Life is like a box of mixed chocolates, some are white, some dark, and some are flavored. It is hard to guess, what you will get next. Lessons about life are like a secret decoder PIN that helps you understand the mysteries of the universe.
It is like a map to treasure, leading you on an adventure to discover the hidden wisdom that comes with each experience. With the right lessons about life, you will open the correct door to success.
So here I am sharing a story from Indian mythology, which teaches lessons about life. You will laugh, you might cry, and you probably eat some chocolate too at the end of this article.
Life is unpredictable, but by learning the right lessons about life, you can become the hero of your own story.
What is the Cobra Technique-
This is another attempt of mine to redefine yet another topic from Indian mythology. In order to find out, what this technique is about- I am going to narrate a short mythological story by Rishi Narad. Even though the story is short but it will teach you important lessons about life.
The entire lessons about life can be summoned in 3 words
GET UP- BUCKLE UP-NEVER GIVE UP
The Story starts with a very short-tempered and arrogant Cobra- who was very proud of his ability to be a strong animal and never hesitates to bite anyone who comes in his path. Because of this, other animals outcast him and he was always left alone.
One day Rishi Narad came across him and the Cobra asked him, why this is happening to him, why I have always been left alone, and why nobody wants to be his friend.
After observing everything, Rishi Narad thought to teach him a few lessons about life.
First lesson about life taught to the Cobra-
Rishi Narad told Cobra- Being Polite and friendly are very important skills to learn to make it through life.
It is fine to be proud of your abilities but it is not acceptable to use your advantage to damage others for no valid reason.
He told to Cobra, you are left alone because of your nature. How you treat people defines, what you will get in return. Cobra listened to Rishi Narad’s wise words and promised him to be polite from now on.
After a few days Rishi Narad met with the Cobra, but he find him very sad and injured. Looking at his condition Rishi Narad asked him, what exactly happened to you, why are you in this condition?
The Cobra replied to him, this is what happen when I followed your advice. I have been kind and polite to others as you advised me to do.
I have not bitten anyone in the past few days or scared away anyone but still look at my condition. What did I do wrong this time!!!
Rishi Narad smiled at him with sympathy and said-
The strength given by nature must be used for survival or to help others.
Second Lesson taught to Cobra-
Rishi Narad told to Cobra-
You have misinterpreted my advice. When I said you should not use your power to your advantage, it was not mean, you should not use it to protect yourself.
It is important to be polite to others, but you shall never allow anyone to miss treat you or take you for granted.
It is equally important for us to set healthy boundaries and not let people walk over us.
When I told you to treat people with politeness, my advice was not to bite them, but when you do not react to people’s ill-treatment, they will start taking you for granted.
You must use your strength to scare them so that they will learn not to mess up with you. Cobra listened to Rishi Narad’s advice and obeyed.
After a few days, when the Cobra met with Rishi Narad, he was happy and confident.
The third lesson about life for Cobra-
The Cobra did was, started to be polite to everyone from that day but when someone causes any threat to him, he scares them away.
We all have fears, yet in order to survive-
we need to use or develop those survival instincts to conquer our fear with courage.
The valuable lessons about life learned from this story-
1-Unnecessary hatred, arrogance, and sharp opinion could leave us alone and sad.
2- By being polite, and humble with a positive attitude with good behavior can help you gain friends.
3- In order to live a happy life, we all need friends and people who can help and support us through life.
4-The most important of all the mentioned lessons about life could be, you should never allow anyone, “take you for granted”.
You may not need to bite but you can always show your ability like Cobra to let them know, not to mess with you.
Here are a few videos in Hindi, hope these might help you understand the concept better–
These videos have narrated excellent points nicely, do watch them for a better understanding of the mentioned topics.
How to deal with insult-
The best way to respond to an argument is to avoid or ignore it, which is good for strangers. BY ignoring them you will make it clear that their opinion does not matter to you.
Another way to deal with an insult is to respond to it with a touch of humor. It breaks the loop of negative energy from the people.
7 Attitudes to Attract People-
- Don’t be afraid to be vulnerable, its a power not a weakness
- Build Emotional connections- be aware of your’s and people’s emotions to make healthy connections.
- Don’t try to live a pretentious life, be true to yourself and your needs.
- You will always attract like-minded people, so always be honest with your interest. Be True to your intentions
- Communicate clearly and confidently
- Personality and behavior
- Be Self-assured- most attractive quality in a person
How to talk to anyone-
- Adapt the right technique to conduct a crucial conversation. (Silent or Violent) Don’t avoid out of discomfort or approach irrationally out of fear/anger.
- Start with Heart
Here are a few videos in English, that might help you understand the concept better-
Set Healthy Boundaries-
- Our emotional health depends on how we are treated.
- You deserve to be treated with respect
- Sometimes, it is required to be assertive.
- To know what you truly want, soul searching is required to be aware of your emotions
- Communicate your wants and needs clearly.
5 Body language tricks-
- Learn the skill of smiling- it is the first sign of positive vibration.
- Make comfortable eye contact- not intimidating or awkward but enough to convey that you are interested.
- Maintain a good body posture at all times
- Limit the fidget- stop other distractions while in conversation
- Use your hands to make a proper gesture to make the conversation more engaging.
Few Books that might help Learn these Lessons about life better-
How to Set Healthy Boundaries: Build Better Boundaries to Find Purpose in Your Life, by Jeff Lawrenson
One of the most important lessons about life about to learn is to have healthy boundaries.
Boundaries are about the protection of your mind body and soul, giving you a positive self-image, and confronting those, who are acting belittling or immature. However, it is also about necessary having your own back.
By reading this book you’ll quickly see the benefits of having healthy boundaries.
- How do you take control of your life?
- How do you set healthy, realistic boundaries?
- When you take the control of your own life and say ‘hard nos.’ you will see the effect.
How to Talk to Anyone: 92 Little Tricks for Big Success in Relationships, by Leil Lowndes
How to Talk to Anyone, narrates the following points–
- How to make an unforgettable entrance
- How to sound like an insider in any crowd, no matter how little you have in common
- Right body language to captivate audiences
- How to be confident, credible, and charismatic no matter the place and circumstances
The tricks can be used to make confident and memorable conversations even with strangers.
The Like Switch: An Ex-FBI Agent’s Guide to Influencing, Attracting, and Winning People Over, by Jack Schafer, Marvin Karlins Ph.D.
These lessons about life are to help others in everyday life. What made this book unique, is how it narrates the groundwork for friendship.
The author’s personal experience as a professional analyst added an interesting viewpoint to this topic.
Written by a former FBI behavior analyst beautifully narrates the need for patience in a relationship in a unique way.
He uses the example of cultivating a spy that involved a Special Agent placing himself in proximity to a target day after day before he ever exchanged so much as eye contact, let alone speaking.
This book gives tips on how to build rapport – be it with a co-worker, a love interest, or the subject of an interrogation.
Though the book does not have any out-of-the-box surprising elements, what made it engaging and intriguing is, how the writer associates these lessons about life with counter-intelligence operations and criminal investigations. That made this book rather interesting and helpful.
I hope the new perspective on these lessons about life in the old story might help you gain some wisdom on human behavior.
The Moral of this Story is-
“Survivors are not always the Strongest but they are the Smartest“
Thank You
4 Comments
sreedahar · October 1, 2021 at 11:59 am
Nice writings ..keep it up…
ED · October 2, 2021 at 6:51 am
Very interesting prospective, good interpretation of such a short story.
Good work👍
K.Prabha · October 2, 2021 at 6:58 am
This is a good read…must say the analogy of such a story with these life lessons is extraordinary.
N. Parasar · April 22, 2022 at 6:32 pm
Interesting write up, keep it up.