Mindful life

Hi,  my  name  is  Ambuj,  and  welcome  to  my Blog.   One  of  the  last  bits  of  advice  I  remember  before  leaving  the  monastery in Himachal  was  from  one  of  my  teachers  who  to  this  day  is  still  a  really  important  part  of  my  life.  He  said  to  me,  "Think  big."   And  you  might  think  from  a  monk  that's  a  strange  bit  of  advice.  You  know,  it's  normal  when we  think  of  monastics,  we  think of keeping  life  very  simple  and very  clean, not  really  thinking  big 😀.   But it's easy to think that being present and focusing on the present mome...

Ever feel like you’re running on a hamster wheel, repeating the same actions and expecting different results? It’s a common struggle, but mindfulness offers a way out. By becoming aware of these patterns, you can start making small changes that lead to greater happiness. My Own Story of Repetition and Change A few weeks ago, I was caught in a cycle at my startup. Every day, I’d wake up feeling anxious about my overwhelming to-do list. I’d start my day by diving straight into emails, letting other people’s priorities dictate my schedule. By mid-afternoon, I was drained and frustrated, feeling like I hadn’t accomplished anything meaningful. This pattern repeated for days, leaving me stressed and unhappy. One morning, I asked myself: "How are you stuck right now? In what way are you repeating a pattern that is making you less happy than you might otherwise be?" The answer was immediate—I was letting external demands control my day. I realized I needed a change, however small, to...

Human behavior is a complex phenomenon that is influenced by various factors, including hormones and emotions. In this post, I explore the relationship between ambition, hopelessness, and extreme risk taking, and how it is affected by testosterone and serotonin levels. The Formula for Extreme Risk Taking When ambition meets hopelessness, extreme risk taking is born. This formula can be expressed as: Ambition + Hopelessness = Extreme Risk Taking High Testosterone and Low Serotonin Levels Testosterone, a hormone found in higher levels in men, fuels ambition. On the other hand, low levels of serotonin induce feelings of hopelessness. People, both men and women, at the bottom of dominance hierarchies are more likely to have lower levels of serotonin. Therefore, men at the bottom of dominance hierarchies are likely to have high testosterone levels and low serotonin levels. This combination of hormones creates a state of both ambition and hopelessness, leading to extreme risk taking.  Me...

Living away from home for more than 14 years has taught me a lot about loyalty and the importance of being there for your allies. I’ve learned that when the going gets tough, it’s your true allies who will stick by your side and help you through the darkest of times. One thing that stands out to me is the significance of showing up for your allies when they need you the most. When someone you care about is going through a difficult time, it can be tempting to back away and leave them to deal with it on their own. But let me tell you, that decision can have serious consequences for your relationship. I’ve seen firsthand what happens when someone refuses to help their ally in their time of need. The trust is broken, the loyalty is called into question, and the relationship is forever changed. It’s like a wound that never fully heals, leaving behind a scar that will always remind them of your disloyalty. But when you do show up for your ally, when you choose to stand by them and offer you...

Hi, welcome back, I hope you enjoyed your weekend. Last year around this time, I was on a phone call with my dad. Honestly, whenever I get a chance to talk to my father, I feel delighted and energized. Actually, my father might be reading this, hi dad :-) In his younger days, my father used to go on adventure trips, and he told me about them in our talks. He described to me when he was in Allahabad (now Prayagraj). He went for a walk along the river and reached the Triveni Sangam. It was early in the morning when he arrived there and apart from his friends no one was there. He decided to take a swim in the holy rivers. He was swimming towards a point where it was becoming dangerous, and he also saw a sign saying the water might be treacherous, don't go any further. You would think that was the sign to turn around and go back, but he decided to carry on anyway. He said that as he continued swimming, he sort of found himself increasingly caught up in thinking. There was a sense of fe...

Hi, my name is Ambuj, Welcome to Mindful life, and it's a beautiful Friday morning. I was looking back a few days ago at one of my favorite books. The author of this book has been called the happiest person in the world. I can as well think of another person who has had that same title, who was on the front page of Time magazine once. They both happened to be Buddhist monks. To be honest, I quite like them going up against each other, smiling to see who can give the biggest smile 😀.  Interestingly, we don't talk a lot about science on this blog, even though I have done my master's in science from a national institute. But there is something interesting to looking at what's happening beyond the mind, perhaps in the brain, in the body as we train the mind. No matter what nature the training takes, whether reflection, contemplation, meditative, learning, etc. Indeed, in these peer-reviewed studies, they have ended up coming out with the ideas of the happiest person or mos...