🎓Recap (December 18, 2023)

Being a seeker

• 📚 Veda is about spiritual knowledge, not IQ but SQ; Veda-anta is understanding oneself. Exploring within leads to Advaita—Oneness in all. 🧘‍♂️
• 👥 Differences breed fear; oneness brings fearlessness, courage, and tranquility. Seeking means feeling oneness, fearlessness, and having less dejection, anxiety, and stress. 🕊️
• 🔄 Generosity begets reciprocity: the more you give, the more you receive. 🌱

Review of Parenting Modern Challenges and their Ancient Wisdom Visualizations

1. Finding Balance (podcast)

• 🐒 Hanumanji observed that Vibhishana was the sole early riser in Lanka.
• 🕉️ As the Master, Bhagavan Krishna led a disciplined life, engaging in contemplation in the  early morning hours.

2. Self Care - longevity of utility (podcast)

• 🐵Sugreeva recovered following a conflict with his brother Vali.
• 🏹Bhagavan Rama waited for the weather to improve before embarking on the search for Devi Sita.

3. Family Communication (podcast, review-podcast)

• 🧘‍♂️ Rishika Maitreyi questioned Rishi Yajnavalka about why he was relinquishing IQ and EQ while embracing SQ without extending the same to her. She pondered thoughtfully on how his choices might not contribute to her happiness.
• 🤔Shri Bharata returned Bhagavan Rama's Padukas to Ayodhya and placed them on the throne, contemplating actively on what the wise would do (WWW).

4. Sibling Relationships (podcast, review-podcast)

• 💔During Vali's conflict with Sugreeva, Sugreeva expressed gratitude to Vali for introducing him to Bhagavan Rama. 
• 🌟 Shree Balarama chose to abstain and embarked on a Yatra during the Mahabharatha war instead of creating conflict when he disagreed with others' actions.

5. Learning Responsibility (podcast, review-podcast)

• 👑Raja Dasharatha commanded Bhagavan Rama to neither be the king nor stay in Ayodhya, and Bhagavan Rama obeyed the leader. 
• ☝️Bhagavan Krishna corrected his own family when they were mistaken.

6. Screen time

• 🐟 In the Mahabharata's Yaksha Prashna, the question is about what sleeps with its eyes open. The answer is a fish. This relates to our screen-heavy habits, suggesting a break from devices an hour before sleep, favoring traditional alarm clocks.
• 🌳 In Srimad Bhagavatam, Bhagavan Krishna encourages a natural lifestyle, advocating outdoor activities and connecting with nature, including hugging trees and cultivating plants.
• 🍔 Childhood obesity has surged due to targeted marketing, making children more susceptible to processed foods and reduced physical activity.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 As parents, our screen habits influence our children, emphasizing the need for mindful screen use in parenting.

7. (Bonus) Happiness Series

• 🔄 Elevate your purpose - 3R’s - revisit purpose, revolve around passionate individuals, reverse - lift purpose. Passion fuels philanthropy.

About Parenting Culture: Season 2023-24

Buckle up, fellow parents! Our Parenting Culture is gearing up for life changing ride in the coming year, and it's all about "Solving Parenting Challenges with Ancient Wisdom.” We look forward to being inspired by Vivekji as our guide with lessons from the Bhagavad Gita, Ramayana, and more. Here's the secret sauce: To be better caregivers, we've got to start by tuning up ourselves first. The more we understand ourselves, our life's mission, and spruce up our virtues. the better we can show our mini-me's the ropes to discovering their potential. It's like we're turning into life coaches for our kids! We'll tackle the hurdles of modern parenting with a three-part plan: tweaking what we do, how we feel, and what we think. It's like going from fixing a squeaky door to renovating the whole house, one step at a time. So, get ready to embrace your inner parenting guru and join us for a year of adventure, laughs, and enlightenment!🚀🤩👨‍👩‍👧‍👦