The Dalai Lama was once asked what surprised him the most; he said: "Man, because he sacrifices his health in order to make money. Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health. And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then he dies having never really lived."

Although what the Dalai Lama expressed may sound harsh but it is the unalloyed truth. Anxiety about the future and unhappiness about the past delivers a poisonous dose of depression into your present. Once this state of mind takes over, it is life debilitating. Under its crushing burden you will forfeit the priceless treasure of present moments. Moments that bring small but simple joys and seemingly little but life transforming thoughts and actions.

Letting Go
Your ability to let go and not dwell in the past inordinately will be directly linked to your peace of mind and happiness. If that is the case, why then do you not let go and remain mired in the past? It has something to do with the fact that you find it easier to do that than put it past you and forge ahead with new enthusiasm and vigor. When you have a worthwhile goal set in the future your present will be consumed by taking steps to realize those goals. You will have no time to spare to go back into your past and kindle unfortunate occurrences.

Why is it that some days you think time has zipped past while some other days you are eying the clock every other minute and wondering why the minute hand seems to have frozen. It all has to do with having something to work for in the future and investing that time in the present. When you do not have anything to look forward to, you regress into your past, seeking solace. Don't get me wrong. The past is not some nightmare that haunts you day in day out. However, it is certainly moments that have gone past and you should be more focused with the ones that are already here.

Savoring the moment
It may be considered a cliche to talk about savoring the moment. But there is latent power in this process. In fact it may be the only power that you can still control. Look at at this way. Your future is uncertain, past, water under the bridge, so all you have left to derive some meaning out of life is to savor the present.

Sharing Knowledge
Learning, it is said, is a lifelong mission. Or rather, it should be a lifelong mission. You must never stop learning because life never stops teaching. In all the roller coaster ride that life is, it leaves you with tantalizing choices and lessons. The choices that you make and the lessons that you learn will be the most significant ever because it is life doing the teaching. Ironically, one of the most powerful methods of staying committed to learning (and in the process embracing life as the venerable teacher) is seemingly counter intuitive - the commitment to teaching. Why so?

It is because when you teach, you end up learning more than what you profess to teach. I may well provide a caveat here that teaching is not an easy skill to be mastered. You may possess a huge body of knowledge (and every one does in one way or the other). However, it is one thing to know something well and quite another to teach some body else that "something." You see, effective teaching is when you go beyond just transferring information (not even knowledge!).

The saying goes: "Ordinary teachers teach, good teachers explain, great teachers inspire."

So, teaching is all about inspiring. Being inspirational demands something way beyond just technical knowledge of a subject. It requires purpose, passion and a sense of mission greater than yourself. Being inspirational should lift you as much as it does the audience.


Clarifying thoughts
In my personal experience, over the years I have come to realize that when I teach - and it really did not matter what subject or topic it is - I am clarifying my thoughts. Often I find that I am correcting my own perceptions which I had carried in the past. Why is this so? It is because when I sit down to prepare material for my teaching, I go through a learning process that clears the air on a lot of things that I thought I knew. My late father always told me this learning process which was part and parcel of the gift of teaching humbled you. His advice to me was never to let attainment of any kind of knowledge make me arrogant. I now understand what he was saying. To teach is to learn first and this learning humbles you in the realization that there are so many things you do not know yet. Ignorance here is not bliss!


Broader Perspective

Another merit to teaching is that you gain a broader perspective in life. How so? Well, the fact is that when you teach, you open yourself up to another opinion, a different take on things. It forces you to consider another viewpoint. This opens pathways to more learning. Often we get stuck to our way of thinking. We become inflexible. There is no way you can progress or grow in life without the ability to listen to an opinion different from yours.
  

You are as unique as your DNA. There is only one version in this entire world of you. Unfortunately, most of us sail through life embracing conformity and merging into the crowd. The one of its kind "you" is straining at the leash to be heard. Don't quell that voice. It is a breath of fresh air. Let it be heard in all it's singular quality. The world is waiting with bated breath to hear your voice and by taking on the mantle of teaching and sharing experiences and perspectives with the world, you are realizing the purpose for which you originally arrived on this earth. This is nirvana in its most pristine form.

 

 

Any form 

 

 

Let me leave you with this question.
Would you not want to share your own unique point of view with the world?
Is this not a legacy which will give meaning to your life and existence on this earth?
If it is, then resolve to join the teaching crusade.
It will open your eyes to a magical world of shared experiences!