Any rational individual would like to spend quality time with family, friends, and loved ones. What constitutes “quality time” would vary, depending on who you ask. At the core, quality time refers to the time spent in doing that which would strengthen a relationship. In addition to quality time, quality of thoughts is also essential for a meaningful life.
A person’s identity is portrayed through the actions. Things that we do and say make us who we are. The roots of all our actions are in our minds. I believe that the thoughts conceived by our minds influence our actions, which in turn influence the relationships that we have with those around us. Therefore, to ensure that we spend quality time, we must ensure excellent quality of thoughts.
The mind is the only thing that we have that cannot be restricted by any boundary. While a body may be at rest, a mind can cross countries and continents, and venture out in space and travel to distant galaxies. Our thoughts enable us to be free. At the same time, our thoughts are confined within us. It is up to us to reveal to the world the contents of our minds.
Every day, we face choices. We can either direct our thoughts to things that are good for our souls and our earthly existence, or we can divert our thoughts towards things that take us further away from fulfilling our life’s goals.
Every moment we spend in idleness, wasteful activities, or unproductive matters, takes us further away from building and nurturing strong relationships. One of the most important relationships that we have is the one with our own self. Hence, it is of utmost importance that we be truthful with our own selves and be honest about how we are using our minds.
I believe that precious moments of a person’s life must be devoted in the exploration of strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities. That is only possible when a person’s attention is not only towards self but also towards the Creator. It is with our Creator that we share the most important of all relationships.
Honoring our bond with God requires respecting and making the best use of the time He allotted for each of us. And respecting the time God has given us for our journey on earth requires that we do not allow any negative thoughts to enter the mind.
The mind must be a sanctuary for love, compassion, and empathy. Once the state of purity of thoughts is achieved, only then will we be able to strengthen our bond with God, our relationship with our own self, and our ties to our loved ones.