To view this newsletter in the browser, click here                 Issue #177       A newsletter from Creativegarh to help you live a life of passion, purpose and meaning.         The voice we believe becomes the voice we become.                     If you tell your child that it’s Christmas time and Santa is about to come home to give them gifts, they will believe you. If you tell them that if they close their eyes, make a wish and blow out the birthday candles in one breath, the universe will hear… they will believe you. If you tell them that if they wish on the first star they see at night, it will carry their wish to heaven, they will believe you. If you tell them that a genie lives inside an old lamp, that rainbows end in treasure, that their soft toy can protect them while they sleep… they will believe you.           Children believe with their whole heart, mind and body, and they have no reason to not believe you. That’s their superpower – to live in an unquestionable state of acceptance and surrender and think of everything as truth.           But the same truth that asks them to believe that mermaids and unicorns are real also makes them believe they are shy, dumb, slow, sensitive, selfish, lazy. And they believe what you say about them as much as what you say about ghosts, spirits and Ironman.           But here’s one thing we forget. We also are still little children wearing adult fancy dress costumes. And whatever we were told about ourselves, we have embodied and internalised.           Sure, we may not believe in Santa anymore, but we do believe that if we have not been the ‘good’ boy or girl, we don’t deserve the love of the world. We may not believe in ghosts anymore, but we are scared of things and the big life we can’t see. We know that Ironman is a fictional superhero, but we also believe that the powerful, strong, brave, capable, kind and brilliant version of us is a fictional character. We may have enough evidence to not believe in tooth fairies, but we do have the belief that if we keep our manifestation journal under our pillow, the life of our dreams will come true.           During childhood, it was other people’s voices that gave us beliefs - parents, teachers, relatives, bullies, report cards, ‘well-meaning’ jokes. You are not good enough, you are difficult, you are dumb, you are sensitive, you are irresponsible, you are selfish – they said.           Over time, the voice of others becomes our own. We slowly take over the job of admonishing and bullying ourselves. I am not good enough. I am difficult / dumb / sensitive / irresponsible / clingy / stupid / selfish / not deserving is how we talk to ourselves.           What we hear first, we start to say next. What we say next, we start to become.           Our brain is always listening. Once it believes a belief, even if it’s wrong, it starts looking for proof. Your inner belief says, ‘I’m not worthy,’ your mind hunts for every tiny rejection and whispers, see, I told you so. Your inner belief says, ‘I’m stupid,’ your mind circles every mistake in red ink and ignores all the things you did right.           So what if we reversed the spell? What if we started speaking joy, bravery and enoughness into our children and into ourselves? What if we told the child within us that you are allowed to be exactly who you are, you are allowed to learn slowly, you are allowed to be sensitive and still powerful, you are allowed to take up space.           The brain will look for evidence to prove to you that you are good / brave / kind / handsome / empathic / love. And your life will start to bend in the direction of your own goodness.           Be careful with your words around children. And be just as careful with your words to the child inside you. One day, they will become the voice that carries that belief into the world.                       You are here to understand yourself, not to be understood by others.                     The only goal is to know yourself - as an immortal, imperishable divine being going through a grand and spectacular human experience so that the divinity you are a part of can experience its own magnificence through you. In no way are you here to be understood by others; you are here to understand yourself.           As you walk the path of understanding yourself, you will eventually realize that you have had enough - that you need a break from others needing you. You need this break because you need yourself - to sit with yourself in the sanctuary of your being, far removed from the chasing, proving, plundering, achieving, fighting, collecting, storing, and arguing. Only when you sit still with yourself will you know what is driving your life when you are not in the driver's seat. It is in this silence that the guides and gurus present a roadmap and reveal the paths you have avoided.           In this solitariness, you also come to understand how much fear prevails in the world - how people are becoming comfortable with hatred, more at ease with being mean, more united in their separateness, and more willing to sell their values at a price while vehemently protecting their own beliefs. Instead of trying to understand them, you focus on understanding yourself. As you recognize yourself as love, you build empathy for others, seeing them not as hateful but as beings crying out for love.           As we turn inward, we realize that we have regained the strength to act like children again. We can walk away from a game when it is no longer fun, instead of dragging it on and allowing it to run its course. We can call an end to what no longer brings us joy - without guilt, hesitation, or second thoughts -and we have the courage to apply the same idea to bad lovers, toxic relationships, uninspiring people, wearisome friendships, and lackluster jobs.           Further along this journey of self-discovery, we come to a point where it dawns on us that we need to stop chasing stimulation and take a break from the sensory overload of the world. Allow your senses to settle within you instead of seeking a dopamine hit. It’s okay to turn down the volume on the world, and it’s okay to walk away from the loud party of acid rock.           Sure, not many will understand you. But you are here to understand yourself, not to be understood by others.                   Our upcoming retreats                         Mandi Sold Out 4th to 10th March     Mandi’s tranquil environment serves as the perfect backdrop for personal metamorphosis, ensuring you return home with a revitalised spirit and fresh perspective of life!   More details         Bhimtal Registrations Open 10th to 16th May     Bhimtal offers a rare kind of Kumaoni serenity. This landscape creates the perfect setting for inner work, allowing reflection to unfold naturally.   More details     Reignite conversation     Mandi Registrations Open 14th to 20th June     Mandi in summer is a calm escapade. Cool mountain air, green slopes, and quiet mornings create space to breath, rejuvenate and slow down.   More details     Reignite conversation           This week, let's revisit     Athoor September 2023                         Experience a life full of purpose                     The purpose of my life is to use the gift of my music to heal lives.   Abhilasha Ojha Kasauli, April 2022         The purpose of my life is to create joyful, holistic and meaningful learning experiences. My vision is for all people to lead self-actualized, happy lives, filled with empathy.   Samathmika Balaji Kasauli September, 2022               For a daily dose of Creativegarh and our retreats, follow us here:                           Mantra Gold Coatings & The White Paper Creative         Sunita Somani         Pedal On               View Our Collabs for Joy                   creativegarh.com             You are receiving this newsletter because either you have subscribed to it through our website, interacted with us by filling an invite form or because you have asked us to put you on the database. If you would not like to receive any more newsletters from us, please click here to unsubscribe.