There are about 6 Billion of us. Each one is born the same way – helpless and crying and each one dies the same way. We are, all of us, exactly, 100%, totally, completely in every way - equal, same. 
 
The irony is that between those two events each one of us thinks we are better than all others.
 
Because – our dress and grooming is better
Because – our food and cuisine is better
Because – our faith and prayer is better
Because – our language is better
Because – our thoughts and way of living is better
 
This is despite the fact we see – those who leave us are helpless and those who join us are too. Every one is equal exactly in the same way at the two most and only important events in ones life. Sadly we never learn that all of us –all 6 Billions are exactly, 100%, totally, completely in every respect – equal and same
 
And, also this is despite the fact that our great ones, like Saint Peters, Socrates, Gandhi ji, Siddhartha the Gautama Buddha, Guru Nanak, Leo Tolstoy, Mother Theresa etc., – told us so by their words and deeds. They all said “Love thy neighbor like yourself”
 
Unfortunately we are always trying to change others to be like us – forgetting that Gandhi Ji said: “Change yourself to love others”

---

 
As I read the Puranas, the very first thing in the Shiv Purana is to question the objective of getting an education.
 
Is it to earn money?
Is it to earn fame?
Is it to raise a family?
Is it to help others?
Is it to do all of the above and other similar ego building reasons?
 
Or is it to seek God and recognize that one is not at all important, but what one does is the only important thing?
 
The Purans say that the last one is the only and the primary objective of getting an education. See God every where and in every thing and focus only on ones actions (Karma) and not on oneself.
 
There are those who say – why even bother whether there is a God. If he is there that is fine if not that too is fine. The only problem is that as long as one does not know for oneself one remains –agitated, as they say in Sanskrit Ashant. Because thoughts come – from God, since He created thoughts and because of that all of us are always curious, Jigyasu, wanting to think and know, we want to know the source of thoughts.
 
And thoughts must come, will come regardless of ones belief and one remains agitated  – Ashant – one tries to fill that which can not be filled “one's mind” with thoughts. One can have ugly thoughts or nice ones. If one conceives of God, as in icons, or Murtis, a beautiful picture of God, one constantly fills ones infill-able mind with beautiful thoughts and lives and dies happily.
 
Think of God every moment, He is - beautiful, peaceful, kind, lovable, fair, honest, just and merciful. Think of him every moment, there are 1440 in a day, and smile all the way.