Spirituality to me is a way of life, a thought process that determines the way I live. I am not on a high plane of spiritual awakening or realisation yet, so my thoughts also keep changing from time to time. They depend on the space and time I find myself in.

But one thought is constant – positivity of the mind and the soul. I believe that certain things happen to us even though there are no explicit reasons for them. For me, such events are signs that there is a spirit in the world. Haven’t we often wondered why we sometimes feel a sense of calm even amidst chaos? It’s because at that point, we are a little more in touch with our spiritual side.

I am a God-fearing person and strongly believe that whatever has happened to me in my life – good or bad – is because of Him. I read a very beautiful line somewhere: “When God solves your problems, you have faith in him. But when he doesn’t solve your problems, it means he has put his faith in you.”

I am a religious person but not a fanatic. I love all religions. In any case, the religion I follow, Hinduism, is not a religion but a way of life. I am not ritualistic and thus don’t believe in frequenting temples, but I do go to some temples like the Siddhivinayak temple every once in a while.

I find peace there. God, for me, is omnipresent – I can have a conversation with him anywhere, anytime. I don’t wear any lucky charms. I recite the Ganpati and the Gayatri mantra every morning. I also chant Om Ganpataye Namah as it gives me a positive feeling. It helps me stay happy in the face of adversity. I feel that something good will come out of every bad situation: That is the power of chanting.

I don’t believe in turning to a higher power only in times of adversity. I talk to God all the time, even when I am happy. But yes, I do bother him more than usual when I am going through a hard time. Success and failure are just phases, belief is permanent.

I have a simple philosophy in life: Live and let live. Be happy and make people around you happy. Life is good. I unwind by listening to shlokas or the Gayatri mantra or just sitting and doing nothing. That helps me the most. In today’s fast-paced lives, we hardly have time to spend with ourselves, so I spend some time doing that to help me focus. I feel very calm after 10 minutes of silence.

(As told to Ishita Bains)

Source: Times of India