SOUL SUSTENANCE 22-07-2024
Becoming Free From
The Desire For Praise (Part 1)
A very common
feeling in our everyday lives which some of us experience is a desire for praise
for what we have done. It is commonly said that perform good actions for
yourself, for your family and friends as well as for the world but do not desire
praise in return for those actions. This is sometimes easy to remember but
difficult to practice for many. Some people say is it not natural to expect
recognition for what I do in society or in my office or at home. Some people
also feel that their good actions must be seen by a large number of people.
Otherwise they don’t feel inspired to perform them.
Let’s look at an example of an actor. When an actor performs well, he receives
praise for his performance. When he does not, people talk against the
performance. So he feels happy and sad depending on his performance, as
perceived by people, although he has worked hard, with equal dedication, for
both his performances. In the same manner, a sportsperson, who is famous and
successful, loses his fame to a considerable extent, once he retires and other
younger sportspersons take his place in the same sport, who sometimes succeed
more than him. So, it’s not wrong to feel happy when you get praise. But it’s
not good to base your happiness on praise, because then it becomes a dependency.
Also, perform actions with a sense of detachment, because you may or may not get
praise for those actions, but you should remain equally happy in both cases. In
this message we look at few simple methods to become free from such desires.
Message for the day
Understanding
brings happiness.
Expression:
Happiness lies in understanding the secret of whatever is happening. When one is
able to remain happy in this way, he is able to spread this happiness to those
around too, influencing the lives of all.
Experience:
When I am able to remain happy under all circumstances, I am able to be free
from the influence of others' negativity. Instead I will be able to become a
major source of positive influence to those around me.
