Human beings who do not break their self-created boundaries will remain trapped in them. Breaking your limitations is an essential part of your spiritual growth. This process is not based on a scripture, philosophy, or tradition... it is a living thing. You have to live it every single day. Do not miss this possibility because you are getting caught up in day-to-day situations or issues with other people. If you want to move forward in life, it is important to constantly keep account of your growth – ideally every day, but at least weekly once or monthly once. Ask yourself, Am I getting better? Have I grown a little more compared to the way I was yesterday? Am I a little more joyful?

People keep close account of their money. It is only a tool and you cannot take it with you when you die. The most precious thing you have is that you are alive right now. If that is the case, is it not worthwhile to keep account of where you are going in life, if you are improving yourself or you are regressing? You do not regress because of what someone else does to you. No one can do anything to you within you. Your boss or your family can make your life a little difficult on the outside. That means they give you more exercise but that’s all. This should only make you stronger.

No matter what someone throws at you, you must make the best out of it. A mango tree, which does not even have a brain like you, can make mud into mangoes and sweetness. Plants can make filth into flowers and fragrance. You should be able to make something beautiful out of whatever comes your way. If you are able to do that, that shows who you are. The biggest problem on the planet has been that if small things go wrong, people blame it on “the small guy” (someone else). If big things go wrong in their lives, they blame it on “the big guy” (God). They themselves do not seem to be responsible for anything. It is time to stop blaming or trying to fix others. Instead, you should grow to your full potential.

Seeking something that can only happen within you outside in the world is the most foolish thing to do. This happens only when you turn inward first, then it will it happen always. Your immediate inner wellbeing and your ultimate wellbeing will only be successful if you free your mind from unnecessary junk. If you keep collecting other people’s garbage, then it will be pretty difficult for anything magnificent to sprout. Modern times are such that most people have too much trash in their heads to realize the immense possibility of what is being offered to them.

One way to reduce mental distractions is to drop the gossip. There is a saying that if someone creates some nasty karma, people who keep talking about it will get it. The person who did it may have forgotten about it. But people who keep talking about it will get it because it occupies their minds. These are simple things to remember when living and working with other people.

Three filters to keep in mind: If someone wants to tell you something, have they made sure that it is the absolute truth? Is it something good about someone? Is it useful? If, from whatever others want to tell you or what you want to tell someone else, you filter out everything that does not meet these three criteria, you will have a lot of space in your mind to do useful, wonderful, and spiritual things. If you fill yourself with unfiltered information, you will always be busy with junk, whether it is someone else’s or your own. You should never take pleasure in someone else’s problems by gossiping about them. You could make it a rule for yourself to not speak about anyone when that person is not face-to-face with you.

Do not waste your energy thinking over things that someone said or did. Most of you are not in a state of mind where, if you close your eyes, the world is gone in your experience. If that is the situation, the best thing is to expend yourself in such a way that there is simply no energy left for anything that is not necessary for your well being. It is better to die of exhaustion than of boredom, laziness, resentment, or misery. The fact that you are aging does not mean you have to reduce your activity. If you keep doing something with tremendous intensity and involvement, your capacity will only increase.

It is important that you use your life to the fullest, in every possible way. Life is brief so why waste your time on things that are not worthwhile? Either you must do something for your inner well being, or you must be doing something that is useful for people around you. Do not sit around thinking about what to do and what to avoid. If you shift from unwillingness to willingness, your life will become joyful and your journey will become effortless. One day when you look back, you will see you have lived a magnificent life.

[Source: Isha Sadhguru]