An Interesting Conversation (purpose of Life) between Life and Mind !

Mind: I wonder what the purpose Life is.
Life: hmm
Mind: I hear so many things: To realise your  dreams. To improve yourself every day. To achieve wealth. To  serve others. To make the world a better place etc..
Life: That's a whole lot of stuff to do!
Mind: Tell me about it! Now, they all do seem to be related to each other, but you know I can't achieve all of them... 
Life: So who asks you to?
Mind: Er, you ask of me to, don't you?
Life: No. 
Mind: Wait a minute! There are religions founded on it, self-help books doing raging business about it - they all say deep, important  sounding things about Life's purpose! And you are saying you don't ask any of those things?
Life: Nope. All those things seem to achieve the purpose of your, the mind's, life.
Mind: But you are my life. So my purpose is your purpose too, is it not?
Life: No. Your life, the Mind's life,  is a story filled with events and feelings that you experienced or  imagined. It extends on a timeline from the Past to the Future. It  believes that all the events and feelings add up to some cumulative meaning. That is not like me at all.
Mind: Then what are you like?
Life: No story. No past, no future. Just alive. Right Now.
Mind: Right, and how exactly do you intend to stay truly alive without excitement, feelings, goals, and meaning?
Life: By breathing, of course.
Mind: That is it?
Life: That is it. Everything else is your story. And others peoples mind-stories that get published for you to read. My purpose is to breathe. Deeply, slowly, in relaxation.
Mind: Then we can all just sit around doing nothing but breathe? 
Life: Be my guest. But what happens if people do that?
Mind: The body wont survive if it does not hunt for food, or work for food.
Life: So you must work so you can eat, stay alive, so that Breathing, my purpose, can continue.
Mind: What about working for riches, creating jobs, or changing the world? To become brave, fair, kind, compassionate?
Life: Those pursuits and ends are of no interest to me.
Mind: If those ends don't matter then why would  people dance, sing, plough land, serve, create, do scientific  experiments, read, write, meditate, exercise? If they began to believe  that their purpose was only to eat and breathe, why would anyone do  anything?
Life: Ah, now these things you just said are  important to do. Because you and the body have been so designed that  it is in the process of focused activity that Breathing happens best.  Regardless of what action it is, when the mind is still or on focus then the body breathes the deepest. In this  state, what psychologists call 'Flow', my purpose gets gloriously fulfilled. The same is the objective of Yoga asanas and Meditation.
Mind: So the desire for activity and ambition are just meant to develop focus and stillness in me?
Life: Right. To me it doesn't matter whether you  dance or sing or read, or are a sportsperson or a traveler or an  accountant, whether you are rich or not, so long as you do what you do  with a relaxed focus and breathing deeply. 
Mind: What about the outcome of activity and ambition? That matters too!
Life: Why? 
Mind: Here is why: Taking your point further, I have noticed that when  I accomplish a task, or get appreciation from others then the body  feels happy, and takes in a deep breaths of satisfaction. That is a fulfillment of your purpose. Therefore to accomplish or get  appreciation must also be important to achieve your purpose.
Life: Interesting point. First tell me, what do you feel in the moments after when you accomplish something?
Mind: I feel satisfied, contented, maybe happy.
Life: What does that mean? Peel one more layer further.
Mind: It means that in that moment, I feel I have what I wanted for  that moment. That I don't want anything more.
Life: So after you got what you wanted, could it be said there is a  state of 'momentary desire-less-ness' in you?
Mind: Er, yes.
Life: It is not the achievement of your  desires that makes the body and mind happy, it is  the momentary state of desire-less-ness that does it.
Mind: But unless I achieve or get appreciated how will I feel that momentary state of desire-less-ness?
Life: But you dont accomplish great things in most events in your life.  Why wait for the state of desire-less-ness only in moments  after accomplishment and appreciation? Why not all the time, if you could?
Mind: How?
Life: By not expecting victory or  appreciation at the end of your activity. To not really care what the  ultimate outcome of your activity or ambition is. That way you also have more fun doing whatever you are doing.
Mind: Hold on, one sec, quick revision: There are two things I hear you saying - a relaxed,  focused activity in step with the body, and a state of desire-less-ness.  So in combination it means To Act, but with a state of  Desire-less-ness. So is that the prescription for fulfilling Lifes purpose?
Life: Sounds about right. There is a term for it too: Nishkaam Karma, coined by Lord Krishna in the Gita.
Mind: Ah! And I am also stiller when I  focus only on my intention, instead of focusing on the  outcome. So that works out well for both of us in the long run, aint it?
Life: Karma is not a delayed payment system. It is instantaneous. The moment you act without focusing on the outcome, the mind, the  body and the activity immediately align with each other and your breathing  becomes calmer and deeper. That feeling is no different from what you would  feel in moments after a favorable outcome. 
Mind: ...And if I already have that feeling during the activity, then I could treat victory or defeat after the activity just the same, right?
Life: That is correct. Now, does that remind you of Rudyard Kipling's poem 'If', or what Gautam Buddha wrote in the Lotus Sutra?
Mind: Hmm..so the psychology of Flow, the practice of Yoga and meditation, teachings of Krishna, the poem 'If', and the insight of Buddha..they are all  connected?
Life: Indeed..They converge to the same truth inside you - to keep the body moving and the mind still - to cause relaxed, deep breaths moment by moment. That is my only purpose.

A To-do List for LIFE

Being organized has never been a negative for anyone, in fact being organized leads to success more often than not! But how about organizing life like we organize everything else? What about our life’s TO DO list. Here are something we should not miss out on!

Make time for yourself:

Yes, you had struggles to get through, troubles to overcome, loved ones to deal with, and goals to achieve. But a break from it all is more than necessary. It’s perfectly healthy to stop and let the world spin on without you for awhile. It’s good for you to spend time alone. It gives you an opportunity to discover who you really are, and to figure out why you truly are always alone.

Credit your effort despite the result:

Failure keeps you grounded, success keeps you alert, but only faith and determination keeps you going. So stay focused, and celebrate your efforts, not your outcomes. Challenges are what make life interesting, overcoming them is what gives life meaning. Remember that the opposite of failing is not succeeding; the opposite of failing is trying.

React right:

If you can change your thinking, you can change your life. You have a thought process which you ride on when you are alone and quietly thinking. The worth of your life to yourself and others, as well as the happiness it brings, depends upon the way your process works, the baggage it carries, and the emotional space through which it travels. Between life’s stimulus and your reaction is where this space exists; within it is your power to choose how you react, and in your reaction lies your growth, freedom, and happiness.

Listen to your inner voice:

Some people will kill you over time if you let them; and how they’ll kill you is with tiny, harmless phrases like, “be realistic.” When this happens, close your ears and listen to your inner voice instead. Remember that real success in life isn’t what others see, but how you feel. It’s living your truth and doing what makes you feel alive.

Exercise Positivity:

You deserve a day when worries don’t get in the way of your happiness. A day where, even if some people are insensitive or unkind, you’re not going to mind because you realize that the blessings you received are far more precious than the burdens you once experienced. You can create a day like this for yourself. There is power in positivity.

Focus on the next logical step forward:

There are no hopeless situations; there are only people who have grown hopeless about them. So keep your hope alive. Don’t dwell on what went wrong. Instead, focus on what to do next. Spend your energy moving forward toward a solution. If you take full responsibility for yourself and your current situation, you will develop a hunger to accomplish your dreams, and you will discover a way to get there.

Be kind:

The best choice you can make is to be genuinely respectful and authentically kind. Though your kindness will not always be returned, it will certainly be noticed. And even when it’s not fully appreciated by others, your kindness will always inject more positive value into your own life. What you give comes back to you in ways that are impossible to predict. So give your kindness as often as you can, and enjoy the more positive world you are helping to create.

Appreciate people, those that have earned it:

You develop three kinds of friendships in life: friends for a reason, friends for a season, and friends for a lifetime. Take note of who these ‘lifetime friends’ are and never overlook their worth. Just because they are reliable and there when you need them, doesn’t mean you should fail to give thanks and appreciation on a regular basis. To value someone too lightly is to risk missing their goodness before they’re gone.

Be grateful for blessings:

We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude. What if you gave someone a gift and they neglected to thank you for it? Would you be likely to give them another one? The daily events in your life respond the same way. In order to attract more of the blessings that life has to offer, you must be grateful for what you already have.

Enjoy yourself:

In between all your goals, priorities, obligations, and everything else that might appear on one of your upcoming to-do lists, there are moments called ‘life’ that still have to be lived and enjoyed. The trick is to make the best of each moment, and value it for what it’s worth. In other words, don’t wish all your time away by waiting for better times ahead. Smile, right now, because you can