Life

Stuck at Home? Take a Journey Inward

September 2, 2020 by Dikshi Gupta

Six months ago, life was running at its own pace and we were busy in our daily routine. But the pandemic has made our lives come to a screeching halt and left us perplexed, wondering what will happen next as the entire world seems to be in chaos. Now, we are stuck at home and our anxiety is spiraling out of control. The key now is to remain vigilant and arm yourself with facts rather than surrender yourself to worry and anxiety. It’s important to take a journey inward to introspect and be aware of what is going on inside you to overcome the anxiety and stress.

We feel stuck when we are unhappy with where we are and cannot move forward or take any action. Getting stuck in this web of confusion can be frustrating because it feels like you are on the road to nowhere with no alternative. But think of it the other way, as it might be the gift of time we have been craving for, to pause, to take a journey inward and reflect, to befriend our minds, to deepen your understanding of yourself and our place in the universe.

In the hustle and bustle of life, we are sometimes worn to exhaustion that we often struggle to find the time and space to address our interior life. It is vital to take a moment to press the reset button and give yourself some relaxation. The art of meditation is a mysterious journey that takes a lot of practice and a peaceful environment conducive to explore yourself and pay attention to the subtle inner cues without any distractions or devices. Silence gives us the mental space and time to listen to the inner voices we carry and get to know ourselves more intimately.

Meditation improves focus and helps us identify which feelings can be trusted and which instincts might need to be contained, as they might cause us to get off track or get lost en route. It helps you battle your temptation like craving for sweets, repeatedly checking the count of ‘likes’ on our social media. This inward journey makes us grow stronger by setting aside obsessions. It also helps us reduce negative emotions, focus on the present, increase patience and tolerance, and gain a new perspective for stressful situations.

While we were catering to the outer world, you can now utilize this opportunity to attend to your inner self. Cultivate an awareness of the sanctity of life through our app ‘JoyScore.’ Delve within to familiarize yourself with your mind, breath, and heart. The application helps you be mindful. Furthermore, it enables you to find ways to celebrate the simple and slower pace of life and make the journey more gratifying.

The journey to enlightenment is only a click away.

Celebrate Small Joys in Life

August 17, 2020 by Dikshi Gupta

Is your definition of ‘Celebration’ restricted to that perfect moment? Most of us celebrate upon achieving some milestones in our life like promotion, marriage, buying a new house/ car, becoming parents, etc. But what about the small joys and simple pleasures? They are around us, but to enjoy them, be open to noticing them. We live in a world of tremendous competition, where everyone is rushing to accomplish something. While we are wrapped up in the normalcy of our daily lives, we overlook the simple joys.

We worry and crib about so many things, which shoots up our stress levels that we seldom think of these little joys that we should be thankful for. To combat this stress and anxiety, try to shift your focus to notice and rejoice the small bits of happiness, for they add richness and depth to existence and do wonders for your mood. These are usually unplanned, sometimes unexpected, and some of the sweetest parts of life.

Ever wondered what if the sun stops shining? Without the sun, life would cease. One of the biggest mistakes we commit is to take these little things for granted, e.g., our toes. A small thorn in our toe can make the entire body feel the pain and suffer. Celebrate because you still have the sun shining, celebrate because you have toes, celebrate because you have a roof over your head. Celebrate these small joys instead of occasions.

Often, we wait for something significant to happen and let the tiny sparks of happiness fade away. Instead of waiting for happiness to find you, create Joy and Happiness for you. Look for things that make you smile. There are plenty of little things in our daily routine, no less than a celebration, that can make us excited and joyful-

Pet Friendly Joy — Joyful friends with pet

Playing with a child and enjoying their laughter.
Finding money in a cloth worn after a long time
Making your favorite dish/ eating healthy
Inviting friends over dinner for no reason
Spending leisure time in a hammock
Getting a compliment from someone unexpectedly
Sound of birds chirping/ the smell of rain
Waking up mid-night and realizing that you still have time to sleep
Sunshine on a cold day/ breeze on a hot day
Witnessing/ Performing an act of kindness
An unexpected day off
Getting animal Love and Compassion

Make a list of things you are thankful for and revisit it daily to remind yourself of all the incredible things and people you have in your life. Do not take things for granted. Embrace, acknowledge, and celebrate simple joys amidst the chaos. Life happens around us while we wait for the big things hoping they will give us inner peace or happiness. Enjoy the simple pleasures and be joyful, for one day you may turn back and realize that those were the things that mattered. Try to continually appreciate little things and see how the magic unfolds for you. Lastly, stop worrying because when you do so, happiness comes your way.

Start watering the seeds of Joy within you through our app JoyScore, a self-guided, self-development platform that promises to elevate joy. Join us and experience your life getting crowded with unexpected delights.

How the Science of Kindness can heal your heart and your World

August 6, 2020 by Rimikak

We often hear the phrase that he or she is a kind-hearted person. One tends to remember someone by saying that he was a very kind person. Does this mean that the person was born with the trait or acquired it during his life? I don’t believe anybody’s born with a personality. Based on your experiences, acquired qualities, characteristics, or skills are learned or developed over time. They aren’t innate in not being born with them. Kindness and cooperation are more natural for human beings. There has been a common belief for a long time that “human existence” is overwhelmingly negative. Human beings, it has been believed, are highly inclined to characteristics such as egoism, conquest, and warfare. The prevalence of these qualities has led to people being kind and show kindness1 to humans as well as animals. Thomas Carlyle, a Scottish historian, says it right “A great man shows his greatness by the way he treats little men.”

What is Kindness?

It is a type of behavior marked by acts of generosity, consideration, or concerns for others, without expecting praise and reward. It is considered good and recognized as a value in many cultures and religions. Kindness also means that you treat and bestow everyone with the best that you can. No matter which strata of society people belong to or how you feel about them, you treat them with fairness and respect. We all think and say of beautiful things every day, but when we act, that is kindness.

If you add kindness to everything you do, the World can become a better place.

To be Kind means

To be compassionate
To care
To give a helping hand.

It is mostly the tiniest of things that make the most significant impact—random acts of kindness. If I do ten deeds for some people, one will come back to me when I did not expect it.

We all have a day to go through, and if you can make that day a little better for someone else when you will try to do that, it will make you go through the day with a few more smiles than you would otherwise have.

A small or simple act of kindness can

Can change someone’s entire day
Put a smile on someone’s face
Go a long way

Money and perishable goods are not the way to go. The helping gesture can come from anyone at any time, And it’s the little things that can mean so much. Because after all, we’re all in this together. We rise by lifting others.

It is mostly the smallest things that make the most significant impact. Random Acts of Kindness are pure good deeds you can do to make someone’s life and the community a better place without a second thought. A random act of kindness can be stated as any thoughtful, positive, spontaneous gesture you’ve done for a known or an unknown person, making their day brighter without expecting something in return. Taking out time to do these small acts of kindness can help form a peaceful and a much happier world where others feel the desire to do the same. Studies conducted by Dr. Rowland, Research Associate at the School of Anthropology and Museum Ethnography, University of Oxford, suggest that performing kindness activities for seven days increases happiness. You can’t go in the wrong direction when it comes to being kind to another person; kindness will never fall short.

A Random Act of Kindness Can Be:

Giving someone your parking spot
Helping someone who has a flat tire
Give drinks to people on a hot day.
Help a child or an older person cross the street.
Spend a day at a homeless shelter
Walk someone’s dog
Make way for someone to go ahead of you
Tell your parents you love them.
Buy groceries for an elderly neighbor
Babysit for free
Help someone look for a job.
Run or walk for a cause
Pick up litter at the park.
Drop off cookies at a friends house
Help someone put groceries in their car.
Send flowers to someone for no reason
Make a music playlist for someone.
Check-in with someone who’s sick
Treat someone to a coffee or tea.
And the list goes on.

Benefits of Random Acts of Kindness

According to research from Emory University, when you are kind to another person, you 2

Increase happiness leading to a healthy heart
Increase Energy
Increase Life span
Decrease Depression
Decrease Stress
Decrease Anxiety
Decrease Pain
Decrease Blood Pressure
Slow down the aging process
Improve relationships and connections, indirectly boosting your health.

Kindness strengthens the spirit and produces rewards. And service is a gift that everyone can afford. Always remember that there isn’t anything as a small act of kindness; every act of kindness creates a ripple with no end. The actions of service will not just benefit the person but also make you a better person.

Why is it Essential to Teach Kindness to Children

Kindness has a large number of physical and emotional benefits, and that children require a healthy dose of the warm and fuzzies to flourish as healthy, happy, well-rounded individuals. There are innumerable benefits.

Happy children- Its proven that the feelings of joyfulness by doing acts of kindness are contagious, encouraging more good behavior by the giver and recipient.
Increased peer acceptance-Kindness increases our ability to form meaningful connections with others, and children enjoy greater peer acceptance because they are well-linked.
Improved health and less stress- Being kind can trigger a release of the hormone oxytocin, which has several physical and mental health benefits, increasing a person’s level of happiness and reducing stress.
A better sense of belongingness and improved self-esteem: When we do a good deed, endorphins hormones get released that create a lasting sense of pride, well-being, and an enriched understanding of belonging.
Increased feelings of Gratitude-When children are part of activities that help others less fortunate than themselves, it provides them a real sense of outlook and helps them appreciate the good things in their lives.
Better concentration and enhanced results-Children having a positive outlook enable them to be more creative thinkers to produce better results.
Less Bullying-The effects of bullying can significantly reduce by integrating kindness based programs in the school.
Reduced depression-Act of understanding increases serotonin levels in both the giver and the receiver, making it an excellent natural antidepressant.

Why the World Needs More Kindness

Act kinder, and people will act more helpful in return. They’ll carry it forward to others, and the World will be a more loving place, and things will work better. It doesn’t mean bureaucracies will stop being bureaucracies, or that chaos won’t happen, but people will feel better about themselves.

Why Should You Share Your Story of Kindness

It would be best if you shared your story of compassion in the World. Because the miracle of service is that it’s contagious. No story is too small to share, and the impact of telling it can release an everlasting effect on people starting to pay it forward everywhere.

Do you consider yourself a kind person? How do you judge kindness in others – by how they act or the general vibe they give off? Do certain situations elicit compassion, or is it a trait you carry inside yourself no matter the circumstances? I hope you can get answers to these questions now, by far.

Dr. Jones, a researcher at North Carolina State University, states that kindness increases the quality of our life both at work and in the community4. It brings people together. Doing good for others feels good. Showing affection to others is just as rewarding as receiving it from someone else. Kindness in words creates confidence, in thinking creates profoundness and in giving creates love. When you do an act of kindness, blessings get showered on both the giver and the receiver.

References

https://www.randomactsofkindness.org/the-science-of-kindness
Lee Rowland & Oliver Scott Curry (2019) A range of kindness activities boost happiness, The Journal of Social Psychology, 159:3, 340-343, DOI: 10.1080/00224545.2018.14694614. Jones, A. (1998). Random Acts of Kindness: A Teaching Tool for Positive Deviance. Teaching Sociology,26(3), 179-189. Retrieved August 5, 2020, from www.jstor.org/stable/1318831.

Eating Habits that Improves Nutrition and Nurtures Healthy Living

August 3, 2020 by Dikshi Gupta

Proper nutrition is one of the most cardinal things for one’s health. If you want to feel happy and content with who you are, or to look slim and attractive, despite your age, start with changing unhealthy eating habits to healthy ones. Though most of our eating habits develop in childhood, it is never too late to change them. Making sudden changes or restrictions (Diet) in eating habits can lead to weight loss in the short term but is not a healthy idea of reducing your weight and would not be successful in the long run. To ensure healthy living, you need not eat less, but eat right.

Therefore, one should gradually improve eating habits through a thoughtful approach as follows-

REFLECT on your eating habits, both bad and good; and, your common triggers for unhealthy eating.

Create a list of everything you eat and at what time of the day to uncover your habits. E.g., you might discover that you crave for a sweet after the meal.
Highlight the habits that may lead you to overeat like eating too fast, eating when not hungry, eating while standing (may lead to eating mindlessly), Skipping meals.
Review the unhealthy habits highlighted and identify the triggers that let you engage in those habits. These may be opening the cabinet & seeing your favorite snack, watching TV at home, feeling bored/ tired/ stressed.

REPLACE unhealthy eating habits with healthier ones like slow eating if you are a fast eater, eating fruit to replace dessert, or drinking low-fat or fat-free milk, avoiding TV during meals. Try to replace stress eating with some non-eating activities like reading a book, exercising, going for a spa, or finding something other than food that helps you unload your distress.

REINFORCE or take action on your new, healthier eating habits and be patient as it takes time to develop new habits.

Studies have indicated that our eating habits connect with our mood, and certain foods can help manage emotional challenges, such as anxiety, anger, and insomnia. Also, a healthy diet can help fight depression. It is because the gut (stomach) and brain are connected. When people have chronic stress, there is a disruption in the stomach, which allows the harmful bacteria to overtake the good ones, and the communication between the gut and brain breaks down. Food can resolve this imbalance of good and bad bacteria in your stomach.

Healthy Eating-

Try to inculcate BRAIN FOODS in your diet where each letter reflects what should we consume-

B- Berries, for fiber and antioxidants.
R- Rainbow colors of fruits and vegetables, to provide a diversity of fibers and nutrients. Paint your plate with more colors to get more nutrient variation.
A- Antioxidants, to get rid of damaging compounds made in the body.
I- Include lean protein.
N- Nuts, a good source of nutrients.

F- Fiber-rich foods and Fruits and Veggies, which feed the good gut bacteria.
O- Oil (healthy) such as olive oil, which has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
O- Omega 3 fatty acid-rich foods, which have anti-inflammatory effects.
D- Dairy, which adds good bacteria to your gut.
S- Spices because certain spices have excellent brain benefits.

Eat less CRAP-

C- Carbonated drinks.
R- Refined Sugar.
A- Artificial Sweeteners & Colors.
P- Processed Foods.

Ways to Change your Eating Habits-

Select foods that promote your health & prevent ailment and maintain or reduces weight. Healthy eating provides the sustained energy our body needs. Below listed are some ways to make healthy changes in your eating habits:

Drink lemon water empty stomach, which is a rich source of Vitamin C and acts as a detoxifying agent and has antibacterial properties.

Eat lots of vegetables (3 or more servings a day), especially dark green vegetables and a variety of fruits (2 or more a day). It is advisable to eat at least five portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables every day. So, consider swapping your snacks for fresh fruits or fruit juice.

Do not skip or delay your meals and fix a time for your snacks. Some people skip breakfast, thinking it will help them lose weight. Others are so busy that eating often becomes a chore. Remember, if you ignore your feelings of hunger, you may give into not-so-healthy cravings eating much more than required.

Include more herbs and spices like turmeric, ginger, garlic, black pepper, etc. They have proven benefits in boosting your immunity.

Reduce refined or processed carbohydrates, eat whole-grain, high-fiber bread, and cereals. Avoid intake of carbohydrates after 7:30 pm.

Drink low-fat or fat-free milk and eat low-fat dairy products.

Reduce intake of saturated fats and choose foods that contain unsaturated fats instead, such as vegetable oils or olive oil, and avocados. Saturated fats cause blood cholesterol to increase, which enhances the risk of heart disease.

Reduce the daily intake of salt or sodium because it can raise your blood pressure and increases the chances of heart disease or a stroke. Try to avoid salt after 7:30 pm.

Restrict Junk food as it contains refined white flour, solid fats, added sugars, and are high in sodium.

Reduce or eliminate sodas and other free sugar-added drinks that are high in calories and lead to weight gain and tooth decay. Use product labels to check how much sugar the foods contain. Instead, drink 100% natural fruit juice.

Drink enough water (at least 3-4 liters) to stop you from getting dehydrated and helps in detoxification. Place a water bottle at your desk or use an app to track how much you drink. If your body craves for a sugary drink, try to drink fruit infused water.

Drink water between bites. It will help you to feel that you are full so that you do not stuff yourself. But avoid water immediately after finishing your meal as it dilutes the digestive enzymes and can lead to poor digestion and acidity.

Take a pause, chew more, and eat slowly because it helps the food break down and help you revel in the flavors, textures, and smell, which makes you appreciate food more, eat less. When we eat fast, we tend to eat more than our body wants as the brain realizes in around 20 min that your stomach is full.

Serve your snacks on a plate rather than eating from the package. It helps you control how much you eat.

Find a way to include the foods you love without overindulging, as this is part of being healthy. Do not ignore your craving, but do not go overboard while trying to sate your desire. A small piece of dessert will not impair your goal.

Save the best bite for last so that you leave your meal satisfying your craving without overindulging.

The food that you eat, in turn, affects your health. You may require to change some of your daily habits to eat healthier. But you need not change all your habits at the same time. Awareness is the start. Proceed with small changes, try to sustain them, and then build on your healthy habits. Over a period, these small changes can make a big difference in your health.

The food that you eat can be the safest and most potent form of medicine or the slowest form of poison. So, do not focus on short term diet but a long-term lifestyle change, which concentrates on making you healthier. When we begin to change our relationship to food, we change the way we live!!

Catch the Rain Where It Falls: A Revolution in Water Harvesting and Management

August 2, 2020 by Rimikak

As I was growing up, when it rained, I always used to wonder where does all the water go? Once I understood, I realized what a waste of a billion liters of water it is, till the time I heard and understood the concept of Rainwater harvesting. You may recall your grandfather talking about the old rain cistern(tank) on his farm. The tanks were water storage for cattle and other livestock. They would use gutters and connect rooftop rainwater into the reservoir for storage. Cisterns like these were a step in the evolution of rainwater harvesting but were far from the point where rainwater harvesting began.

The Need for Water

Why collect rainwater? Ancient civilizations had basic needs to survive as we do in the present age. Water, food, and shelter were a continuous need and struggle, especially in dry climates where water was scarce. But, there was a solution, and people came up with brilliant methods of storing water. One such idea that became a sustaining source throughout thousands of years was rainwater collection and diversion.

Origin of Rainwater Harvesting

It is nearly impossible to find out as to which civilization used rainwater harvesting first. The basic structure of these systems often involved a large rock formed into a basin using clay and other stones to seal it from leaking. Water would be stored using different diversion tactics and used for drinking, washing, agriculture, irrigation, and more.

The process of collecting and storing rainwater, rather than allowing it to run off is known as Rainwater harvesting (RWH). Rainwater harvesting systems capture rainwater by diverting it from large surfaces (e.g., roofs) to an underground holding tank (water sumps). It is essential, especially in areas with low water levels. Rainwater is free from harmful chemicals, making the water suitable for irrigation purposes because it does not harm the crops. It reduces the demand for potable water. The harvested water is then filtered and pumped directly to the appliances or a header tank. The water is ready for use for domestic or commercial applications include washing, flushing toilets. The most common method of rainwater harvesting is rooftop harvesting.

Rainwater harvesting measures should begin four months before the monsoon is to arrive. If we undertake rainwater harvesting in every house, we can replenish the groundwater on a vast scale. For each square meter of area, we can collect about 1,000 liters(appx) of water per year. A house of 200 square meters area can conserve 2 lakh liters of water every year. Rainwater not harvested is wasted. A systematic harvesting system would benefit all.

Rainwater harvesting, if carried out on time, correctly and by everyone, will save the misery resulting from waterlogging, and submerged subways and underpasses. Waterlogging points to poor infrastructure but also that had proper and stable structures been in place, especially on roads and flyovers, waterlogging would not have caused so much disruption in terms of loss of life and property.

Collected rainwater has several uses, no matter what type of rainwater harvesting system you have.

Collecting your rainwater is an excellent way to conserve this precious resource. A basic rainwater collection system catches water from your roof or other surface and channels it into a container for storage. There are many uses for collected rainwater, no matter what type of rainwater harvesting system you have.

Drinking and cooking.

Rainwater, if collected without touching the surface, is high-quality water for consumption. It’s pure and doesn’t contain any chlorine or other chemicals otherwise used in sanitizing tap water. The problem occurs when rainwater collected from roofs or other dirty surfaces is made available for drinking purposes. By either installing a filtration system, boiling, or distilling it, you can make rainwater safe to drink. Some systems can also directly collect rainwater for drinking purposes.

Bathing and laundry.

Washing clothes account for about 22 percent of indoor water use, Showers 17 percent, and baths 2 percent. If you alternate with harvested rainwater for all these purposes, you could reduce your municipal water usage by over 40 percent. Depending on how clean and clear you want your washing water, you could either treat or untreated rainwater.

Flushing toilets.

Another considerable water drain, toilets, use almost 27 percent of water in your home.

Watering gardens and houseplants.

Rainwater, naturally designed to water plants, can easily be used for indoor and outdoor gardens and lawns. You can either use rainwater in watering cans to water plants by hand or connect any rainwater storage tanks or reservoirs directly to an automatic irrigation system.

Water for wildlife, pets, or livestock.

You can use recycled rainwater for birdbaths. Water is also typically safe for pets or livestock to drink or wash in, especially if you have a direct method to collect clean rainwater.

Rinsing vegetables

Rainwater is excellent for rinsing vegetables straight from your garden, especially root vegetables. Try filling a large bucket with water, adding some carrots, potatoes, beets, or other hard vegetables, and swish them together to knock the soil off.

Outdoor water bodies

Filtered rainwater is useful for fountains or other water bodies with pumps. You can fill your outdoor ponds and pools with any collected rainwater.

Washing vehicles and equipment

Washing vehicles is another excellent use for untreated rainwater. Cars, garden tools, lawnmowers, tractors, and even the driveway and sides of your house are perfect candidates.

Need Of The Hour- Water Conservation

The level of groundwater is decreasing because of deforestation and ecological imbalance. Due to urbanization and industrialization in urban areas, the demand for water supply is increasing. The reason for this is the use of excessive groundwater which is going downwards. The danger of water shortage will increase in the future, proving to be an end of human life if there is no immediate action.

Water harvesting is beneficial for meeting various needs like a recharge of groundwater, reducing the electricity bill spent in supplying water, and supplying pure water at any time whenever required. The increase in the water level of 1 meter will save the power of 0.4 kilowatts.

It`s not an overstatement that the next war will be over water. Any constructive measures that you take, big or small, counts and will be better for the society as a whole. There are many options available to store water, and the awareness for this is of paramount importance worldwide. All we need to do is implement necessary, simple measures.

Love & Compassion Towards Animals and its Impact on Our Lives

July 31, 2020 by Dikshi Gupta

Do you own a pet? Did you ever have one? If not, do you love animals?

Do you know that Human beings are called Social Apes? The primary difference between a human being and an animal is that humans have a better sense of right and wrong; they can speak their heart out. Have you ever experienced that feeling of love and bonding with an animal? It might either be with your pet or wild animals. When we talk about pets, people generally restrict themselves to dogs and cats, which is not true. People also tend to keep rabbits, birds, horses, turtles, fishes, etc. as pets.

In the past, animals were domesticated for specific use like dogs for tracking and house safety, and cats for killing rats. However, today, owning a pet is primarily because of bonding, as pets are considered a part of the family. Majority of the pet owners would agree that their pets sleep in their room or their bed as well, in a few cases, at night; they celebrate their pet’s birthdays, or they grief their demise as it leaves an emptiness in their life and completes their pet’s last rites just like that of humans.

Compassion for animals is closely associated with the goodness of one’s character. Also, one may confidently advocate that the one who is cruel and harsh to animals cannot be a good man. Developing connect and empathy with animals is a vital part of our social development as well. One of the findings in some research is that people with pets survive longer than people with human social support alone. When we play with a pet, Oxytocin, a love hormone, is released in our body and has multifold benefits. Our interactions with animals can impact physical and emotional health, and the following are the benefits mentioned below-

It reduces stress.
It diminishes your aggression and increases generosity.
It improves mental health by reducing loneliness, depression, and anxiety.
It increases your trust, bonding, and attachment and overall socializing skills.
It Relaxes our autonomic system, which includes blood pressure, cortisol, and epinephrine levels.
It minimizes the possibility of cardiovascular diseases and increases longevity by lowering our BP and cholesterol.
It promotes empathy and compassion in people.

Girl Sleeping with Cat — A Girl Sleeping with her Cat

However, owning a pet makes you their master but does not give you a right to abuse them. When you love animals and are kind to them, they repay that love exponentially. However, each of them has a different way of expressing it. They tend to express their affection commonly by licking, cuddling, tail-wagging, jumping in the air, offering their paws to shake hands, leaning against, and following their master.

Do you know why some people love animals so much?

Have you ever wondered why sometimes we love our pets more than our relatives or next-door neighbors? Does this astonish you that how two completely different species can make each other so happy? It is because people disappoint and betray, but the animals will never do. A few reasons are as below-

Animals are a great companion. Dogs are often known as the best friend of a man. There is nothing comparable to the joy of coming home to see a companion who eagerly waits for you.

Pets love you unconditionally and without any expectations. They do not care if you are skinny or obese, rich or poor, black or white. All they demand is your presence, your love, your voice & touch, and nothing else.

Pets are loyal to you. In a world where humans can’t trust each other, you can blindly trust your pet as they cannot talk behind your back and never betray you.

Animals are the most supportive audience without any argument. You can always talk to them, confide in your darkest secrets with them. They are there all the time when you need them, and they ask no questions and pass no criticisms.

Pets bring you contentment. No matter how tiring or unpleasant a day you had, they will always be there to welcome you and make you feel pampered and relaxed.

Animals are divine mirrors, and the more you love them, they will reflect the same. They do not understand evil or jealousy. They also do not judge you, unlike humans.

Animals share emotions. They can laugh when you laugh, cry when you cry, and feel distressed when their master is sad.

Animals also help lonely people to discover a sense of meaning or purpose in their lives by filling a void.

Even when you do not treat your pets well, they still come to you and teach you forgiveness, love, empathy towards them, and other humans as they are increasingly becoming desensitized towards others.

Pets bring you closer to Mother Earth and let you stay connected to your roots. When we watch wild animals in their territory, it reminds us to be humble about our strength and dominance.

As they say, ‘A part of our soul remains unawakened until we have loved an animal.’ So, having a pet can be an incredibly fulfilling and rewarding experience. It comes with great responsibility and is a privilege too. It will take nothing away from you to be kind to an animal. Instead, it will give you all their love and affection. Loving animals will make you rich beyond measure, despite the few possessions or little money you have. However, if you do not have an animal as a pet, you can show your love by feeding the hungry stray animals or helping the injured or sick animals by contacting animal welfare agencies to provide them shelter and treatment.

To conclude, I believe compassion for animals will make more room for compassion among people, weaving more empathy, and fill us with respect, dignity, and love for others. Make sure the next time when you look into an animal’s eyes, you do not see an animal. You should see a living being, a friend, a soul, and a companion.