Meaningful Relationships - A New Paradigm?

Love maybe the very essence of our being, but it evolves us in a manner that is difficult and challenging.  And relationships have to be the most difficult human endeavor, be it with our partners, spouses, friends, parents or children - the essence of which is rapidly changing.

This fast changing scenario has simply got to do with our evolution and the exploration of our individual spirituality, that is setting a new paradigm in our lives.

We have increasingly become more interested in self - awareness, self -fulfillment, and self - mastery, where our need for happiness, harmony, and a reverence for life, has become integral to our very being.  This is slowly taking precedence over previous common goals such as career, financial stability, emotional security, lifestyle and marriage – the glue that once bound relationships together forever, is now rapidly changing.

We are fast realizing that the more we seek outside of ourselves to find lasting happiness, the more we end up restless, dissatisfied and unhappy, and thus we are now being forced to turn to ourselves!

While meaningful relationships are the ultimate accomplishment of every human being, the reality is that our lives are filled with casual relationships that are transient and mostly unsatisfactory.  These relationships come and go, and are replaced by equally superficial relationships, as they are based on surface judgments, perceptions and unexplored potential.

Meaningful relationships on the other hand, require work, maturity, courage, patience and commitment.  These relationships evolve out a process of careful consideration and development that cannot be short-circuited.

People who come together in these relationships are clear - they are there for each other, but come with an intention of spiritual growth and understanding. Each person involved takes full responsibility for their own exploration, their own happiness, grounding and sense of self-worth.

They are willing to explore challenges, differentiated perspectives, and are willing to provide each other the space in which to grow individually.  They are essentially committed to a journey that goes well beyond the fulfilling of surface needs and desires.  

These relationships take courage – they offer no security, have no room for destructive behaviors that stem from emotional instability, and last only so long as they grow and evolve together.  But more importantly, these relationships provide a basis for something much more strong, passionate, connected and fulfilling.

The only way to discover life and also love’s potential, is to explore every aspect of it, with its hidden possibilities.  Our intentions behind the choices that we make, the honesty, integrity and grace that we live with, how we think, speak, and act, all affect a corresponding reality.  And it is this very reality, that determines the meaning and fulfillment that we create for ourselves in our lives.

- Radhika Vachani

Creating Change in a Complex World

Everyday, we are confronted by disturbing events - be it the burning of the Uttarakhand forests, violent conflicts in the world, corruption, global warming and also individuals, whose imbalanced emotional states lead to destructive behaviours that harm not only themselves, but others. 

So how does one truly help affect positive change in a world that seems fraught with seriously disturbing issues? 

As our efforts deepen to seek happiness and define our sense of self-worth through sense and material gratification, we are faced with a massive disconnect. In India, our ancient spiritual wisdom has long spoken about the impact of a chaotic and undisciplined mind; it fuels the scarcity mind-set, leads to a scramble for earth’s resources, creates great division and spreads greed, insecurity and fear.

Change can only truly begin with oneself. How you think affects how you feel, which in turn effects your speech and actions, and this becomes the energy which you radiate out into the world, creating a chain effect that is far greater than what our limited minds can perceive.

Optimal wellness is not just about being free of illness, but it involves a dynamic process of change and growth toward a more balanced and expanded state of being. Our individual wellness must be a conscious and self-directed effort toward achieving proper mental, physical, emotional and spiritual health. 

Feeling uplifted and motivated is a process that takes a lot of work and the inherent desire to seek something more stable, meaningful and permanent. It also means having the knowledge and skill set to enable a process of self-inquiry that leads to mindfulness, self-awareness and a greater sense of self. 

Further still, one must also have the ability to develop one’s personal vision and to create an environment to stay motivated, passionate and fully engaged. If not, the mind becomes our demon, fueling destructive behaviours.  

The good news is that the world is indeed changing slowly, and the lens with which we view happiness, gratification and wellness is slowly evolving. There are like-minded people who have become part of a conscious movement, championing positive conversations towards collaboration versus competition, shared vision, values and results. 

This process can be significantly hastened with each one of us taking responsibility for our individual selves, with a willingness to re-define how we gratify our needs, desires and also how we define our personal sense of self-worth.

- Radhika Vachani