Author: Dennis Taraporewala

Storyteller, Business Owner, Musician, Life Strategist.

Stop Caring What People Think

It is a tremendous waste of time to figure out why someone resents you, hurts you or even loves you. One of the reasons we over care about what people think about us, is because we seek validation.

Perhaps play a little game, just pretend to care what people think. Deep down inside though, don’t really care – it matters little what the general people think about you. Pretending to care will at least keep the societal game going, if you want to keep it going. It is a tremendous waste of time to figure out why someone resents you, hurts you or even loves you. One of the reasons we over care about what people think about us, is because we seek validation. The best validation comes from inside ourselves, through true contemplation and a life led on deep universal principles, light heartedly. Nevertheless, we seek it from others – something we have no control over, and this can only lead to pain.

Stop caring what people think

Of course please don’t apply this in your intimate relationships with people you live with -:)) Those relationships are playing out a deep part of yourself, for you. Those need to be approached with care. This video tries to give logical arguments, why one needs to stop caring what other people think; but you know it intuitively already.

Video Length: 5 min 33 sec

A Poem: Laughter Laughter Laughter

One of the pitfalls on the spiritual path or even life, is “seriousness”. We get way too serious about our spirituality, the different processes we have to follow etc. But truly it is the “lightness of being”, that connects ONE with the deep Inner Self that we were talking about in yesterday’s video.

During these overly serious times, I thought I would share a poem I wrote ten years ago and recited, titled “Laughter, Laughter, Laughter”. Hope you enjoy it and also start your day (at whatever point in time you read it) filled with laughter. This is a recording from 2014 in Pune:

A Poem: Laughter, Laughter, Laughter

Tonight I just want to laugh to bed,
Tonight I just want to feel the reverberation of my smile,
Tonight I just want to feel the joy of living,
Just for tonight, I want to say hi.

Because tonight, I am joy,
In my belly is joy, in my heart is love,
In my hands are two gratitudes,
One for my God, and one for me.
I laugh because I separated the two.
Just for tonight, I will laugh to bed.

It doesn’t stop, this multitude of laughter,
It comes like a torrent I feel familiar with.
It washes away, everything of me and mine,
This beautiful laughter, it makes me smile.
In my belly is laughter, in my space is laughter, 
I only feel this bliss tonight.

You may find it funny, or you may find it strange, 
But every time I read, that the questions have gone  and the answers are there, My belly it just smiles, it smiles, it smiles.

Please come and share my laughter,
I have loads and loads of it to give away,
I have been hiding it and pretending to be civilised.
And this pretence, makes me laugh and laugh,
Even more than I smile.

I pretend to have manners, 
I pretend to talk civilised,
I pretend that I even can speak,
What a wonder am I.
When what I am really,
is just a bundle who is high.
Laughter, laughter, laughter,
please tickle me every night.

Video length: 3 min 23 sec

You are the eternal universe

Underneath our “outer“ self, is another deeper Self, infinitely connected to the universe. All our practices are to become aware of this deeper self.

Video Length: 4 min 33 seconds

Don’t wait for the perfect time to see these videos. All moments are perfect. In waiting for the perfect time, the present moment will slip away. Get a good headphone on and set yourself away.

Underneath our “outer“ self, is another deeper Self, infinitely connected to the universe. All our practices are to become aware of this deeper self. Over time, through our daily activities and spiritual practices, we make one part of our attention, aware of this Self, this inner observer so to speak. As we progress, naturally we realise it is connected to everything (all galaxies too); and as we live, an interiorization of this awareness takes place in our being. Then daily life becomes blissful, even if it looks and seems hard on the outside.

Alan Watts ends this video by saying “And what you are basically, deep deep down and far far in, is simply; the fabric and structure of existence itself. And when you find that out, you laugh yourself silly”. Make this your experience.

Video length: 4 min 33 sec

The Daily Habits of Marcus Aurelius

“Marcus Aurelius was a man of habit (as all stoics are). Like Aristotle, he knew, that we are what we repeatedly do and excellence is a habit”

These were the habits of Marcus Aurelius

“Meditations” was a journal written in Greek (without any intention of publication) by the only Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius who was also a philosopher. The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius offer a remarkable series of challenging spiritual reflections and exercises developed as the emperor struggled to understand himself and make sense of the universe. 

The video for today says, “Marcus Aurelius was a man of habit (as all stoics are). Like Aristotle, he knew, that we are what we repeatedly do and excellence is a habit”.  How do we apply this? What are our daily habits? Do we concentrate on what is in front of us or do distractions take over? Marcus wrote “Do what is in front of you, like it is the last and most important thing in your life”. This video outlines the daily habits of Marcus Aurelius and makes for a delightful listen. Please have a lovely Thursday.

Video Length: 6 min 13 sec