What are the mistakes we make in Life?

Asking this question to people around us is probably one.

We are all curious to know the mistakes of others. And the media survives on our urge to know.

On a positive note, let us take the question as an inclination to learn from the mistakes of others. Since, I feel one with the Universe, at all times, I will answer for all of us.

Most, if not all, of the problems in our lives happen because WE REACT! And our reactions are also instinctive, not a result of a thought process. The result is that most of the times we regret our action the next moment.

The quantum and situation may differ, but the experience is the same for everyone. We hear, but do not listen. This is a sub-set of the above. When we hear people speak, our focus is on interjecting to make our point, rather than listening to what is being said.

Not doing things HERE and NOW. Anything that is to be done is better done IMMEDIATELY. The moment you delay it, the slow ball is easily identified and that's out for a six.

Life is all material. We think the material and spiritual pursuits are mutually exclusive. By the time we think of pursuing a spiritual goal, we are past the half century mark and physical constraints creep in. The best thing for us to do is to keep material and spiritual pursuits together, like the two rails of the track.

We are increasingly becoming a selfish lot. That is because we are not taught to observe and introspect. When we look around us, we can see that nature is still healing and trying its best to serve us, even after we have/are giving it a raw deal.

We are patriotic only superficially. We have lost out on patriotism, which is probably on the lowest ebb. What is love for the country? It is care for others around us than ourselves. Can we even follow the simple traffic signal if a cop is not around?

For us, raising the flag two times a year and standing up at the end of the movie for the national anthem is patriotic.

I have listed out 5 that came to my mind, but the most important bad trait that we need to correct is not to REACT. The country will become a peaceful place automatically. But, it is a tough act to follow.

On an ending note, I heard an aghori sadhu (an engineer earlier) say this morning something like this. We do not realize that everything is temporary.

“From this moment on, look all around you with x-ray eyes. Everyone will look like a skeleton. That will tell you the futility of our running around, living life with all the temptations, only to bite the dust at the end of it all. Your ego will fly away. You will realize that it is all an illusion. You will be grounded at all times.”