Bapu and Me

Article by Rubina Sushil

Hi There!

I have been thinking that the secret to a perfectly happy, content and long life has been right under my nose, and I never paid heed to it. There is so much about life that can be learnt from Gandhiji’s philosophy- one that he followed stringently throughout his own life. Mind you, Gandhiji’s life has been mostly full of stressful events, one that would quickly take a toll on anyone’s health and sanity. Yet, he was a fit, childlike person, full of life and cheer. Now, this maybe because of his basic positive nature. More importantly, I think it was because of his strong resolve to live life to its fullest.

All of us want to live a rich, full life. Yet, the magic formula never presents itself throughout our lives. Is there a magic formula at all? I found it in Gandhiji’s philosophy. If you would want to make a positive change in your life- this one is for you.

Keep it Simple

 “You may have occasion to possess or use material things, but the secret of life lies in never missing them.” 

 Gandhiji was born in a prosperous family and had a privileged upbringing. Yet when he died he had less than ten possessions and didn’t even own a house. He practiced simplicity and minimalism in all areas of his life. Now, giving up all our material things may not seem practical, but we can try being minimalistic.  Materialism is the cause of a lot of grief these days. Let go of material trappings and see your worries fly off with them.

Simple eating and keeping oneself physically and mentally active

Gandhiji ate a strict vegetarian diet and cooked his own home grown food when he got the chance. He also took great pleasure in all these activities. In fact he did all his work like cleaning his house and even the lavatory. This daily activity gave him great character as well as physical exercise. As a result he was never overweight and rarely fell sick.

Never lose the child in you

Bapu gave time to simple pleasures no matter how busy he was. He would sit and read to children and joke and play with them. He is sometime known to have left important meetings midway to enjoy the company of children. He also never got stressed and meditated daily and spent hours in reflection and prayer.

Busy as we may be, a little time spent in self improvement daily will bring about a change gradually. Bapu’s life has been a shining example on how to be happy. And I think it is perfectly possible to follow it.

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