Lifestyle Principles based on Buddhist, Stoic & Hindu Philosophies and CBT
I am a life Coach and a wellbeing enthusiast with a strong interest in various aspects of wellbeing and lifestyle — Food & Drink, Physical Activity, Sleep, Stress Management and Mental / Spiritual health.
There is a lot of literature (books, articles etc.) that advocate a set of rules or practices for a more balanced and a happier life. My approach is slightly different.
Having coached a number of people I believe in Principles more than Rules (and perhaps even Values). Rules are very prescriptive, do not often explain why you are meant to follow them and also are not universally applicable (what works for an 80 year old in Japan may not work for a 30 year person in Silicon Valley). Values are better but they are also very contextual (cultural, religious, social etc.).
The basis for these 5 Principles are derived from a diverse set of things — Buddhist, Stoic and Hindu philosophies and CBT. Inspiration has come from Buddha, Seneca, Marcus Aurelius, Zeno, Michel de Montaigne, the Gita, books on meditation, Shakespeare, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT — which itself is based on Stoic philosophy to some extent)
My aim is to attempt at articulating a set of things that are more universally applicable and can cut across religions, cultures, societies, geographies, languages, gender, age etc.
Also as a Coach I have learnt not to provide solutions to people but provide them with the knowledge, resources and enable/empower them to figure out the best way to solve the problems themselves.
There are many more than the 5 Principles I have listed below. This is a first attempt and I hope (but not necessarily expect) that this will be of benefit to you.
Here we go:
- Many of the frustrations, challenges and disappointments in life are because of the mismatch between Expectations and Reality. Keeping expectations low or realistic is a better approach (this is in your control but not reality)
- Looking for happiness as the ultimate goal is likely to be futile. Happiness (a by-product) will find you if you live a life of mindfulness, meaningfulness, usefulness and compassion.
- Growth (personal, organisational, societal) comes from failure or making mistakes. Embrace failure and tolerate (or encourage) mistakes. Treating every problem as an opportunity will allow for personal growth.
- This too shall pass. Nothing lasts forever (a joyous or a sad occasion). Change or impermanence is the only constant in life. Accepting and embracing change and enjoying is the way to go.
- Most things are inherently neither good nor bad but our thinking makes them so. Tolerance and Acceptance of other’s views or ideas or preferences or ways of doing things will go a long way in creating a more peaceful atmosphere. Not evaluating everything as black and white and Practising a non judgemental approach is a better approach.
Please critique, comment and share as appropriate as we should all be on a path towards Continuous Learning and Improvement.
Enjoy!
Ramki Ravulapalli
