THE ULTIMATE INDEPENDENCE

Wishing each one of you reading this article a very Happy Independence Day!

While India celebrates its 75^th Independence Day today, commemorating the day when India attained freedom from colonial rule, it is also time for us to reflect on our inner and true independence.

Let us set aside some time today, the day which represents freedom, to inquire and dive deep into what freedom means in the truest sense. Let us ponder over these questions: Are we truly liberated? What is true freedom?

There were two friends, both working in the same organization and drawing almost the same amount of salary. Both received a hike in their salaries at the end of the annual performance appraisal.

The first friend thought, “Wow, this is great. Now I can improve the quality of my life. My family’s financial situation will improve.”

The second friend thought, “Oh, I received such a paltry salary rise. Inflation is rising with each passing day! How will such a meagre hike help me?”

Who among the two friends do you think would benefit from the salary hike?

There are two parts to every incident — the incident itself, and the thoughts that you entertain about it. Based on your thoughts, you conclude whether the incident was good or bad. While one thought can fill you with awe, happiness, and enthusiasm, another would bring disappointment and can turn a joyous occasion into painful misery. It is up to you to decide which thoughts you would like to harbor and which thoughts you would like to discard.

When you understand this law of thoughts, you will be able to steer your thoughts in the right direction. When people all over the world understand this law of thoughts and direct their thoughts in the same direction, then it would bring about a ‘Thought Revolution.’

What is a Thought Revolution?

A Thought Revolution is a transformation that impacts the very foundation of our life, the basis of our thoughts. When our mind is clouded with disturbing thoughts and the turmoil of emotions, then developing the ability to consciously steer our thoughts in the right direction rather than letting them overcome us is a Thought Revolution. Even if a handful of people in every neighborhood could learn and practice this, soon we will have an evolved and awakened society.

To achieve this, we need to understand, imbibe, and practice the laws of thoughts. To understand this better, let us relate the Thought Revolution to yet another Freedom Revolution India witnessed during the colonial rule.

The British Empire ruled India for almost 200 years. During this period, Indians got so very used to being subservient and dependent that they most people hardly realized the imprisonment of their freedom. However, there were some people who realized this and did not accept the foreign rule. Deep in their hearts, they wanted freedom. And this single thought brought about a revolution that spread across the entire country.

This wave of a new thought brought people together. They joined hands, supported, and inspired one another towards the common goal of independence. This did not happen in a day or two. It took many years for the revolution to mature and become successful. Being driven by their personal and diverse desires initially, many people could not even imagine freedom, much less value it. It took a long duration before they were fully united towards the common goal of independence.

Today’s free India with all its achievements in technology and innovation is a clear demonstration of what happens when people think in the same direction. There was a time when one had to travel a long distance to reach a telephone booth or book a trunk call. Today almost everyone has a mobile phone. Nowadays, one does not even need a computer to access emails with the advent of smartphones.

How did all this progress happen in telecommunications?

It is because people’s thoughts were dominated by their strong desire to connect with one another even when they are physically apart. Similarly, the intense desire for entertainment has fueled the rapid growth of entertainment streams and gadgets. It started long back with black and white television sets that only a few could afford. Then came color televisions supported by remote controls one used to flip channels from the comforts of their sofa. Soon, plasma TVs, LCD and LED TVs flooded the market. Most people now desire to enjoy their very own home theatres, not to mention the demand for highspeed streaming media entertainment at one’s fingertips on the mobile phone.

And then there will be something else. Desires are endless!

It is the power of Thought Tevolution that brought about such a quick advancement of technology in such a short span of time – hardly three decades! This is because when the vast populace thinks in one direction, things immediately begin to manifest. The ease of access to everything including entertainment, knowledge, news, and cultures was enhanced.

We, as a society, can collectively attract what we want, with the collective power of our thoughts by steering our thoughts in the right direction.

Just as many Indians were not aware of their dependence and subservience during the British rule, today we are not aware of how our very own thoughts enslave us. During those times, there was a need for an independence movement – a revolution for freedom of the nation from subservience to the British. Today, there is a need for a Thought Revolution – a movement to raise mass consciousness by liberating ourselves from the entrapment of our very own thoughts.

In the insatiable quest to amass more and better comforts and conveniences, we as humankind are losing our value for true love, joy, and peace. For this to happen, everyone’s thoughts need to be aligned in the same direction, towards love, joy, and peace. This is what the Thought Revolution is all about.

Let us all move forward together on the path of the Thought Revolution and ignite the flame of love, joy, and peace to discover our independence in the true sense. Let us utilize the power of thoughts to bring about an inner revolution and shift our lives from mere Entertainment to true Enlightenment.

Wish you all a happy and healthy life.

Happy Thoughts!

~ Based on the teachings of Sirshree