Be a Porter… But Not of Others’ Burdens — Only Your Own!*

(Your best effort — that’s the real secret to joyful living.)

*We are all porters.*

Yes… some may admit it, some may not —

But each one of us carries some burden on our heads as we walk through life.

What someone said, what someone did or didn’t do…

Whether someone maintained the relationship or let it slip…

Whether someone treated us unfairly…

We helped others in their time of need — but no one was there when we needed support…

All these are burdens.

Not just carried on the head — but weighed deeply on the mind.

The sun rises, evening falls —

But within our minds, it’s the same old thoughts,

The same wounds replayed,

The same relentless accounting of others’ behavior.

*What’s going on, really?*

Are we only going to keep track of how others act?

What they said? What they forgot?

When will we finally pause and ask:

“Forget others… what am I doing?”

“Did I do something today that was different from yesterday — something uplifting, meaningful, or alive?”

What others do is not in our hands.

But how long we remain stuck in it — that is absolutely in our control.

*Why not carry others’ burdens?*

Because…

Those who constantly focus on what others are doing wrong —

their own life gets stuck.

Eventually, they say: “There’s no good left in this world!”

But the problem is not with the world.

The problem is with our perspective and direction.

*So what to do?*

First step — consciously throw off those mental burdens!

What someone said, what they did or didn’t do…

Drop it.

Many of us haven’t even remembered…

what a free breath feels like.

So today-right now-

Take one deep, free, nourishing breath…

And take a hard, honest look at yourself.

*How much time have we lost?*

Caught up in someone else’s misdeeds…

Discussing their faults… replaying past insults…

In all that, we’ve lost ourselves.

But…

No matter.

Now you’re awake, aren’t you?

When you wake up, that’s your morning.

Then rise!

Call out to the best version of yourself.

And then you’ll see…

Life becomes simpler.

The day begins to feel beautiful.

And what’s amazing is,

Before, when you had “all the time in the world,” boredom would creep in.

But now-

You won’t even notice how time flies!

And here, we remember a precious truth from Sadguru Wamanrao Pai:

*God has given many powers to man.*

*Of them, the most praised is memory.*

*But even greater and more essential is the power of forgetfulness.*

Yes-

Anger, regret, insult, disappointment, failure…

The ability to release all this is the real power.

Forgetfulness here is not about being absentminded.

It’s about renewal —

About taking a fresh breath.

Closing old cabinets of pain,

And building a new friendship with life.

A deeper connection with the soul.

Have you ever heard Keshavsut’s poem “Tutari”?

If not, listen to it…

It’s not just a poem.

It’s a sonic awakening for minds trapped in the past.

*When the trumpet sounds, destruction follows!*

That’s what Keshavsut declared —

Even today, this Tutari seems to shout:

*Clear out the old, plant the new*

*Dust away the mind’s heaviness-*

*And live your best self!*

And while doing all this, hold on to one simple rule, priceless in itself:

*Whatever comes to you in life — turn it into growth.*

Someone throws stones at you?

No problem! Build a temple from them.

Someone offers you poison-

In other words, speaks harshly, insultingly?

You decide —

Turn it into medicine.

As Sadguru says humorously while speaking against superstition:

*If someone throws lemons at your doorstep with pins stuck in them,

bring them in and make lemonade!*

Don’t frown-make it sweet!

Just remember this vow every day:

*Whatever comes my way-I will turn it into something beautiful.*

That’s what it means to be truly alive-

Joyful from within, and a source of joy to others.

What people say?

That’s theirs-let them keep it.

Who can stop their mouths?

What you do —

That’s truly yours.

If someone shouted, cursed, or insulted you,

Their mouth got dirty. Not your mind.

But that’s only true when…

You constantly give your very best.

Only then can no criticism touch your peace of mind.

Take what’s useful.

Let the rest go.

Growth is not a peak - it’s a direction.

Rising doesn’t mean reaching the top-

It means expanding your thoughts, awareness, and humanity a little more each day.

*One who stops - stagnates.*

*One who flows grows.*

*And with that flow*…*purification happens naturally.*

Whatever you do —

Small or big, simple or special —

Give it your all.

Half-hearted work = half-lived life.

Wholehearted involvement reveals your full self.

And so…

Carrying the weight of others’ actions,

we slowly lose our own path…

So remind yourself-every single day:

*Did I give my best today?*

And now, let’s make one more decision:

The world may throw anything at you.

But you decide what to do with it.

Will you become wounded — or wise?

Someone criticized, insulted, or belittled you?

So what?

Whatever “filth” is thrown-

Turn it into fertilizer.

And from it, blossom into something fragrant and new.

The vow is simple:

*I will not let anyone’s behavior block my* *growth.*

*I will transform it-and grow even more beautifully because of it.*

The past is over —

But the reaction we cling to ruins our present.

And in doing so, we darken our own future.

So:

Don’t cradle your wounds — learn from them.

Don’t fall into anger-

let stillness rise.

Don’t sit with doubt-grow your height.

And then…

*Let the sky take form within you!*

A Reflection by

*Jayant Joshi*