Once you achieve a goal, you can’t keep the same goal. It’s impossible! You have to move forward. So once the exams are over, and you go on to the entrance exam, and that’s finished, then there’s another goal. The goal post should keep moving as you move through your life.

Growth and lifelong goals

As you grow, your ideas grow. Your consciousness grows. Your mind grows. When you’re growing, you definitely have to keep changing. You can’t have the same jacket until you’re 60. Don’t you find your pants getting loose or your shirt getting loose? Of course, my dhoti is a freestyle and at any age, I can wear it. 

Certain things are a permanent goal in your life, like being honest, building a very strong character, and having a goal for the nation. Some goals are lifelong goals.

Suppose you’re deviating from your goal. Then, you may ask, “Why am I doing all this? What is the purpose of my life?” This spirit of inquiry can keep you on track and it will take you towards the highest goal in life. 

Living together before marriage

If you want to know a person before you commit, you can. For some people, everything works in the beginning and later on, it doesn’t work. For others, for example in an arranged marriage, things don’t work in the beginning but later on, they work fantastic. Not all marriages are failures. And not all love affairs are successful. 

Either way, keep one thing in mind, you should be determined to be happy and not be shaken by your partner. Another thing, in a relationship you should come from a space of contributing. 

If both partners are coming from a mentality of getting, clashes will happen. But if the partners decide to contribute to each other’s growth, they help each other. Then, there’s more bonding. 

Relationships without marriage

See that your charm isn’t lost and people don’t use you. After a few days, I have heard that people get bored and move on. Relationships should be seen as going beyond physical intimacy or infatuation. 

This is nothing new. People experimented with this in the 1950s and 60s, but later on, they found that there’s much value in a committed relationship. They’re coming back to family life. I’ve seen people who have been in live-in relationships for a long time. They break up and come together. They choose other partners. 

Don’t be a rolling stone. Be stable. Be steady. One disadvantage I’ve seen in live-in relationships is that there’s a sense of insecurity in both partners. Insecurity is something that destroys love and joy. Whenever there’s insecurity in any relationship, it isn’t going to be fun. 

You want to go and have a jolly good ride in an amusement park, and you’re scared to get into the rollercoaster. How are you going to enjoy it? Life is a rollercoaster so fasten your seatbelt. 

Sex and emotional connections

Sex is only one part of being in a relationship. There’s a lot of emotional connection. When your partner goes and sleeps with somebody else, would you like it? Why don’t you like it? Because it hurts you deeply somewhere. 

Since your pleasure and joy aren’t connected only to your physical being, it also involves your mental, emotional, and spiritual connection. When you’re really in love with somebody, you say “This person is my soulmate.” What do you mean by ‘soulmate?’ You have such a deep oneness with the person. 

If you go on having multiple relationships, it isn’t healthy. We’ve seen how many diseases it has given rise to, number one. Second, it rattles you emotionally. So, looking at various aspects of a healthy, happy life, you’ll see that it’s better to avoid this tendency.

Of course, in your teenage years, you may want to experiment. You have a mind not to be stuck. But there’s a time when you have to choose. For example, you go to a shop, and they show you all the ice cream. You taste a little bit, but then you stick to one ice cream. You sample but then you choose one. And once you choose that, you sit and eat that, whatever you’ve chosen. 

Expectations

Don’t expect enlightened behavior from everybody. Suppose a person isn’t up to your expectations. You find out what’s wrong, where he or she is stuck. Help them to come out of it. Before you expect yourself to be understood by others, you should have the best possible understanding of the other person. 

Instead of getting angry and agitated, you’ll feel compassionate towards them. Now, you may be anxious that you may lose a good relationship despite your putting in 100% effort. If someone moves away, happily say goodbye to them. They’re not worthy of you. Don’t underestimate your dignity, your talent, and your power. 

You see, if you’re riding a donkey and it can’t carry you, you don’t collapse with the donkey when it collapses. You start walking! You thought that the donkey was a horse, but it couldn’t carry you forward, so you got up and looked for a horse. 

Youth under stress

Your life is so precious. Don’t lose it because of someone else’s actions. SKY Breath Meditation has helped millions around the world. I usually say in the Art of Living that we mend broken hearts. So you’ll feel that difference when you do SKY Breath Meditation. 

When you meditate, all the past scars that have been bothering you, that made your life miserable, will be gone in no time! And you should value yourself more than anything else in the world. You’re the center of your world. 

Endless searches for love, companionship, and friendship

Wake up and see there’s so much friendship all around you. Usually, we idealize in our mind, “Oh, my friend should be like this and like that.” 

The other day one girl gave me a list showing what type of partner she wants. There were 85 items. 

If I find someone with all those 85 items, he’ll list 108 things that he wants from you. Will you be fit for that? As I said, you cannot totally understand anybody. And you can’t not understand anybody, also. If you say that you’re on an endless search for love, it’s like you’re chasing a mirage. 

You should wake up. When you start giving love, radiating love, radiating friendship, people will buzz around you. What you want will appear right where you are. 

Lord Krishna says in the Bhagavad Gita, “If you’re conscious, if you’re centered, all your desires will come to you.” Like the rivers flow into the ocean, you wish for something and it starts happening. You have that ability. Just a little centering, a little bit of meditation, a little bit of practice, and a good, kind heart to help others. You don’t need to go shopping for this. You already have it!

Drugs and spirituality

Anything that addicts you, even if it’s coffee, anything that makes you feel that you’re missing it, or that you can’t live without it, is no good. Because it’s taking away your independence. 

If your joy, happiness, and smile are depending on some substance, that’s what I’d call addiction. And that addiction, if pursued, only destroys your sharpness, your intelligence, your nervous system, and your physical, mental, and emotional health. Say no to drugs.

These psychedelic drugs just give one an altered state of consciousness for a short period of time. But the side effects are so big that it’s not worth doing. 

If you want a great spiritual experience, do SKY Breath Meditation. You’ll get an even better kick than having those drugs. It keeps your body stronger. It uplifts you emotionally. It makes your mind very sharp. Plus you save money. 

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To learn how to improve relationships, and all of the emotional rollercoasters and pitfalls of life, check out Beyond Breath - A FREE Breath & Meditation Online Session With a Live Instructor. You will learn about SKY Breath Meditation, which has helped millions of people around the world improve all aspects of their lives.