The ability to be aware of our thoughts, feelings and actions is unique to humans. This self-awareness is what differentiates us from animals and deepening it is fundamental to our evolution as a human being. We often use the term self-awareness loosely, and it means different things to different people. In my experience, there are […] The post Unlocking Self-Awareness: The Five Levels of Understanding Yourself appeared first on Rajiv Vij ..read more

I don’t think so. Free Will is the ability to decide and act free from the influence of past events or the environment. Free Will implies complete freedom to make absolutely any choice. If you spend a moment reflecting on this, you would appreciate why we don’t have Free Will. Because our decisions and actions […] The post Do We Really Have Free Will? appeared first on Rajiv Vij ..read more

Whether you are a reflective person or not, from time to time, you perhaps think about what makes you happy. Of course, there’s nothing to beat your personal lived experience in this regard. All the same, it might be helpful to know a bit of the chemistry behind our moods, emotions and happiness. If nothing […] The post The Chemistry of Happiness and It’s Fine Balance appeared first on Rajiv Vij ..read more

We have two types of thoughts – voluntary and involuntary. Voluntary thoughts are the ones we consciously choose to have. For example, when planning, analysing or engaging in an activity. Involuntary thoughts are the ones that arise in our mind on their own. If you have ever tried meditating, you surely know what involuntary thoughts […] The post For Deeper Peace: Reduce Not Negative Thoughts, But Thinking Itself appeared first on Rajiv Vij ..read more

Patagonia is a social enterprise. It’s in the business of saving the planet. With $1 billion in sales, they produce premium outdoor clothing in a highly sustainable way. Their products use nearly 90% recycled materials. To counter the waste generated by fast fashion, they produce long-lasting products and even offer a repair and reuse program. […] The post Join, Lead, Start or Build Such Organisations appeared first on Rajiv Vij ..read more

Why do we struggle to be calm, content and happy? One of the reasons is we are restless about a better future. Too often, we are waiting for something to change favourably in our life. Getting a promotion, winning a business deal, losing weight, improving our love life or traveling to new locations. This restlessness […] The post Have You Tried Being Still And Going Nowhere? appeared first on Rajiv Vij ..read more

One of the real sources of stress in our life is the insecurity of not being enough. The subconscious feeling that we are incomplete, that there’s always something out there that would somehow complete us. It dictates much of our dysfunctional thinking. We have an imagination of a perfect self which by the way is […] The post This New Year, Realise You Are Enough appeared first on Rajiv Vij ..read more

What makes the human experience interesting, rich and fun are our six senses, the sixth being our mind. However, the same senses act as a nearly impossible barrier for us to realise the deepest truth about ourselves. These senses are our window to the external world. The greatest pleasures in our life seemingly come from […] The post The Fundamental Design Flaw in Humans appeared first on Rajiv Vij ..read more

Hope you had a restful year-end break. As I enjoyed a relaxed time with family and friends, a few conversations did go past the usual reminiscing of pre-Covid life and how much the world has changed since. One thing became quite clear from that. While a lot has changed, at a deeper level we remain […] The post Two Questions Worth Asking Yourself This New Year appeared first on Rajiv Vij ..read more

I lost my dad two months ago. He was 89 and suffered a brain haemorrhage. As difficult as it was to lose him, the hardest part for me was not being able to be with him at that time. Attending his funeral over Zoom was a rude reminder of the times we are in. I […] The post This Season, Get a Dose of Emotional Vaccination Too appeared first on Rajiv Vij ..read more