyway.

3. Right Speech. Alright. Here i should say that speaking kind and helpful words will get us respected and trusted by everyone. At least that's how it should be, and it would work in an utopian world. But we don't live there yet, so we have to adjust.

   So try speaking clearly, backing up with helpful details and in not a demeaning or superior/loud voice. This way you ground yourself with confidence in the other person's eyes, and give them little to no reason to look down on you (esp at leat in a less threatening way). So in time if it occurs, you will make a positive acquaintance from almost all encounters.

4. Right Conduct. This is clear as water; before we criticize others, we should first see what we do ourselves. That doesn't mean you shouldn't criticize (now also depends how you do it) . But (constructive) critics are usually good to be put out there. It may hurt a bit a critic, but hurt is where growth happens most of the times.

5. Right Livelihood. This means choosing a job that does not hurt others. So no hitman, assassins, priest, politician, policeman and so on ;) . Why ? It just doesn't feel right at all to earn your living by harming others. Same as seeking happiness by making others unhappy.

6. Right effort. A worthwhile life means, doing our best at all times and having good will toward others. This also means not wasting effort on things that harm ourselves and others.

   But, that also means not wasting efforts on people you tried to help but they keep ignoring your help or just don't want to, because they are usually a lost cause. And keep insisting on that, will only drain you of energy and nerves and time which, in the long run will work against you and thus harming you. So you could use that effort instead helping yourself and others that want and are willing to receive you arms wide open. They are plenty of those.

7. Right Mindfulness. It means being aware of our thoughts, words, and deeds. To even achieve mindfulness, takes time and practice; but fortunately there are plenty of free resources on the web to get you started on the track.

   
   ^{* Images Source: Pixabay.com}

8. Right Concentration. Focus on one thought or object at a time. By doing this, we can be quiet and attain a greater peace of mind.

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   The above Principles, can be compared to cultivating a garden for example, such as cultivating wisdom. The mind is the ground and thoughts are seeds. Deeds are ways one cares for the garden. Our faults are weeds. Pulling them out is like weeding a garden. But, then the harvest is real and quite a lasting happiness and a feeling of fulfillment and achievement.