“Life’s intrinsic nature is magical and beautiful. But you will discover that magic and beauty only when you learn to embrace pain. Now, you can’t negotiate with pain – it comes unannounced and uninvited; you can’t postpone it either. So, you simply have to accept it. When you embrace pain, Life reveals its true Self to you – of how compassionate it is, giving you what you need most – including your pain – so that you can grow and evolve. So that you learn to be happy despite your circumstances. So that you live fully, happily, with what is…” HappinessLife LessonsSpiritualityCompassionInner PeaceAvis ViswanathanFall Like A Rose PetalAvis On HappynessThe Happynesswala Author:AVIS Viswanathan
“When you train your mind to be non-worrying, non-frustrated and non-suffering, you can actually be Happy ALL Year!” PainHappinessLife LessonsSufferingWorryInner PeaceAvis ViswanathanFall Like A Rose PetalAvis On HappynessThe Happynesswalas Author:AVIS Viswanathan
“Acceptance does not necessarily help you solve a problem. But acceptance helps you immensely in dealing with it, in making you non-suffering. When you resist a situation, you are fighting it. Whatever you resist, will fight back. Such is Life. All your suffering comes from wishing that your Life is different from what it is. So, in addition to the intense pain that the situation has thrown up, you have now invited suffering into your Life by wishing that the painful situation did not exist in the first place. Instead, embrace the situation. Gracefully accept your Life for what it is. Then, slowly, very slowly, time heals, peeling off layer after layer of suffering, as you understand the futility of prolonged sadness. As your suffering and sadness dissolve, you feel repaired, happy and at peace with your new reality.” PainHappinessLife LessonsSufferingAcceptanceInner PeaceAvis ViswanathanFall Like A Rose PetalAvis On HappynessThe Happynesswala Author:AVIS Viswanathan
“Don’t resist your pain, embrace it. It is normal to run away from pain – to hate it, to question why it is there in the first place. That is when – and how – you invite suffering into your Life. You suffer only because you wish your Life is different from what it is. Instead, accept your pain. When you hold up your pain and feel its intensity, you will realize that it is teaching you unputdownable Life lessons. At this time, if you choose to express your feelings through your art – anything…painting, music, cooking, gardening, writing…do whatever makes you come alive – magic and beauty will flow through you! Look around you – every work of art out there is a product of someone’s pain and their choice to express how they felt while enduring it. So, employ your pain to create something of lasting value and relevance! The world is waiting…” PainHappinessLife LessonsSufferingInner PeaceAvis ViswanathanFall Like A Rose PetalAvis On HappynessThe Happynesswala Author:AVIS Viswanathan
“In any situation, acceptance is always the first step to inner peace. And if you can't fix what you wish to fix, then acceptance is the only step, the only way to be happy despite the circumstances.” HappinessLife LessonsAcceptanceInner PeaceAvis ViswanathanFall Like A Rose PetalAvis On HappynessThe HappynesswalaIntelligent Living Author:AVIS Viswanathan
“The human mind is a battlefield. It is your personal, and the real, Kurukshetra. This is where you can – and must – gain complete control of your daily Life; no matter what your circumstances are. And taming the mind, and training it, requires that you practice daily silence periods, doing only what you love doing. This a daily process. And there’s no one-time achievement of mastery over your mind that you can claim. It is not like a course that you complete and receive a certification upon completion. You must actively engage in this practice – daily, every single day. Each day you must train your mind. You must train it again, and again, and again. Only this non-negotiable process holds the key to your inner peace and Happiness.” HappinessLife LessonsMeditationInner PeaceAvis ViswanathanFall Like A Rose PetalAvis On HappynessBhagavad GitaThe HappynesswalasKurukshetra Author:AVIS Viswanathan
“Anything can happen in Life. Absolutely anything. When you try to approach a challenging situation in your Life with logic, and try to reason why things are the way they are, you will often not find the answers you are looking for. That’s when you will awaken to the inscrutability and suchness of Life. And it is in accepting the suchness of Life that you discover inner peace and Happiness.” HappinessLife LessonsAcceptanceInner PeaceAvis ViswanathanFall Like A Rose PetalAvis On HappynessThe HappynesswalaLook WithinInscrutability Of Life Author:AVIS Viswanathan
“Letting go is the only way to inner peace. Let go and flow with Life. Trust the process. What is meant to happen alone will happen. No matter what you think, do, pray or wish.” HappinessLife LessonsPrayerInner PeaceAvis ViswanathanFall Like A Rose PetalAvis On HappynessThe HappynesswalaLet GoGo With The Flow Author:AVIS Viswanathan
“It is only one Life that you have; just this one lifetime! So, please don’t postpone Happiness, don’t postpone living. Of course, you can’t avoid the lows, the crises, the tragedies. But you can learn to be happy despite the circumstances. You do that by accepting whatever comes your way and by letting go of debilitating emotions. Remember: only when you let go of something can you receive another…clinging on never helps…so, to receive grace and abundance…let go, let go, let go…of all that makes you unhappy and…simply flow with Life!” HappinessLife LessonsInner PeaceAvis ViswanathanFall Like A Rose PetalAvis On HappynessThe HappynesswalaLet GoIntelligent Living Author:AVIS Viswanathan
“Don’t feed your insecurities, your fears, your worries. Invest your time, attention, energy and resources only in your Happiness, in what makes you truly come alive. Remember, this is the only Life you have!” HappinessInner PeaceBlissAvis ViswanathanFall Like A Rose PetalAvis On HappynessThe HappynesswalaFollow Your BlissBliss Catchers Author:AVIS Viswanathan
“It is Life’s nature to, at some point, hang you at the edge of a precipice. You will find the darkness suffocating and the pain unbearable. What do you do, when you don’t know what to do? Well, in such times, think deeply about two aspects that you don’t normally consider: 1. Your Life is a gift that has been given to you without your even asking for it. 2. There are many who don’t have what you always take for granted. So, don’t complain. Be grateful. And watch how gratitude soaks your Life in abundance!” HappinessLife LessonsGratitudeCrisisInner PeaceAvis ViswanathanFall Like A Rose PetalAvis On HappynessThe HappynesswalaIntelligent Living Author:AVIS Viswanathan
“Don’t crave for anyone’s understanding. It is futile. Plainly state your views, your preferences and move on…this is the only way to preserve your inner peace and be happy.” HappinessLife LessonsSpiritualityInner PeaceAvis ViswanathanFall Like A Rose PetalAvis On HappynessThe Happynesswala Author:AVIS Viswanathan
“Everyone need not have to drink from the same fountain. So, for your own inner peace, learn to respect others’ opinions, preferences, choices and decisions.” HappinessLife LessonsInner PeaceAvis ViswanathanFall Like A Rose PetalAvis On HappynessThe Happynesswala Author:AVIS Viswanathan
“Don't imagine you are in a worse place than you actually are. Things could have been far worse. So, seize the day, count your blessings and move on. You can survive a crisis only by dealing it with one day at a time. Don't add up all your problems in your mind and think you are finished. Compartmentalize your problems; put them in different buckets and project-manage them separately. This is how you live through uncertain times – making decisions when there are few or no options to choose from. You never see it this way when you are going through a crisis. But, unfailingly, every crisis leaves you stronger, wiser – and happy!” HappinessLife LessonsSpiritualityCrisisInner PeaceAvis ViswanathanFall Like A Rose PetalAvis On HappynessThe HappynesswalaEquanimity Author:AVIS Viswanathan
“Life happens at its own pace and in its own time. It has a mind of its own. Your rushing through it only increases your stress levels and makes you anxious. You can do nothing to Life. At all times, in all contexts, you are never in control – Life is! And all you can and must do is to learn to live fully with what is. This does not mean inaction – trusting the process of Life is a lot of action; of keeping the faith and being patient. So, sit quietly doing whatever you can in a given context. And whatever must happen alone will happen; whatever is due to you alone will flow to you…on its own. When you are calm, you are non-worrying, non-frustrated and non-suffering and only when you are in this state will you see how perfect your Life really is!” HappinessLife LessonsSpiritualityInner PeaceAvis ViswanathanAvis On HappynessThe HappynesswalaEquanimityIntelligent Living Author:AVIS Viswanathan
“Everyone has a reason for saying or doing what they do. So, don’t judge people without knowing their story. You don’t have to agree with them at all, but don’t judge them, don’t label them. Let them just be. If they interfere in your Life, draw a line and tell them to step back. But, again, don’t black list them just because they differ with you. When we judge people we agonize more than them – because we are cooking in our views of them. They continue to be who they are – because they believe what they are saying or doing is right, that it is justified. So, why invite suffering in your Life by giving them so much importance? You stay focused on your inner peace. Don’t let anyone disturb it – not even your views of others!” HappinessLife LessonsInner PeaceJudgementAvis ViswanathanFall Like A Rose PetalAvis On HappynessThe Happynesswala Author:AVIS Viswanathan
“Every Life experience is teaching you a lesson. It is likely you may not see the experience as an opportunity to learn – not when you are going through it. But your experiences are always shaping you, teaching you; they are helping you understand who you really are and what your true potential is. So, don’t hate what you are going through if you are currently dealing with something that you didn’t bargain for or didn’t want in your Life. Just step back, climb onto the fly-on-the-wall position, and observe your Life. You will then notice unmistakable teachable, learnable, points of view embedded in your experience. To take them or leave them – well, that’s your personal choice! One thing’s for sure though, you will be a lot more at peace – and happy – when you learn from your experiences!” HappinessLife LessonsInner PeaceAvis ViswanathanFall Like A Rose PetalAvis On HappynessThe Happynesswala Author:AVIS Viswanathan
“Intelligence is really the ability to decide which battles to fight in Life…and when you employ your intelligence this way, you will awaken to the choice that perhaps, in most cases, it is best not to fight (any battle) at all. Almost always, the best way to live (and to win, if you like) is to not fight anyone – or anything. This understanding will interestingly help you choose wisely and in the event that you do choose to fight for a cause that you truly believe in, it will teach you to be detached from the outcome. When you are engaged only with the process, you discover the opportunity to be happy without getting keyed up about the result.” HappinessLife LessonsInner PeaceAvis ViswanathanFall Like A Rose PetalAvis On HappynessThe HappynesswalaEquanimity Author:AVIS Viswanathan
“Life serves us all wake-up calls at different times. Through experiences, events, conversations. You can surely turn off the alarm clock and go back to sleep, which is you can ignore the call, but you can’t deny that it is time you woke up. What is interesting is that if you don’t heed the wake-up call the first time, Life will come back and knock you on your head again and again. It is your choice to process that stimuli or not that makes all the difference.” HappinessLife LessonsInner PeaceAvis ViswanathanFall Like A Rose PetalThe Happynesswala Author:AVIS Viswanathan
“There is no need to respond to every provocation around you. Sometimes you may be the victim of someone’s wily designs, or their stupidity, or someone may blatantly harass you, or someone may just be plain insensitive. Every such act will provoke you. Your mind will justify the need to ‘fix the person’ then and there. But don’t rush into doing that. The best way to disarm someone is to not fight them at all. In fact, focus on the situation, on the issue that separates you both and not on the person in question. Give the situation and the issue time – give them calm, reflective, thought. And then respond unemotionally, to the issue – but respond only if you really must. Sometimes, even choosing to remain silent is a powerful response! Protecting your inner peace must be your priority, not settling petty scores!” HappinessSpiritualityInner PeaceAvis ViswanathanFall Like A Rose PetalAvis On HappynessThe Happynesswala Author:AVIS Viswanathan
“Don’t think about what has not happened. What has not happened has not happened. Simple. It has not arrived. So why worry, why fear? Of course, when it comes into your Life, you have to, and must, deal with it. But why lose your precious present, your sleep, thinking about the unborn future? Living in the now is not an art. It is an absolute necessity for you to be happy. It is like breathing. You (can) breathe only in the now – your having breathed in the past is over, it is done with; and your breathing in the future is irrelevant at the moment. The only Life you have is what you have in the now. So, stay here. Be present. Be happy with what is.” HappinessLife LessonsFearInner PeaceAvis ViswanathanFall Like A Rose PetalAvis On HappynessThe HappynesswalaIntelligent Living Author:AVIS Viswanathan
“Sometimes Life will hang you at the edge of the precipice. And fear will grip you. You will not know what to think, say or do. But don’t despair. You see, Life has always been and is intrinsically risky. Your education and your money trick you into a fake sense of security. But look at what Manohar Parrikar, who passed away yesterday, had to say: “You are alone in the final act of the drama when the end of the show is visible. Nothing, and no one, can help you.” Such is Life. It has always been fraught with uncertainty and has never been in your control. So, don’t fear dead-ends or no-go Life situations. Face your fears, gracefully accept the darkness. Learn to hang from that precipitous edge, live dangerously – and when you do that, you will, interestingly, not feel scared, instead you will feel calm, content and happy!” HappinessLife LessonsSpiritualityAcceptanceInner PeaceAvis ViswanathanFall Like A Rose PetalAvis On HappynessThe Happynesswala Author:AVIS Viswanathan
“Everything happens in its own time, place and pace. You may wish for something to happen. Or you may wish against its happening. But you cannot force the outcome. What has to happen alone happens – always! So, go with the flow. Understand that it is what it is. Accept every happening in your Life that you didn’t want, and which you dislike, as your new normal and keep going. This is what intelligent living is all about. It doesn’t change any reality but frees you from unhappiness, from misery. It helps you anchor in peace and be happy no matter how challenging your circumstances are.” HappinessLife LessonsAcceptanceInner PeaceAvis ViswanathanFall Like A Rose PetalAvis On HappynessThe Happynesswala Author:AVIS Viswanathan
“There’s a part of all of us that is always wanting to be warm, willing to adjust, open to accommodate and ready to tolerate. But let all the warmth, adjustment, accommodation and tolerating happen at a material level. And let it stop there. Please don’t allow anyone to affect your dignity just because they are older to you or more powerful – whoever they are, even if they are a parent, sibling or spouse. Because when you allow that you end up becoming intensely unhappy. And, more often than not, you suffer silently. Let this be your guiding light – your inner peace and happiness are the only wealth you have, so, protect them till your last breath!” HappinessLife LessonsAcceptanceInner PeaceAvis ViswanathanFall Like A Rose PetalAvis On HappynessThe Happynesswala Author:AVIS Viswanathan
“Invest in experiences not things. Surely, build an asset and savings base for a rainy day. But don’t kid yourself thinking you are really ‘secure’ and ‘settled’ just because you have money. Anything can happen in Life – that too, in a nano-second! Besides, as you age, you will realize that what you can do when you are 20, you really can’t do when you are 40! Which is why, invest in experiences, in doing what you love doing. Your experiences shape you. They intricately weave your learnings from each experience with your idea of Happiness to create a beautiful fabric that stays in your subconscious even when people and things around you perish over time. In the end, what will count most in your Life, are who you loved, how you were loved back and how you enjoyed doing all that you loved doing!” HappinessLife LessonsSpiritualityInner PeaceAvis ViswanathanFall Like A Rose PetalAvis On HappynessThe HappynesswalaIntelligent Living Author:AVIS Viswanathan
“Responsible citizenship is about trusteeship. Think of trusteeship like this. You are a trustee of the Life that’s been given to you. And you are a trustee of the planet that you inhabit. So be responsible with how you live and how you use the planet’s resources. Recognize that you need only so much to live and to support your immediate family. Beyond food, clothing, shelter, education, a reasonable healthcare and retirement plan and hi-speed internet connectivity through a smart device, whatever you have, whatever comes your way, give it away. Give, not because you have to give, not because you are asked to give, but give because you want to give. Recognize that just as this human form, this Life, is a gift, every thing, every resource that you acquire in this lifetime, is also given to you. So, be responsible by employing all that you receive for human good, to make the world a better place.” GivingHappinessLife LessonsInner PeaceAvis ViswanathanFall Like A Rose PetalAvis On HappynessThe HappynesswalaResponsible CitizenshipTrusteeship Author:AVIS Viswanathan
“Over time I have realized that having an honest conversation over a complex issue with someone is never difficult provided you are given an equal opportunity to present your views. Which is, as long as there is dignity and decorum between the parties concerned, the conversation is relevant and possible. You state what you have to. They state what they have to. You may both agree or disagree but both parties respect each other’s points of view and stay focused on resolving the issue on hand. But the moment someone tries to demonstrate power or is being deceitful, the conversation has lost its purpose. Then you must simply leave the conversation. There is no point in trying to counter the other party’s machinations while ruining your inner peace. Sometimes, the best way to make an important point is not to say anything at all.” HappinessLife LessonsSpiritualityInner PeaceAvis ViswanathanFall Like A Rose PetalAvis On HappynessThe Happynesswala Author:AVIS Viswanathan
“You have to believe in what you do surely. And you must not compromise on how you express yourself through what you are doing, what you are sharing. Most definitely, you must not compromise for any gain, material gain particularly! This is the key to Happiness.” HappinessLife LessonsSpiritualityInner PeaceAvis ViswanathanFall Like A Rose PetalAvis On HappynessThe Happynesswala Author:AVIS Viswanathan
“Undoubtedly, you will be subject to the pulls and pressures of everyday living. You will feel angry, left out, let down, jealous, disturbed, fearful and insecure. Events, people, things – any of these can trigger off these debilitating emotions. Don’t resist any of these feelings. Hold them up. And examine them closely. What do they make you feel? Don’t they make you intensely unhappy? If they do, let them go. Anything, or anyone, that makes you unhappy does not have a place in your Life. Know that you have a choice to walk away from them or throw them out. Exercise that choice. This is personal leadership. This is why happiness is an intensely personal choice.” HappinessLife LessonsSpiritualityAngerInner PeaceAvis ViswanathanFall Like A Rose PetalAvis On HappynessThe Happynesswala Author:AVIS Viswanathan
“What you seek is what you already have. It is all a mindgame, this Life...flow with it, it is beautiful despite its imperfections!” HappinessLife LessonsSpiritualityInner PeaceAvis ViswanathanFall Like A Rose PetalAvis On HappynessThe Happynesswala Author:AVIS Viswanathan
“Busyness” is not doing many, many things. It is not about being busy and not having enough time on your hands. It is about inflicting a lot of activity upon yourself without a sense of Purpose, without mindfulness, without understanding what matters most in your Life and why! "Busyness" leaves you constantly struggling, suffering, harried and unhappy.” HappinessLife LessonsInner PeaceTime ManagementAvis ViswanathanFall Like A Rose PetalAvis On HappynessThe HappynesswalaWorklife Balance Author:AVIS Viswanathan