I Am Disrespecting Existence if I Don’t Write My Innermost Thoughts (KP-26)
Becoming an entrepreneur at 61 | Root cause of suffering as taught by Buddha | Value of money and time
Life Lesson
Many times it so happens that I get a great thought or an idea only to forget later. That spark could arrive anywhere- when I am in the shower, when I am walking, or when I am trying to sleep. And if I don’t catch hold of the spark it will soon disappear into oblivion (maybe that’s where it came from).
Sometimes I say, what’s the big deal? But now my perspective has changed.
I have started to think that not writing my thoughts or ideas is like disrespecting existence.
It is trying to convey something through me. It is trying to express something through me.
I have come to believe that these thoughts or ideas are not mine, they are not originating in my mind. My mind is not the source. They are coming from existence or a higher power or God or whatever you want to call it.
Mind you, not all thoughts are sent from beyond. We think some thoughts intentionally too, I believe. But I am talking about only those innermost thoughts or creative ideas that arrive without effort or conscious thought. These are the inspirations that seem to spring forth from the depths of our being.
So, now I have made it a point to capture these fleeting thoughts and ideas as soon as they arrive. I jot them down on a piece of paper, a small diary I keep with me most of the time, type them on my phone or even record them as voice notes if needed. Whatever it takes to hold onto that initial spark, I am willing to do.
The Value of the Unwritten Word
We often underestimate the power of our unwritten thoughts and ideas. They hold within them the potential to:
Provide us with new insights about ourselves and the world around us Inspire us and spark our creativity
Guide us in making important decisions and choices
Help us navigate through challenging situations and problems
Enable us to connect with others on a deeper level, through shared experiences and understanding
Serve as a means of self-reflection and growth, allowing us to continuously evolve and improve
Impact others positively, by sharing our unique perspectives and experiences in the form of stories, knowledge, or advice.
Honoring Existence by Embracing Our Thoughts
By acknowledging and valuing our innermost thoughts and ideas, we are, in a way, honoring existence itself. We are acting as conduits for the wisdom and inspiration that is attempting to take form through us.
Our willingness to capture and share these insights can have a profound impact on our own lives, as well as the lives of others.
Positive Feel-Good Story
When you are a mother of three and have so many responsibilities on you, how do you balance your passion with your household commitments?
It’s difficult, right?
And especially when you are in your 60s you’d say ‘Now my time is over, what can I do or achieve following my dreams? It’s too late now!”
Isn’t it?
But that’s not the case with Kanchan. After raising her kids, at 61, Kanchan decided to follow her passion, Crochet, and start Loophoop, a business that sells hand crochet toys.
As a homemaker, she says her dream of doing something for tribal women in her town got lost in her household responsibilities.
“Raising three kids and running a household kept me busy for years. I could not focus on my social work aspirations for a long time. At the time, I just wanted to focus on my kids and raise them well. However, as they grew up and found their footing in life, my desire to follow my passion came back,” she says.
She adds, “By 2021, all three of my kids were settled in life, and I was free of responsibilities. I had taught many girls and women how to crochet, so I knew I would do something along those lines. It was in 2021 when I got the idea of LoopHoop with the help of my children.”
Kanchan makes various types of soft toys — such as octopuses, dolls, caterpillars, elephants, etc. She has sold over 3,000 toys so far.
The products are available to buy from their official website, Instagram profile, and on platforms like Flipkart and Amazon. The company currently makes a revenue of more than Rs 14 lakh per annum.
At an age when most people think of retiring, Kanchan thought of starting a business that makes a profit and has a social impact too.
How inspiring!
If you are also impressed by this story, please feel free to share this newsletter with your family and friends.
Book Recommendation
This book answered so many of my questions with just a few paragraphs. I have this tendency of asking ‘what’ and ‘why’ questions to the very end. And this book dispelled them with such clarity.
This is the book titled ‘The Art of Living: Vipassana Meditation as Taught by S.N. Goenka’ written by William Hart.
Now, some questions that had been plaguing me for a long are:
Why do we get attached to some things or persons when we know it will cause us suffering?
Can we love someone without getting attached?
Here are some excerpts from the book that were of immense help:
What causes attachment? How does it arise?
Analyzing his own nature, the future Buddha found that it develops because of the momentary mental reactions of liking and disliking. The brief, unconscious reactions of the mind are repeated and intensified
moment after moment, growing into powerful attractions and repulsions, into all our attachments. Attachment is merely the developed form of the fleeting reaction. This is the immediate cause of suffering.
What causes reactions of liking and disliking? Looking deeper he
saw that they occur because of sensation. We feel a pleasant
sensation and start liking it; we feel an unpleasant sensation and
start disliking it.
Now why these sensations? What causes them? Examining still
further within himself, he saw that they arise because of contact:
contact of the eye with a vision, contact of the ear with a sound,
contact of the nose with an odor, contact of the tongue with a taste,
contact of the body with something tangible, contact of the mind
with any thought, emotion, idea, imagination, or memory.Through the five physical senses and the mind we experience the world.
Whenever an object or phenomenon contacts any of these six bases of experience, a sensation is produced, pleasant or unpleasant.
Of course, all this wisdom originated from Buddha himself but the way the teachings of Buddha are explained in the book makes it a must-read.
Quote
Time is more valuable than money, we all agree. But still, most of us are caught in the hedonic treadmill and got our priorities mixed up.
This is a beautiful quote that I came across this week on the importance of money with respect to time:
“Money’s greatest intrinsic value—and this can’t be overstated—is its ability to give you control over your time.”
-Morgan Housel
Beautifully written and explained.The story of 61yrs old lady will inspire many more ladies like me.