2015: Be inspired to rise beyond your limitations

Apart from investing time, energy and resources on transmitting information and knowledge, we also need to invest towards inspiring youth in the country.

2015 can be a pivotal year for the nation. India is on the threshold of a tremendous possibility with its huge population of youth. Youth are more alive than anybody else on this planet. If something constructive has to happen in the world, it has to be by the youth. If something destructive has to happen in the world, that also has to be from the youth. If they are in a certain state of listless energy, with no inspiration or proper guidance, they can very easily turn negative. On the other hand, this half a billion youth in our country can become a miracle if they are healthy, trained and focused.

By far the most important aspect we need to address is the complete lack of inspiration among youth. Without inspiration, no human being ever rises beyond the limitations in which he lives: physical, mental or social. Only when we are inspired, do we go beyond our limitations to do things that human beings would not normally do.

For example, during the freedom struggle, we had an inspired population. People were willing to come out from everywhere and throw their lives on the streets for the nation. In fifty years’ time, we did not do any work about inspiring people; now there are too many disgruntled and disoriented people. As we are investing our time, resources and energies in transmitting informative knowledge to our youth, we also have to invest in inspiring them. Only then, the society will surge ahead to do something worthwhile.

For youth to become inspired, one important aspect is that their identification with humanity should not be limited to just themselves. Every human being in the world is concerned about human well-being in different proportions. One person’s idea of humanity is just himself, another person’s idea is himself and his family. It is important that youth should include the larger society and world around them in their idea of humanity. Unfortunately, this is missing in the modern education, which is constantly training people to think only about themselves. It is about using everything for our comfort and well-being. Initially, we use the planet, the trees and plants, then the animals, then of course human beings too. This attitude of exploitation has been deeply set in the minds of youth through formal education.

What we need immediately is a more inclusive world, more inclusive economics and above all, an all-inclusive human consciousness. The significance of yoga or the spiritual process is that it brings this sense of inclusiveness to individuals. The ultimate goal of yoga is to come to an experience of absolute inclusion, where you experience the whole existence as a part of yourself. We are fortunate that 2015 will see the first International Yoga Day. I hope many youth can make use of this opportunity in the coming year both for themselves and the world.

We have made a line of demarcations between the "old year" and "new year" because we need some milestone to tell us whether we are moving forward or backward. This New Year is a time for you to measure whether, you have moved forward as a human being. Maybe your business has flourished, you have made more money – but that’s not all. Have you become a little better human being in the past year?

For the coming year, you need to set some marker or resolution that will tell you if you have become more joyful, more peaceful, more loving – a more inclusive human being. What is your aspiration for the coming year? This is something that you have to decide today.

Make all that matters for the well-being of life upon this planet your business.

May you have a year that will greatly enhance you and the nation.