OSME Digest: Embrace

Welcome to your weekly dose of OSME-ness. While I was collecting articles for this round-up, I noticed some new writers and several new ideas. It’s a matter of pride for me to see the community churn out brilliant articles and great ideas. osdotme has truly become a destination where you get food for thought. We are growing faster than we thought but without compromising the basic tenets laid down by our founder, Swamiji — truth and kindness. 

It has inspired many to find themselves in the chaos of the online world. Many of our community members have found a purpose through writing, and solace having pushed out words that were bottled up inside. They have found the courage to embrace themselves.

And every time I come out with a round-up, the hope is that it is another step in that direction. That the weekly reads become guideposts on your spiritual path that leads to enlightenment, mental and emotional wellbeing, and to the higher self. When something appeals to you, pick up the learnings, interpret the teachings and share with me and others. 

Now, if you are ready, the articles this week will uplift you without being a bore (as always). These will motivate you to embrace the hole in your heart to become whole with yourself. Besides, there is also a challenge to shake things up a little. Aha! 

To embracing our imperfectness: 

Wisdom from Swamiji

Whom to Please: It is possible for two people to be in love and yet be on different paths. Love is not about constantly pleasing the other person. It is about pleasing someone else. Let Swamiji help you discover that person. 

Destiny Or Free Will: If everything is predetermined, then what’s the point in putting any effort to accomplish any dream; if it’s all in our hands, then why do we go through helpless and unexpected situations in life? Let Swamiji demystify it for once and for all.

Inspiring Experiences

A Hole in the Heart: All of us, each one of us, live with a hole in our hearts. Even when we laugh, when we dance, it is still there inside us. We might forget about it sometimes, but deliberate forgetting doesn’t fill it. What does? Sadhvi Vrinda Om’s seemingly simple verse is pregnant with wisdom and universal truth. You’ll relate to it at once, and in it, you will find a way to live with the hole in your heart. Maybe fix it too, here’s hoping.

Thank You: On his 50th birthday, a rich merchant decides, “Today, I shall ride back down the road and thank all the ones who made such a difference in my life.” The wife reminds him, “The road back is so long, you won’t ever return”. And the merchant has inspired Vijay Singh to show gratitude to everyone who made him what he is today. Well, what are you waiting for? Read it and thank me.

Hunger: A famished Mocha is tempted to snatch scraps of food from the claws of strays, having failed to scrape any food off trash bins. It has been days since he tasted a morsel. On the other end, he sees his wife standing with a handful of food. But hadn’t she died days ago? …Many worlds live in the world around us. While some are scraping the bins for food, some are wasting on indulgences. And then sometimes, both extremes meet in a person. Manju Bhartola weaves a poignant tale.

The Noble Souls Serving Selflessly: You pay them for their services, so there is nothing to be grateful for. Right? Wrong. They always go several steps further than needed. While there might be doctors who are profit-oriented, there are those who put humanity first. Peeush recalls many such doctors. Like this doc with beautiful handwriting (can you believe it!) who doesn’t charge a penny. Many lovely tales of compassion.

What to Write: A talented writer is one who can engage the readers well. The one who can make the personal universal and vice versa. If you aspire to be one such writer, Ritu Om Chatterjee has some very practical and powerful tips to help you on your writerly journey. She has picked these up from none other than Pulitzer prize winner Jhumpa Lahiri. Give it a read, to write better.

How I Started Writing: I keep telling ya’ all that writing is therapeutic. But ye’ all do not listen to me. There have been studies that have proved so. And now, you have Neelanjan making a strong case for it. He has debugged his mental and emotional system just by using writing as a cathartic tool. Read this transformational tale and start writing already. Don’t worry about whether you are good enough, our osme platform is magical, it’ll make your writing a hit!

What’s Inside Us: No one can force you to become what you aren’t. Yet how many times have you blamed others for your rudeness or unkind behaviour saying they provoked you to repay their meanness with meanness? Is it the case, though? Madhavendu Das squeezes out the truth from the inner chambers of our hearts. Drinking a glass of juice won’t be the same again, neither would blaming others for your inappropriate behaviour. 

Back to Factory Reset: Nope, not your phones. But your own system to embrace your true nature. Niveta Tiwari observes that “the world hasn’t been kind to us… it has been cruel and insufferable to the point of self-annihilation”. Therefore, we unite in pain. However, when we help others, it brings comfort to us. Why? She makes her point alluding to a beautiful story of asuras and devtas. Read this wonderful take to become whole in the heart. 

Now, it is time to show your favourite community some love and win prizes!

‘I Love OSMe’ Challenge

We are collecting testimonials for the website. And we’d love to feature you, complete with your photo, and whatever great things you have to say about your favourite os.me. 

What to do: Starting today (June 16 IST), you can write a testimonial on the form here. Tell us how os.me or any of the courses on your favourite platform changed your life for the better? Make sure it is 80 or fewer words, and we’d love to have your photo with it. Hey! Make haste though, ‘coz only the first 100 entries will be considered. Depending on the layout, we will feature 5-10 (or more) from the first 100. Once you have recorded your testimonial, come back and drop a line in the comments below.

Let me make it more exciting. Three of the entries will also get to choose from our coveted gift basket, one by one: 

1) $50 in your OSME Karma Account; 2) Complimentary one-year Individual membership of os.me — Keep it or gift it; 3) 100% free access to our very popular Meditation course for a limited period of 15 days.

Keep writing, commenting, and reading. Visit osdotme at least twice a day, it’s great for your health.

Stay osme. Until next…   

PS: Subscribe to the newsletter, click on the button right now!