Tag: self-knowledge

The Secret To Getting Respect From Others

The author writes about his experiences and realizations about self-respect and getting respect from others.

I have a friend who is very transparent and pure hearted.

He has a lot of self-respect.

So he shares me reels on Instagram about self-respect.

And his point of view is that if a girl doesn’t respect you, you shouldn’t chase her.

Other than love advice, I also learnt many other things from his reels.

But self-respect is a key idea that changed my life.

Before I was admitted to NIMHANS(National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore) in 2025, I used to call everyone “Sir”,”Maam”,”Dada”(elder brother),”Didi”(elder sister).

I didn’t realize that I was unnecessarily putting others on a pedestal.

I was giving people more respect than they deserved.

And I was also making myself uncomfortable and feeling disrespected by them.

So I stopped using those titles like sir, madam, dada, didi, unnecessarily.

I use them only when the person is an elderly person who is somehow related to my circle of friends and family.

Moreover, I have learnt to respect myself more. I am kinder to myself.

And I noticed that people started taking me more seriously, and I got more respect from people.

I also used to unconsciously smile a lot to get people’s approval. But recently I decided to become more comfortable in my own skin and to love myself more and to smile less. 

So I don’t smile unnecessarily with everyone.

But I think I have grown a lot. I don’t think that shallow tricks like not smiling or not saying titles make any difference.

The real difference is the medicines and the psychotherapy from NIMHANS.

My doctors have worked very hard to help me. And I am grateful to them.

So yeah I think if you want to get respect from others, you need to respect yourself first.

Thank you for reading this line. It means a lot!

What Does Healing Look Like

The author writes about how healing is not a straight line but a set of ups and downs in the journey of healing.

Healing is not linear. It doesn’t represent a straight line in a graph.

But it does look like ups and downs.

When I was admitted to NIMHANS in 2025, I experienced this. 

Every few weeks I met new people and I had to go through different sets of ups and downs.

I met people who are hyper-active and also people who were depressed.

I met people who were delusional and people who had OCD, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and all sorts of other mental health disorders.

Of course they weren’t to be blamed for these, it’s their psychiatric disorders that require healing.

I went to yoga classes in NIMHANS and I learnt yoga and it had an important role in my healing.

It gave me a structure to my days and I enjoyed it as well.

But even with yoga, I sometimes stopped going and sometimes I prioritized it.

It had its set of ups and downs.

Mostly when we think that when we are in the down phase of healing, we are moving backwards in our journey of healing. But that’s not true.

Even when we’re feeling down, it’s a part of the growth process and the journey of healing.

So yeah the journey of healing has lots of ups and downs and my stay at NIMHANS last year accelerated it.

And when we look back after many months and years we see that we have grown so much.

Thanks for reading this line! It means a lot.

I finally accepted I am not a failure

The author writes about how his preconception that he was a failure because he failed in school was wrong. It wasn’t his failure to begin with, it was society’s failure.

When I was in class 11 I had failed one year and I was detained in the same class.

And I had been carrying the burden on my shoulders that I was a failure.

I had never introspected if it was indeed true that I had failed.

Last night I was journaling and I realized that it was not my failure.

But it was someone else’s failure.

It was society’s failure.

I was trying my best to survive but it was society who had failed me.

I was trying out a socratic method of introspection with the guidance of Claude AI.

And it turned out that I was studying physics, chemistry, computer science and maths because my parents told me to.

Not because I wanted to.

I felt as if I was learning something I found strange. 

I felt stupid and as if it was a waste of my time.

I felt sad and stressed. I felt tired of all the traveling to school, coaching classes, and tutors. 

And yet I didn’t understand those subjects.

I felt, “If the world is so difficult, I don’t want to live in a difficult world.”

I couldn’t sit down to study.

I played videogames 16 hours a day from morning till midnight. 

I slept less, ate irregularly and didn’t study.

I avoided everything.

And I was also reading so many self-help books to help me figure out what was wrong with me.

My psychologists said that nothing was wrong with me. But I believed something was wrong with me.

I wasn’t having fun while avoiding life, I was trying my best to cope with the sadness and pain and the stress.

And then when I failed I finally felt free. 

But this feeling of freedom and relief was short-lived.

I was again back to repeating the year in another school where I took admission.

And somehow I passed high school with the same subjects.

And for a few months I studied engineering at a private university but I dropped out. 

And again I got the feeling of relief and freedom.

This time I took a Bachelor of Arts (honours) in philosophy course in college.

But due to some technical problems I had to change my subject to English and I had to drop out.

Then I took a bachelor of business administration course from my last online college. 

And I studied it and graduated and took MBA and graduated that too.

But all this while I kept thinking that “I am a failure”.

And boy I couldn’t be so wrong.

I thought that since class 11 was something I experienced and I failed it, I am the failure.

But the truth is it was my parents’ and society’s expectations that made me take physics, chemistry, computer science, maths as subjects. 

And if I “failed” that and felt relief, it wasn’t my failure really, it was their failure.

I was never a failure.

I gave my best and I did my best to cope with the stress and sadness.

I read self-help books to find the solution.

But I couldn’t find any.

So it was never my failure.

I was living in someone else’s design of a life.

It wasn’t mine to begin with.

And I also realized that even right now I am living in someone else’s design of my life.

I am living in fear of not getting a job, fear of never making it, fear of not having a comparable income to others.

I am trying to get a data analytics job but all I want to do is write and read and experience the world and share it with you.

I guess I need to work on this aspect now before it’s too late.

But yeah I was never a failure, it wasn’t my failure.

I am not a failure.

Thanks for reading this line! It means a lot.

The Opening Sentence of My Autobiography

This author explains with a story why “This is the story of a lucky man…” is the most appropriate opening for his autobiography.

If I ever write an autobiography I would begin it with “This is the story of a lucky man…”.

Why?

Because it is the only opening sentence that could make sense.

I could begin with “The secret to success is hard work…” or “Don’t give up ever…”, but I think that “This is the story of a lucky man” is the most appropriate one.

Let me explain why.

When I was in class 11 in school, I couldn’t study. I simply couldn’t sit down and feel like studying.

I’d play video games from morning till midnight daily because I couldn’t study and this was my way to escape my boredom.

I was going to therapy but I kept changing therapists because I wasn’t satisfied with their counselling.

Four years later I started taking a degree course in Bachelor of Business Administration and I scored 70% in the aggregate results.

I was able to study sometimes and I believe it was due to the medication that my psychiatrist had given me.

And that’s how I also completed my Master of Business Administration in Data Science last year.

When I was in class 11 I didn’t know what I didn’t know.

I was lost and I didn’t realize it.

I was lucky to have found good psychiatrists and therapists.

Without them I’d still be helpless.

But it is not psychology, psychiatry or self-help that helped me.

It was luck.

I didn’t know that if I took medicine I’d be able to study.

But the events in my life forced me to take medicines.

I wasn’t voluntarily doing any of it. The universe helped me do it.

It’s as if the universe had chosen me to suffer and to heal my own suffering.

And I learnt a lot of lessons that way.

Actually none of us can take responsibility for our successes because none of us can explain the sheer amount of luck that’s involved in these processes.

So yeah I really think I would begin my autobiography with “This is the story of a lucky man…”.

Thank you for reading this line. It means a lot to me.

If you feel like a failure, read this…

The author writes about himself being a failure all his life and how he found meaning and purpose in spite of that.

I think I’ve been a black sheep of my family. I’ve been failing at everything I attempted to do for the entire 26 years of my life. 

But I think I’ll be successful in my life.

When I was in class 11 at my school, I failed a year. And I was detained and I had to repeat a year.

And I identified myself with a failure. And it can get demoralizing sometimes but it taught me a lesson.

The lesson was “No matter what happens, failure is a stepping stone for success. It’s not the end of the world.”

Even after failing multiple times, if you can keep going for a lofty goal in life, you’ll be successful. 

In fact if you’re working hard to succeed even after failing multiple times, you’re a “successful person” in your own right.

When I was studying for my undergraduate degree, I wanted to start a career in copywriting.

I even bought a course after asking money from my parents.

And I ended up leaving the course half-way because I found it was very difficult for me.

And that was also a failure. 

But it also taught me the same lesson- to keep moving forward.

I know I don’t do well in classroom environments when a teacher teaches me a fixed curriculum.

I like to learn on my own. And I thrive in that way.

And that way I’ve completed my MBA in Data Science(online mode), I’ve completed many small courses.

I’ve started a business in 2020 and failed(which is a win because I learnt many business lessons).

I’ve never stopped believing in myself. And every day is a battle I still continue to fight. 

And as I said if a person continues to work hard in spite of failing multiple times, they’re a “successful person” in their own right. 

Life isn’t the same all the time. It changes. You change. 

And nothing lasts forever. “This too shall pass” as they say.

So success is just around the corner even if it’s too small to notice.

But it’s by being grateful for those small successes that we learn to change our identities from a “failure” to a “success”.

Thank you for reading this line. It means a lot to me.

I wish

I wish I had the courage to tell her

That I think about her

That I care for her

That I don’t want to lose her

–

I wish I had the intelligence to understand her

To feel her pain

To let her make mistakes but

To let me feel her pain

–

I wish I was closer to her

To protect her

To be by her side

Even when she didn’t want me

–

I wish I could be someone she prefers

Someone she thinks is handsome

And be hot and cool

And everything she adores

–

I wish I could tell her

That I love her

That I just want her soul

That I just want to be there for her.

–

Anirban Saren

All Is Vanity – Sab E Maya

Daily writing prompt
What tattoo do you want and where would you put it?
View all responses

I want a tattoo that says “All Is Vanity” and I would put it on my right arm.

Christina Grimmie

I would do this because I’m inspired by my favorite singer, Christina Grimmie.

She had a tattoo exactly like this and I want to remember her every day through this tattoo.

She loved Jesus and she cared for her fans(or “frands” as she called us).

We had a ritual. Instead of saying “Team Grimmie Rocks” she would say “Team Grimmie Rawwks \|/”.

But in June 2016, she was murdered and we lost an angel.

She was a good person, she achieved quite a bit of success with over 3 million subscribers on YouTube and success in “The Voice” TV music show.

But God took her back.

In these moments we start to question “Why do bad things happen to good people?”

But the truth is we must trust God’s plan. God’s plan is greater than our plans. This was said in Christina’s Memorial Service as on YouTube.

But we still have her music and we must share it. So I’m sharing it with you.

Please subscribe to her YouTube channel.

https://www.youtube.com/@christinagrimmie

I believe listening to Christina’s music will help most people find inner strength to fight life’s challenges and find hope.

My Understanding

Other than that, from my humble perspective the meaning of the tattoo is beautiful.

I’m not a deeply religious person, but I care about God and love God.

I believe that serving mankind is serving God. God lives in each one of us.

So if we serve others, we are serving God indirectly or rather more directly than praying in a temple or a church.

But from the context of this tattoo “All Is Vanity”, I know a term “Maya”.

In India we say “Sab e maya”. “All is illusory”.

Maya means illusion in the most basic sense.

Please correct me if I’m wrong, but I understand that God is the ultimate reality.

Whether you call it God, or Brahman, or Paramatman, it doesn’t matter.

There is this realization. I don’t know what this realization is.

But it is the realization that changes everything.

This realization is the realization of the Truth, God, the Ultimate Reality,etc.

And all the temporary achievements we have and all the attachments and desires are all maya, an illusion.

Conclusion

I’m glad that you are reading this line. Thanks a lot!

when your mind rebels against you -An Original Poem

When your mind rebels against you
Because it wants to tell you
A message
A guidance that might change your life.

The age-old message is-
“Do what you love
Follow your heart
Break the chains and be yourself.”

At first, it’s scary
But it’s possible
That you could take a leap of faith
And do what you are passionate about.

Maybe you will look like a failure
Maybe you will not succeed
Or maybe you could become your true self
And show others the light at the end of the tunnel.

Because everybody wants to be free
But nobody wants to let go of their safety net
Nobody want to give up their illusion of “life”
Nobody wants to ignore people’s opinions.

These messages are rare
Not many people have such rebellious minds
Follow your heart
And be free.

No Hell No Heaven – An Original Poem

There’s no hell or heaven
Outside yourself
In the afterlife
Nor in other people’s mentalities.

Hell is when don’t understand the reality
Heaven is when you seek to see what they see
Hell is ignore-ance
Heaven is acceptance and empathy.

People fight outside my house
But they’re not other than me
They are just like my mother, my father, my friends
I choose to not ignore and feel their place of pain.

Pain is real, pain is there
People don’t go to hell
We, You, I am already in hell
Trying to make it heaven piece by piece, brick by brick.

Next time when you pray to your God, say
“I don’t want heaven nor hell.
I just want to see the truth, your face
No matter how ugly or beautiful you might be.”

-Anirban Saren

A Story of Finding One’s Self-Worth

The story of the shepherd in “The Alchemist” reveals that true treasure lies within us. Embracing our inner strengths can lead to success and fulfillment despite life’s challenges.

Let me tell you a story.

The story is from the book “The Alchemist” by Paulo Coelho . (So spoiler alert!!!)

Story Time

Briefly the story goes like this –

Once upon a time there was a shepherd in Spain who got a dream in his sleep. The dream was about a treasure.

So he sold all his sheep and went to Egypt to find the treasure.

He faced many challenges. He lost all his money, worked in a shop at a remote place, then became wealthy somehow, etc.

Forgive me if I forgot some things or write the wrong facts in the story.

Then he reached the place(in Egypt) where he was supposed to find the treasure after many years.

And he found nothing there. NO treasure was found.

But he met a person who told him that there’s a treasure in Spain and he described the place.

Then it hit the boy(shepherd) that the place that the person described was the same place where he had the dream of the treasure all those years ago.

Then I guess the shepherd found the treasure.

Your Self-Worth

I guess what I want to tell you through this story is-
You already have everything it takes to be successful and happy.

The treasure is inside you even if you think it’s outside you.

I am in my 3rd semester of MBA Data Science at Amity University Online and I am worried.

I am worried if I will get a good job after getting the degree.

And these are normal worries.

However I realize that like the Alchemist’s story, everything is inside me.

Like the shepherd(boy) I can go after my dreams, I can fulfill my dreams while facing all the challenges and obstacles.

And I need to remember that the real treasure is inside.

And prioritize my own mental health and self-worth.

Conclusion

Thank you for reading this blog post.

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