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June 11 - November 5, 2023
what’s happening in our lives, we can always choose joy and freedom.
This is why I believe that Sikh wisdom has a precious gift to offer us all. Turning inward in a moment of difficulty is not an easy choice to make. But it is a choice, and it can make the difference between joy and suffering. And here’s the best news: If we have the right framework and practice our core values, each of us can access that gift of joyfulness that awaits us all.
I was so focused on the pain that I hadn’t seen the blessings. Perhaps they weren’t visible to me because I wasn’t looking for them.
We all know that true happiness comes from within us. What we may not realize, though, is that it doesn’t come on its own; we create joy by making it a daily, intentional practice.
Aval allah nur upaaiaa kudrat ke sabh bande. Ek nur te sabh jag upajaia kaun bhalay ko mande. First, the Divine created the light and then all the people of the world. If the entire world is born from just one light, how can we call anyone good or bad?
While dehumanizing someone we dislike is an easy perspective to hold, it’s a heavy and useless burden to carry.
In the words of Guru Amardas, the third Sikh guru: “O my heart-mind, you are an embodiment of divine light (joti). Recognize your origin!”
We would feel confidence internally, knowing that, whatever our imperfections, we are all embodiments of the most beautiful and powerful force in this world. We would see the light within ourselves, and that alone would transform us.
Yet nothing I do changes the fact that I, at my core, am divine. No one can take this from me, and I don’t need anyone to validate my worth.
Guru Nanak tells us that when we conquer our minds, we conquer the world.
I even carried a small paper in my wallet through high school inscribed with one of his teachings: “Nanak says: O my mind, recognize that a truly liberated person is someone who isn’t affected by pleasure or pain and looks upon friends and foes as the same.”
If you want to live a life of love, then practice love every day. If you want to feel more connected, then practice feeling connected. If you want to remember those you love, then practice remembering.
Guru Angad says as much when he proclaims: “Don’t call someone a lover who feels happy when things go well and feels upset when they don’t. That person only trades for themselves.”
I love you because we are each other.
In the words of Guru Nanak, we’re no better than anyone, nor are we any worse.
There’s something liberating about letting go and accepting what is. In Sikhi, we refer to this acceptance as “hukam.”
True fulfillment comes with finding alignment and connection within ourselves. I accept this truth for four reasons:
When we betray our values, we also weaken the trust we have in ourselves. Doubt creeps into our hearts and minds, corroding our self-confidence.
How can we love ourselves if we don’t respect ourselves?
