Swami Vivekananda's Birthday: Life-changing lessons by the Indian philosopher
Swami Vivekananda, also known as Narendranath Datta, was an Indian Hindu monk, writer, philosopher, and spiritual advisor. India honors him by commemorating his birth anniversary on January 12 as National Youth Day. On this auspicious occasion, let us revisit some of the greatest lessons put forward by Swami Vivekananda that carry the power to transform your life.
Believe in yourself
Vivekananda once said, "All the powers in the universe are already ours. It is we who have put our hands before our eyes and cry that it's dark." With that, he taught that you must first believe in yourself if you want to change the world. Continue on the route you believe is best for you, defying the opinions of others.
The soul has no sex, religion, or caste
"Soul has no sex, it is neither male nor female. It is only in the body that sex exists, and the man who desires to reach the spirit cannot at the same time hold sex distinctions." He held that since God created all people equally, none of us have the right to discriminate against others based on their gender, caste, or religion.
Struggle helps you grow
"In a day, when you don't come across any problems - you can be sure that you are traveling on the wrong path." Swami Vivekananda taught us that you can never realize your full potential if everything in life comes easily to you. To become the greatest and most authentic version of yourself, you must continuously push yourself to the limit.
Self-introspection is important
"Talk to yourself once a day, otherwise you may miss meeting an intelligent person in this world." Vivekananda urges you to be content with who you are, in all that you do in your life. To truly know your potential, you must introspect and discover what you want. This requires self-reflection, which you can achieve by setting aside a few minutes daily for yourself.
Real success and happiness lie in being selfless
"The great secret of true success, of true happiness, is this: the man or woman who asks for no return, the perfectly unselfish person, is the most successful." Per his philosophy, if you have the means, you should be prepared to share them with others to improve their life. If you engage in gratuitous acts of kindness, you'll experience an unfathomable level of happiness.
