Mind Your Mind

Book excerpt: How do I stop myself from worrying all the time? Why do I overthink? Whom do I blame for my problems? Is my mind a friend or an enemy? My life seems so useless –what is the point of living? Is happiness achievable despite all my troubles? If any of these questions resonate with you, corporate practitioner turned monk and teacher Venugopal Acharya has the answers you’re looking for. Beginning with the premise that the solution to an anxious or restless mind lies not in controlling the mind – an impossible task at the best of times – but in learning how to manage it, he recommends three powerful yet simple principles for mind management and happy living: Awareness, Acceptance and Aspiration. Moving a step ahead of merely outlining these ‘self-help methods’, the Acharya explains – through anecdotes from history and contemporary events as well as nuggets from ancient Indian scriptures – how to integrate these distinct concepts into a three-step practice for daily living and achieve benefits that are simultaneously immediate and long-lasting. An invaluable guide to self-transformation that is tailor-made for modern living, Mind Your Mind gently but powerfully reveals that you are much more than your mind – and you can, therefore, live a fulfilling, uncomplicated and contented life beyond it.