Shanti, A sanskit word that means 'peace' Options

[Prashantt Nair]

being a first time user and not knowing what to expect, i'm going to attempt an experiment. i want to see how many people (if there are any) share a similar mindset about the way we interact and live our lives surrounded with hostility and impatience. i notice people around me striving for better lives and in the process forgetting about the things that would truly make them happy. spending long hours in environments that they can't stand and eventually that manifesting in them venting all their frustrations on unsuspecting people who have no connection or control over their mental welbeing.
i like to travel, and i always try to catch the eye of whomever i'm walking by and flashing a smile. i get several different reactions to this. sometimes the person that i have smiled at frowns a little, trying to figure out if he/she knows me somewhere. when he/she realises that i'm a complete stranger the frow quickly deepens and turns into a scowl. other times they just raise an eyebrow back at me which is quite like, 'what are you grinning about'. every now and then (i wish it were more common) i get a smile back. for no reason. in my life thats what gives me true 'shanti'. if i succede at getting one smile a day, i feel really kicked. its sad that in our world everyone is so suspiscious and untrusting that they hesitate to even do the littlest things that derive the most amount of true joy. SMILE.

[Prashantt Nair]

well, if smiling at people is strange, i'm guilty as charged. and really, its not just about smiling, have you tried going up to anyone on the street and tried having a friendly non-threatening conversation? more often than not you get badly snubbed or are admonished by an angry glare. my only problem is the way we deal with or respond to a friendly gesture like a smile or a greeting. because of the current belief systems around the world we take everyone as an offensive person until convinced otherwise.that is not fair, everyone should be given a fair chance and then the judgement shoud be made as to wheather or not the person is worthy of goodwill. the first reaction should not be a frown or an expression of contempt. it saddens me deeply that we intrinsically believe that most people in this world are evil and 'out to get us'. we need to see the truth. the truth that most people are just people, mostly good. i don't disclaim the fact that there are eneough loony people out there and there is a need to be cautious sometimes but it is really detrimental, not just personally but as a holistic social ideology to treat or deal with every stranger as a potential criminal. its really therupatic to just have the exact opposite reaction. to be unquestioningly friendly. that kind of demeaner makes it really hard for the roughest of hooligans to wrong you, looking you in the eye. if we are pure and good and happy, most of the time we will get that in return. may love and peace prevail.