By Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar | Posted: June 17, 2020

I’d like to ask you how many friends you have in your life. How many friends have you made in your school? How many people did you go to school with? 2000 people? You studied for how many years? 14 years, good. For 14 years, you were with 2000 kids in your school. How many friends do you have? 50 or 60! In 14 years, you couldn’t be friends with 2000 people. You had only 50 friends, right? How can you be friendly with seven billion people? Do you ever think about it?

You know, we sit with the same friends, and we fight with them. We feel jealous about them, or we compete with them, blame them, praise them, or get entangled with them, and our life is so limited. Our life remains in that little well. Come on! A vast ocean of humanity is in front of you. Why don’t you jump into it and make one new friend every day? I don’t mean your boyfriend or girlfriend, but a friend.

Nurturing real friendship

If you can make one new friend every day, your whole behavior will become more friendly. If you’re integrated, if you’re stable, if you’re steady, if you’re focused, don’t think that this is too difficult to do. You can always make that one step ahead, and make a little progress in life. Every day, one step forward, one step forward. Never mind if you take a couple of steps backward. You should keep moving ahead. And the way to move ahead is like this: be friendly in your disposition.. 

Would you like to work or be with somebody who is irritable all the time? Who is egotistic all the time? Who is nasty all the time? No? Do you have these characteristics? You’d better examine yourself. Are you egotistic, are you nasty, or are you irritable to others? If so, meditate. Come back to your mantra. 

A few minutes of meditation and you’ll see, there will be friendly vibrations coming from you, and people will love your company, and you will love to make more friends every day. Make as many friends as you can! And keep inspiring every one of them! 

Holding onto words

I want to ask you a question. Many times, you say something but you don’t mean it, right? What if people hold onto your words and don’t see beyond your words. Would you like that? You don’t. You want them to see beyond your words. Do you do that? Not much. You hold onto their words. You don’t like others to hold on to your words. You want them to see beyond that. But you hold onto others’ words.

You don’t give them that benefit of doubt. What they’re saying, they may not be really meaning it. We’ve spoiled many friendships like that. Haven’t we? Hasn’t this taken a big toll on your friendships? Yes? Because we hold on to what they say, we don’t see what is beyond that. Those who are just connected with someone’s words aren’t good friends. They’re very superficial. It’s very fake. 

Someone may come and say “Oh, thank you, I like you so much.” But if you’re a little sensitive you know they’re just saying something. It’s lip service. It’s superficial. I know you’re intelligent people. I know you all know this. You recognize this isn’t authentic. You say that even if it isn’t authentic, never mind. You’re a good, authentic person. You’re an educated, cultured, and civilized person. This is the sign of a civilized, cultured person. You just don’t lock onto someone’s word and harp on them. Your mother said many times, “Get lost!” If you really got lost, imagine her state! She’d have a heart attack. Don’t give too much importance to words. Learn to see beyond the words.

Emotional hunger 

Think of a hungry person who is looking at food and just bouncing to get food. And think of those who are dignified people who don’t mind fasting a day or two. In the attitude, there’s a big difference. 

People are hungry in their emotions. They’re hungry for recognition. They’re hungry for things that they don’t even know what they’re hungry for, and so they say and do things which they don’t even mean. Why don’t you give them a little space? Accommodate them. It’s okay. Then you’ll save your mind. 

This is our mantra: save your mind at all costs! If you save your mind, you can win over any situation. So, give the benefit of the doubt to people. If they say something, don’t lock onto their words and hold onto them and hold it against them. It’s okay. You have made mistakes. Let them make some mistakes. Never mind! You’ll see you’ll be a good friend and your friendship will only grow. 

Saving your mind at all costs can be easier when you gain skills for acceptance of others and managing negative emotions. You can learn these skills at Beyond Breath - A FREE Breath & Meditation Online Session With a Live Instructor. Find out more today!