I believe.....

I believe, 

   life is beautiful and life is to enjoy.

I believe ,

   life is not easy, it can be challenging at times but it is worth it.

I believe,

  all challenges are lessons for us to learn or opportunities for growth

I believe,

   in balance. Equanimity is a very big virtue or like a special power that can assist us on our journey        called life.

I believe,

  If we don't know what love is then we don't know who God is.
I believe,

  we should forgive others and our self for our own good.

I believe,

   loving oneself is like telling God, " What you created is wonderful, Thanks for this gift, I will take   good care of it. "

I believe,

   practicing peace does not mean keeping quite, it just means not reacting but responding from a          inner space.

I believe,

  we all have gifts and they are meant to be shared and used for the service of others. What is the point of having candle and not lighting it up in dark. 

I believe,

   praise and criticism both are strong winds that can blow us away unless we are grounded.

I believe,

  people need love more than anything else.

I believe,

   God is good God who always loves us in spite of what we do and don't do .

I believe,

  no one can hurt us without our permission, that does not mean people will not do anything hurtful .

I believe,

  blaming others for our life is like hammering a nail in the air. 

I believe,

  people can sense what you think about them even before you say a word.

I believe,

  thoughts travel faster than light and sound.

I believe,

  we are never alone

I believe,

  we can always count on two friends, God and our intuitions.

I believe,

   it is more important to " be " than to "do "...

I believe,

   greatest gift we can give to our self is to be fully present at any moment .

I believe 

   greatest gift we can give anyone is our presence.

I believe,

   we owe it to our kids to grow our self, we cannot give what we don't have.

I believe,

  it is absolute waste punishing our self or others for the past mistakes. 

I believe,

  more I know, more I know that I know so little.

I believe,

  every one has something special in them.

I believe,

   we need not apologize for who we are .

I believe,

   we need to be who we really are not  pretend to be who we think people want us to be.

I believe,

  when we are one with present moment, than anything we create will be a masterpiece, be it a painting, music, composition, a book, a photograph, an invention, a movie or simply a delicious meal.
I believe,
  deep listening and loving speech are priceless virtues.
I believe,
  we all have talents and capabilities way more than what we think we have.
I believe,
   highest form of freedom is freedom from judging others and judging ourselves .
I believe,
   at every given moment, we have a choice to choose our attitude .

Sunrise Faith

Worry , how to get out of it ...

Worry :
Why has worry become our all time companion and robbing away all the joy, peace, happiness, creativity away? At some point it just takes life away from life.

If we look at life objectively, we only worry about our future and there are two kinds of things in future that we worry about .
1. Things that are not on our control .
   hmmmm Why worry about things that are not in our control ? Think about it.
Since it is not in our control, why worry ...We cannot do anything about it anyways. So just let it be. See what can we do now to be better prepared. If there is nothing we can do now, then just remove this file from your mind and put it in "File Closed" box. Next time when the thought tries to pop up in your head and tries to steal away your mental energy, just shove it away. You really cannot do anything about it. Its all about being very alert and mindfully about what is going on in our mind and keep a strong control.
Let your mind know, "Who's the boss !! "

2, Things that are in our control .
    Why are we worried about things that are in our control ??? Really , why are we worried?
 There is nothing much to say, just think about it for a moment .....it is on our control, so lets just relax, take a deep breath and thank God. We can handle it, because it is in our control. Worrying about it will just rob us away of our creative energy and physical energy. So its time to tighten your seat belts and take a strong grip on your mind and just get the job done.

How about past .....
Past is gone , we cannot touch it or see it anymore. There is no "undo" button or "go back "button. So, lets just not relive past again and again by bringing it in our thoughts. We can only control what we can do now. It is such a waste of our mental space and physical energy in re-living past, specially when we are not happy about it. Thinking about past over and over again and getting upset about it now is like saying," i didn't like the taste of that food" and i am choosing to eat it again and again ".

Most precious resource we have in our hand is present moment. We cannot save it , we cannot put it in a bank , we cannot reuse it. We cannot even borrow it later.

We just have to fully live it and not let it slip from our hand.

Let past remain in past, let future remain in future, lets just live now. God whispers in the present moment, His fragrance is only in the present moment.

Get out of the feeling of being stuck.

When you feel,"I cannot do anything else, I have tried my best, I did everything I can , but nothing seems to work", this is what I know works all the time.

Here is a simple law, it's a universal law and it works all the time . "Give, what you want to get and give with pure heart and you will get it multiple times".  It is not a rule because rules can be broken.

When I was very young, I heard about this family, when ever they were tight with money, they would open up free kitchen," langar ". They would open there house to feed people . I heard him saying, "Give, give and give, more you give, more will come back to you, feed people with open heart and God will take care of your food."

Whatever you need, go share that with others and you will get it multiple folds automatically in due time.

If you are in need of money, find ways to give some money to whoever you feel is more needy than you, even if it is a dollar or two.Your financial situation will be taken care of.

If you need time, look around and see who can you help with your time. Give them some of your time. You will get time you need and much more

If you feel lonely and feel depressed, look around , you will find someone who is lonely , help them feel better, give them company. Help them overcome loneliness, you will not only get over your loneliness but will even forget that you ever felt lonely once.

If you feel you lack love in your life, look around , find someone who needs love, you will find someone in your family for sure and give them a hug or a listening ears. When you sit for your meditation, spend 5 minutes to send some energy of love to someone you feel needs it . Instantly you will feel loved.

If you feel your kids are troubling , go help another kid get on a right path.

If your relationships have issues, go help someone else mend their relationships.

If you are struggling in your career, look around , you will find someone who needs guidance in their career. Help that person , give them your guidance.

If you feel lost, help someone else find way .

If you feel you need help in your life, find someone else who you can help .

If you feel your business is on stand still, look around and see who can you help in their business. May be help someone with your contacts or your expertise . You will see unexpected help , growth in your business .

Whatever we give with intention of serving , will come back to us multiple folds.

You reap, whatever you sow.
You reap much more than you sow.
Sowing is in our control, reaping time is not.
You may sow seeds in one place and reap harvest in another place.

Just give it a try, you will be amazed with results ... so have fun and enjoy a life of abundance.
Don't worry of small turbulence, they will come and go. Day ends with night and night always ends with day. Nothing is permanent . Now is the only time that matters so enjoy this moment...

9/13
Came across this video today, it explains it so beautifully .....

I have a dream..

I have a dream.....

My dream is about this beautiful world, 

a world where everyone lives like one happy family.

Where there is no discrimination based on caste, color, race, sex or nationality,

Where people love each other.

Where people care of each other and basic intention behind any job is to serve others.

Where people are thriving and flourishing with love.

Where we nurture and respect our planet, all natural resources and not abuse it 

Where there is trust and faith 

I have a dream.....

 a dream of this beautiful world

Where no one feels lonely, even though they are around people,

where no one misses there family who is long distance because everyone is a family.

Where our relatives are all human beings.

Where only love and kindness prevails.

Where kids learn life lessons and moral values in school,

Where kids play games in nature with friends not games on screen with remote.

Where kids are taught by example not theory.

Where work feels like a play,

Where people are happy at work and want to work not have to work

Where work is driven by passion and not money or power.

Where money is just one commodity, money is not life

Where no one is trying to beat other person, no one is trying to compete with others but they only compete with them self.

Where people strive for excellence in everything that they do.

Where "best" is not best among others, but "best" is what best one can do.

Where healers, heal mind before they heal body .

Where we respect our body and not abuse it .

Where people follow rules not because of consequences but because it is the right thing to do.

Where words, like stress does not exist,

where anger, pain, frustration, stress is not normal

Where love, peace, contentment and happiness is normal.

Where abundance is normal...

I have a dream .........

Joel Osteen - Say 'NO' To Your Feelings

Pastor Joel Osteen. Read his first book " Your best life now " 7yrs back. Me and my husband Satyajeet are both his fans, we have been inspired and motivated to by him. Even though we follow different faith, his teachings resonates with us so much , it has helped us have stronger faith, be more spiritual and has guided us in living our best life. Some people live, some make a difference. He is one who has made big difference in the lives of many all around the world. He is very simple yet very bold in his faith, he has great following , yet he has no sign of arrogance,since he sets an example of a great follower. Very consistent with his teaching, very clear of his purpose, his humble spirit, unwavering faith, love for people is what makes him connect with people at a deeper level. A simple message that can have extraordinary impact when applied.

Love is not like an Apple-pie

Would love to celebrate Christmas with my Christian friends, Eid with my Muslim friends and Hanukkah with my Jewish friends and Janamashtmi with my Hindu friends as if i am part of their family. Would pick unity,brotherhood, peace and love over segregation any day.
Is that not what all religion teaches ... then why do people say this festivals is not for Sikhs or this is a festivals of Hindu only.

Felt very disheartened when i saw people condemning other Sikh for enjoying Holi or when people would stop others from embracing celebrations from other cultures in the name of " this is not a part of our religion !! "
Well, what part of sharing, caring and loving is not part of your religion or any religion ?

As a mom , if i don't feel insecure when my son gives hug to his friend's mom then why do we feel insecure if a fellow Sikh plays Holi ...or if Sikh visits Church. Will that makes us less of a a Sikh ?


I don't think Guru Nanak Dev ji will get offended when he will see me hugging my Muslim friends on Eid and sharing semiya (sweet pudding )with them.
 Love is not like an Apple pie that has limited slices and if we give more to one, someone else will have to get less. Love is like air, it is everywhere , there is enough of it for everyone. No matter how much we share with one , we will still have enough to share with others.

Why do we talk so much about what is wrong with others, instead of focusing on what is right with others ?  In fact why do we even say others. There is no other, we all are one, we all are humans before anything else. God did not send us in this world with labels, he had just sent us a Human Beings.

Just like there are different teams of a game and each team has a coach , some rules and uniform ,so are all religions like a team with a coach and they have their own set of rules within the team and have a uniform that gives them identity . But when we play the game , rules are same for all and that is love others and respect others.

If we do or say anything that is not based out of love or causes separations and segregation and creates a feeling of we are better then them, then that is not being religious , that is going far away from basic principles of any religion , from the truth . Truth is "Love is above all" .


All prophets and saints and guru came in this world to spread the message of peace, unity and oneness. They came to tell people to follow principles, they gave the message of Divine Love, One God, Unity , love above everything else, all creations are child of one God, among other things and many people who felt good listening to them forgot the message and just started calling themselves their followers. Instead of following principles, started following people and just got stuck in the rituals.

When we get so blinded by following the rules and forget the main underlying message , two things happens, 1. We start judging everyone else and labeling them based on how well they follow rules. 2. Our ego gets inflated and there is a sense of superiority even though we may be speaking of humility.
Number one teaching of all spiritual teachers is Unconditional Love, Non Judgmental and Gratitude.

Why do people fight, criticize and condemn in the name of religion......? Who are they trying to please ?

I would  pick love over a ritual that promotes segregation any day.
Warmheartedness , compassion , tolerance be our motto before anything else.

If you want to shine don't try to be, just be

Inspired by a beautiful photograph i saw on twitter yesterday by Rich Cruse.  He has a gift of capturing nature at its best and has a eye for beauty which can be easily missed if we are not present enough.

A View from the Oceanside Pier - April 8, 2013 by Rich Cruse

" If you want to shine , don't try to be , just be  and let your strengths shine "

Stillness ... a peaceful, quite resting place  or all the action, fun , drama, music, dance , the waves, the winds, the tides...

So which is is more beautiful...

 Stillness is beautiful only when you have experienced all the action, fun and drama.  Its the drama that  makes us experience and understand the true depth of stillness and same is true the other way.

Only way you can really enjoy stillness is if you have experienced the action, the drama and high and lows. One who has never experienced fun, the action would never be able to truly understand the value stillness.

So they both make each other more meaningful.

and they both co exist , enhancing each other's beauty....making a picture so much more beautiful.

Our strengths is what makes us beautiful and our strengths and our unique gifts is what makes this beautiful world so beautiful.

 We all are pieces of puzzle when put together makes this most beautiful picture made by God. Each piece has its unique shape, colors, texture . They all have its own place . A smaller piece , a bigger piece, a brighter piece or a plain piece , all are special. No one can replace the other , no one is more special then other . Only when they all are put together is when we can truly see a big picture and admire the beauty. The beauty is not in one piece but beauty is when they all are put together  each piece in its own place , in its own way enhancing the beauty of the other .

Next i saw this picture

Fisherman on the Oceanside Pier at Sunset - April 8, 2013 by Rich Cruse

" God is smiling on you" this is the first thing that came to my mind when i saw this picture.

 Fisherman is busy in his own thoughts, focus on his own thing while sun rays are shining on him. He may not be even thinking about it. Just like the sun rays, God's love is showering upon us while we may not be even thinking about Him, busy doing our own stuff . His unconditional love, selfless love is always with us .

Surfer at Sunset in Oceanside - April 9, 2013 by Rich Cruse

and He continues giving and giving and giving warmth like sun rays during the day and tranquility and peace like twinkling stars and moonlight during the night .... 

Yes, you matter

Very often I would have these questions in my mind like , what am I doing here...? What is it that I am here to do ? Am I really doing anything worthwhile? I hope I am not wasting my life...
 I have also met many people who are always striving to do something big,  They feeling inadequate  unless they win a medal or achieve no.1 position or reach a status or accomplish something big.  There sense of self is attached to accomplishments.
They never seem to be happy.
 This is what I understood..
We all have a purpose in this world, big or small, does not matter . In the bigger scheme of God, in terms of the universe, we all have an important part , a role to play that completes the divine purpose. We may think or feel that our role is very small , so small that it even may seem insignificant to us . But in Divine order, everyone has their own role that no one else can replace and for the divine order to be in balance every role is crucial.

I saw a movie Hugo and it explains so beautifully what I always felt in my heart.
If you look at any machine , it has a purpose. A car has a purpose to drive, a watch has a purpose to show time etc.There are so many parts in a machine that completes it. A smallest part in a machine is equally important than any other part to make it functional.There is no extra part or useless part in any machine. If a small part of a machine is missed or  is not working then  entire machine does not perform its function well or may not work at all.
We all are parts of a big machine, a very big machine like a big watch made by God that has a divine purpose. Some of us are small part, some of us are a big part of that machine, all are here to perform an important function for this big machine to function in an order. Some gets light shining on them, others work inside quietly. There  is no one that is here by mistake or that has no purpose. We all have a role to play that completes the universe and each and every part is important. So how can we say that this part is insignificant just because it does not get ecolades or shines brighter like a diamond in a watch.

The important part is that we love what we are doing and do it with passion, with a sense of purpose in it. Let our every act be infused with  an intent of serving . Have a serving heart. Whether we are raising our kids, filing papers, writing a book , cooking a meal , making new invention ,taking care of sick or smiling and giving someone hope. So there is no big or small, no one is insignificant, neither there is any one good or bad. We all are here to play an important role that God/Universe has assigned us for proper functioning of this universe.
The important thing is that we do what we are here to do and do it well and not try to do what someone else is doing and try to be someone else. That can mess up everything .Can you image if every part of a watch says that they just want to be the diamond on the dial and not anything else? There will be no watch than ..
We are happy when we are aligned with our purpose. Joy and happiness is in the process of fulfilling our purpose, in being in the moment and at every moment. Happiness is not something we achieve when we reach our goal, or when our work gets recognition at a bigger level, happiness is in living every moment fully, purposefully.  Every moment is significant, every moment is to be lived and lived fully .
When we are not aligned with our purpose , when we are not doing what we where meant to do, then we lose a sense of peace and inner joy, it is like a broken machine. If there are many of us who lose their inner joy then collective energy is out of balance and we see anxiety, hatred, anger, frustration. If we are not present enough, then we react to anger, hatred, frustration that causes us to move further away from our inner peace, inner guidance and hence further away from our purpose.

So live every moment and believe you are significant , you matter , whatever you do .....you are making a difference.

Love,
Amandeep