Assert Your Gratitude

Niharika SAPRA responds to ThinkWellness360 questionnaire:

Your view on beauty?

A pretty face, stunning figure, and beautiful attire — this is what it takes to be admired, or so we all think. Well, the dizzy idea smacks of materialism at work. When you look at its whole canvas, with a spiritual intent, nothing can match your divine soul, your inner beauty. I believe that having a beautiful thought process is true beauty. Just think of it —  mesmerising hills, mountains, waterfalls, the Moon and everything that nature offers us is a picture-postcard of everything that is beautiful. In other words, everything created by nature is beautiful. We just need to have the vision to perceive and appreciate it. Beauty, in my view, is not your glowing skin, or well-shaped body; it has more to it than external appearance. It is this ingredient that ‘ups’ one’s confidence, provided we focus genuinely on the beauty of our inner self, our thoughts, and our actions, rather than just beauty on the surface. For me, beauty is humility personified, being grounded, peaceful, and emoting unconditional love for nature and our fellow beings.

Your ‘take’ on fitness?

Your fitness mirrors your choice of food. Eating healthy and eating right always keeps me fit. Food has a crucial role to play with our fitness; it should be given prime importance. A healthy body, stable mind and peaceful soul makes us fit. To maintain a fit body, I go for a walk, or cycling, or doing exercise that I’m comfortable with, not what someone else may fancy, or recommend. For a fit mind, I practice meditation. For a fit soul, I try to remain connected to what we all call the Supreme Being, or God, while praying and thanking Him, and listening to devotional songs, or reading spiritual books. All this helps me to expand my sense of serenity and stability. Drinking adequate amounts of water and having a proper sleep schedule help me no less.

Your view of health and wellness?

I believe that we ‘create’ every so-called illness — you name it. A harmonious mind-set and wholesome thoughts help us to maintain, also sustain, our vitality — in other words, immunity. It is our negative thoughts, lifestyle and attitude towards day-to-day activities that affect our vitality, making our body the ‘perfect’ host to illness. I strongly believe in Ralph Waldo Emerson’s ageless maxim, ‘The first wealth is health.’ We won’t be able to work efficiently, if we are not healthy; we won’t, likewise, be able to enjoy our daily activity, if there is imbalance in our health. Health, as we all know, can be maintained, if our approach to life and living is right. A positive approach to living, or looking at life as an enjoyable journey, and not burden, and living in the present-moment, is the best way to embrace wellness from the inside out. I also believe in the timeless metaphor, “The inner conversation you have with yourself is the most important one; make sure it’s healthy and positive.”

Your ‘take’ on work-life balance?

Setting boundaries is essential, but this does not mean that you ignore your work and/or social life. I love to spend quality time with my family. I also never skip family outings. Spending time with your family, especially during getaways, brings a new meaning away from home. It elevates life too. When everyone in the family has dinner together, it is — more so, in the present dispensation — a real blessing. I usually have dinner with my parents and younger brother — it is also the best time that one could use to discuss what may have happened during the course of the day, not to speak of what life may have thrown at us in all its myriad ways. Having time for friends and planning jaunts with them is just as essential; exploring a new place, café, or new, healthy drink, for example. This adds spice to life, while making your mood light and motivating.

For me, giving due prominence to spirituality is essential. Visiting a temple and remembering God — without making a noise about it — I believe fosters hope and positivity. It motivates me too — to be the person I’d love to be. We should enjoy our work, and lead a disciplined, also happy life, with whatever we have, so much so the tricky equation called work-life balance would not wobble us, or play the spoilsport. Yes, too much frivolity, or extreme rigidity, is not good. “The string that produces a tuneful sound is the string that is not too tight and not too loose.” Or, better still, you ought to be like a bird that flies high and always returns to its nest.

Your mantra to beat stress?

The best thing to do is to accept things as they are, not what they ought to be, or could be. When I feel low, or stressed out, I analyse the factors that made me feel so. I accept my ‘misgivings,’ or faults, and all that nature has given me. Stress is a normal part of life. The best thing to do is not to control it, but distil and accept the likely stressor, as if it were a pin prick. The stressful discomfort recedes like a dark, passing cloud. The fact also is we are all under hypnosis — we are far too influenced by words, or views, of others. Remember: we are not disturbed by things, but by our opinion of things. Overthinking is yet another factor that results in stress, so I sit quietly for a while, every day, and accept what I have in the present-moment. I try to enjoy the moment, ‘purging’ what isn’t needed of the past and believing in the future. It always helps to go beyond your thoughts, feelings, and live in the present-moment.

Most important. To be grateful is to find blessings in everything. I follow this most powerful ‘attitude’ called gratitude for a stress-free life — to the best extent possible. I love to listen to music, watch a movie, or web-series, and savour my favourite chocolate brownie. They help. Well, it is also rightly said that comparisons are odious — so, the more we dodge comparing ourselves with others, and stop complaining, while practising gratitude, or spreading love, in conjunction with a positive approach to every situation, the better we will all be.

NIHARIKA SAPRA is a II Year BHMS student @ Dr B R Sur Homeopathic Medical College, Hospital & Research Centre, New Delhi. She is a natural orator, writer, aesthete and learner. She has, since her childhood, excelled at public speaking. She has also written and recited poems and actively participated in several co-curricular activities, winning a host of prizes in various competitions. Sapra loves reading spiritual books, drawing and Rangoli art too. She believes her innate confidence and positive attitude to life are her big strengths. She lives in New Delhi, India.