Believe in Yourself: The Key to Life's Autumn
Photo credit: Shivansh Sharma@pexels As we approach the autumn of life, what do we find waiting for us? A time of decline, or a season of transformation and growth? The "autumn of life" offers a unique moment to pause, reflect, and embrace the wisdom we’ve gathered along life’s journey. In early civilizations of the Indian subcontinent, life was distinctly divided into Chatur Ashramas , or the four stages of life: Brahmacharya (celibacy): A period dedicated to acquiring knowledge. Grihastha (married life): Focused on family responsibilities and building a livelihood. Vanaprastha (retired life): A retreat to the forest, leaving household duties behind. Sannyasa (renunciation): A life of asceticism and spiritual pursuit. These stages reflect the natural rhythm of life, with the latter two—Vanaprastha and Sannyasa—mirroring the reflective phase of autumn. The Vanaprastha phase, akin to this metaphorical autumn, signaled a shift in priorities and purpose. Individuals handed...