In one of my articles last week, I talked about joy and spreading it.

This reminded me of someone I have met many times over the years and engaged with through his meditation and yoga programs.

Every now and then, I come across someone who truly inspires me through their work, their words and most importantly their way of being.

One such person is Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev.

Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev is a visionary and a humanitarian whose work transcends all boundaries.

His work and life is dedicated to bring physical, mental and inner well-being for all people, through the science of yoga.

A year ago, I heard him speak most eloquently – a very strange thing happened that day. One of his assistants came and fetched me from one of the back rows and moved me into the front aisle right opposite him. It felt like a miracle and I felt most grateful amidst the curious stares from over 200 faces.

These are some of the pearls of wisdom from Sadhguru:-

• We must make a fundamental change in the way we perceive life
• The distortion of reality causes the distortion of perception
• Focus on all the beautiful things going on in the world.
• We are not committed to our sense, but our senses!
• We are making a bonfire of the planet, and yet we are not happy. If we were ecstatic, then we should go ahead and burn the planet!
• At age 5, we have lots of moments of joy, by age 30 most people have long faces.
• How many old faces of joy do you see?
• The worst crime you can commit on this planet is to go around with a miserable face!
• We think of people as things, not people.
• In pursuit of our happiness, we collide with other people – this collision leads to conflict.
• Prisoners and criminals are simply people who are pursuing their happiness much more vigorously than “normal” people.
• To be joyful is not the ultimate goal, but a fundamental requirement.
• When a child arrives in this world, it is not a time to teach him, but a time to learn from him!
• Learn to be joyous from the child.
• Our currencies are different, but we all want to buy the same thing – happiness.
• We need a solution to bring about positive change in the world, not a revolution.
• Positive change can only happen when everyone is joyous and well from the inside. So the solution is to get everyone to be joyous and well internally.
• You can contain happiness, you can’t contain joy!
• Put your love, peace and joy on self-start, rather than waiting for others to push start you.
• There is no such thing as external happiness, it is always internal to you.
• Be an expression of joy rather than be in pursuit of joy.
• Wherever we are in our life, we want something more.
• There is something in us longing to be a little more, to expand, to grow.

Sadhguru is currently campaigning for investment in health and education, rather than straight donations. He urges everyone to see this investment as a “business investment.” An investment in “human well-being”.

Miraculous things do not happen overnight, but if you leave the world 5% better of than when you found it, you have achieved your life purpose.

Such things such as Sadhguru’s schools will only happen when there are inspired people around to run them.

To kick-start us we need a certain committed space, a committed atmosphere.

• First tip – apply a certain level of awareness to what is you, and what is not you.
• Raise your faculties so you begin to see what is beyond the physical.
• If we live through thinking only, logic would show that life is not worth living!
• Celebrate your culture, but don’t believe it!
• Culture is a “mess” created by a previous generation.
• Good versus evil is always one belief versus another
• But do be willing to live with “I do not know”.
• Aliveness does not go down with age!
• We are all mostly committing suicide in installments.

So for now, remember that next time you feel are down and your face is miserable, be sure to change it quick!