Acharya Prashant responds to a question about a turning point in his life that led him to spirituality. He states that there was no special turning point or a particular incident. He explains that the way the world is and the way people's faces are, it is clearly visible that things cannot be allowed to continue as they are and a change must be brought. He clarifies that no specific accident happened in his life and he did not become spiritual after a breakup. In response to another question about how he maintains his motivation, especially when motivational videos provide only a temporary boost, Acharya Prashant explains that the market for motivation is like any other market, such as a shopping mall. It is designed to give temporary satisfaction, which then makes you restless again so you return to the market. He asserts that the shopping mall and the motivation industry are complementary; the mall cannot run without the motivation shops, and the motivation industry motivates you to return to the shopping mall. This entire system, he says, is an arrangement to keep you away from the truth. The truth is that the way we live and the markets we engage with will not give you any satisfaction. Older people gradually understand this but are too invested in life to change, while young people are too engrossed in entertainment and lust to reflect on life. He further explains that motivation is needed only when you are doing something you do not understand. For a task that you understand, the reality of the situation is enough motivation. He gives an example: if you are running to catch a train, you don't stop to watch a motivational video; the fact that the train is leaving is motivation enough. The real motivation, he says, is what Shri Krishna gave to Arjun, which is knowledge and understanding. That is the real motivation, and its name is knowledge or wisdom. When you have that, you don't need external motivation. In another language, this is called love. If love is making you work, you don't need motivation. He concludes that we lack both understanding and love, which is why we need external motivation that tells us to 'get up, run, and fly'. He quotes Kabir Saheb, saying the mind becomes a bird, flies to the sky, and then falls into the trap of illusion, highlighting the addictive and ultimately futile nature of such external motivation.
