Live your character at any cost; at all costs.

Anger in response to anger is more anger. Bad as a response to bad is only more bad. Wrong as a response to wrong can never be right. In life, two negatives do not make one positive. An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth - where will all this lead us?

We so keenly observe the enemy’s traits, so much so that we eventually acquire those traits. How often in dealing with the enemy we become like the enemy!

He was a personification of honesty. However, he found himself in situations where his honesty hurt others. So he began to resort to lying, not wanting to be a source of disturbance to others. The inability to deal with his honesty was the weakness of others. Now, he has developed a weakness to counter the weakness of others. Will weakness as a response to weakness create a better world?

She has always been a plain and simple soul. Of late, she has developed the doubt that her husband is doing things that he doesn’t tell her. So she has started policing him; she has been thinking of cunning ways to corner him - all traits that were never a part of her. Maybe, her husband is wrong. But thinking she is dealing with his wrongdoing, she is unaware that she is doing things that are completely out of character.

Whenever you point out someone’s mistake, the immediate retort is, “What am I doing that the world isn’t doing?” Never let the weaknesses of the world become a justification for your weaknesses. We don’t have to become a Duryodhana to deal with Duryodhana. In fact, it is by remaining an Arjuna that you win over the Duryodhanas.

“Why do you appreciate even those who are rude to you,” a teammate asked. “For the simple reason, to appreciate is my character, and to be rude is their character. I don’t want other people’s character to have a bearing on my character,” replied the team leader.

Let us be good even to those who are not good to us. There is no justification for our stooping in character. It is not about whether others deserve our goodness or not; it’s that we don’t deserve anything bad in our heart or in our character.

Live your character at any cost, at all costs