Apart from a time for joyous celebration, the festival of Diwali is also the time for reflection, defeating our inner demons, embracing the light within and becoming a better version of ourselves.
Amid the numerous festivals that crowd the Indian festive calendar year-round, Diwali is undeniably one of the most awaited and widely celebrated festivals by the Indian diaspora across the globe. Deeply rooted in legends and stories from Hindu scriptures, Deepavali, as known in Sanskrit, is primarily a festival of lights that symbolizes the victory of good over evil.
Celebrated in the auspicious month of Kartik, on one of the darkest nights of the month — Diwali is not just a joyous occasion that celebrates the homecoming of Lord Rama after defeating Ravana but also a time for a spiritual awakening of the goodness in every cell of the body. Hence, while the festival calls for celebration with friends and family with all the customary traditional rituals, on a more personal level, Diwali is the time to turn inward. It is the time to dispel the darkness of ignorance, defeat our inner demons, and enlighten our hearts with light that empowers us and be a better version of ourselves.
We all have some weaknesses and undesirable traits within us — fear, procrastination, low self-esteem, material desires, greed, jealously, or obsession and on the occasion of Diwali, one must reflect upon all these traits that hinder our growth and see how we can improve as individuals.
After all, in its true spirit, Deepavali is the celebration of the awakening of inner brilliance, which has the power to eliminate all the darkness and obstacles in our lives. In the words of Buddha, Diwali is a subtle reminder to “be a light unto yourself.”
So, wondering how to go about it? Well, we will tell you how. Read on…
Light The Lamp Of Positivity
As mentioned earlier, Diwali symbolizes moving from darkness into the light, therefore it is the perfect time to banish all the negativity from your life — be it your greed, anger, laziness, undesirable thoughts — anything that dulls your inner light and embrace a positive attitude. Agreed, it can’t happen overnight, but the least you can do this festival of light is to start identifying these aspects that are holding you back from revelling in your light and commit yourself to getting rid of them one by one. Let go of grudges, forgive people, drop negative attitude towards yourself and others, say no to toxic people and relationships — identify and gradually get rid of all the negative influences in your life. After all, it is the festival that celebrates the victory of good over evil, so choose this time to defeat your inner demons and make space for more positive thoughts and an optimistic approach towards life.
Invest In Your Health
During the festivities, one often invests in gold, equity, or getting presents for others. However, on this festival of light, why not invest in yourself — in your health and mental well-being? Remember the age-old saying ‘health is wealth’? Well, it can’t stand more true than now. Our hectic lifestyle is taking a toll on us, and it is important to focus on our health to ensure to keep that fire in us burning. Take it easy, rest, de-stress, do things that make you happy, exercise, meditate, cultivate spiritual wealth, develop new skills — basically give time to yourself and see how your innate brilliance will light up your world.
Defeat Self-doubt
Self-doubt is one evil that you need to defeat this Diwali. While it is normal and even healthy to experience doubt when faced with a challenging situation, as it helps us recognize we are not always right; it is outright dangerous when it converts itself into the voice of self-doubt in our head, which messes with our confidence and stops us from doing things. Identify this demon within you immediately and find means to fix it. Talk to someone about it, be self-compassionate, don’t compare yourself to others and slowly but steadily rise confidently like the flame of a lamp and defeat all those dark doubtful thoughts.
Glow In Your Strengths
Diwali is the perfect time to identify and nurture our strengths. There is always a spark within us, which can be further illuminated by working on it, so commit to all your good qualities such as compassion, kindness and generosity and cultivate them further. When you know your strengths and work towards amplifying them, you develop the confidence to crush all your fears.
Make A Fresh Start
Diwali marks the beginning of the New Year, but on a deeper level, the spirit of the festival of lights also nudges us to reflect on our actions of the past year and start the process of transforming ourselves and look forward to the new year with a renewed sense of purpose. Complete your pending tasks, re-examine your life, try to learn from your mistakes, fix loose ends, dig into the uncomfortable decisions that you have been avoiding, let go of things that are holding you back, set new goals, make room for improvement, and follow your heart as it will surely lead you towards the light.
Spread The Joy
One primary essence of the festival of light is to share your wealth with the less fortunate – be it material or spiritual. Diwali is the time to spread joy, so show your generosity, and extend the spirit of unselfishness in society. Find ways, where you can shine your light out into the world and not just brighten your life but others too.
So, this festive season, take time to reflect upon yourself, start the process of self-transformation and conquer the darkness with the light within you. Happy Diwali!
