Learning to grow as a person

        Most of us easily fall prey to provocation. No matter how highly evolved we are, we still have difficulties minding our own businesses. We are still like those monkeys waiting for the cap seller to throw caps on us, so that we can throw ours back at him. But all we throw is crap. We are bothered about so may things in life and what is disturbing is the fact that we don’t even know how to ignore them. 

        Maturity doesn’t always come with age. Sometimes we have to work on it. Maturity is not a physical trait; hence, simply because one ‘acts mature’ doesn’t mean they are. Maturity is the ability to make peace with life; to handle things from getting out of control; to be stable even in adversities; to learn to be the bigger person. 

1. Tame your Ego — Our Ego is so precious to each of us, that we can never ever see it crushed. Someone tries to mess with our ego and we are already hurt.We need to stop ourselves from being confined within our ego and learn to give in, to bow down, to forgive, to be sorry, to change and to adapt.
2. Filter and imbibe — Well, it is always easy to advise (like writing this article is). And that is something we all love to do. What is difficult, is to take the advice in the right stride because, no matter how much we refuse to acknowledge this, but we do have the tendency to get irritated when we hear unsolicited advice. We need to learn to filter whatever we hear, process it in our thinking machines and imbibe the ones which we feel, would do good for us. There is no need to wear any shields to deflect the advice shot at us.They may guide us in the walks of our lives.
3. Know that Society doesn’t think- ‘Society’ doesn’t put much thoughts on anything and that’s why it judges. No matter what you do or do not do, you will be judged, either way. Living your life purely based on societal fear is sheer foolishness. Society can only see what you do not have and you will always be left to lament on your shortcomings. Respect the societal norms, don’t let it dictate your life. 
4. Just because you can speak, doesn’t mean you always have to — We are gifted with the ability to speak, but the gift we really need to work on, is the ability to know when not to speak. We can argue and counter argue to our heart’s content. But that doesn’t make us any better from others. Remaining silent is an art, hard to master. We need to constantly remind ourselves that we need not always justify our actions or prove our points, ’cause mostly it falls on deaf ears.
5. Hate the deeds, not the people — Even though four lettered, hate is a pretty big word. Hate should not rule our behavior. If at all something irks you and you desperately want to hate something, hate the deeds, hate the actions and not the people. Behind every action of a person there will be a story you are unaware of. 
6. It is okay to make mistakes — They say, to err is human. We can’t always make right decisions. Mistakes happen and there is nothing unnatural about it, nor is there anything to be ashamed of. We all make mistakes. We should learn to acknowledge them and take responsibility for our own actions. Of course, we can sulk about it too but that cannot undo what has already been done. Learn from mistakes; not only from your own, but others’ as well. 
7. The only thing you can change is within — Instead of complaining about the world and its population and why things happen in a certain way, what we can do is look within. That’s where the roots of all our problems lie; that’s where we get solutions too; that’s where miracles happen. Let’s change our perception and the world will change itself.