The feelings of guilt, fear, and inferiority are like whirlpools in social life that destroy an individual’s potentials. Moreover, together they make life uncomfortable and unusual, which adversely affect the social and professional life of the person, and he is cursed to live in deep stress and depression.
The sooner one can overcome these tendencies, the better it is from the viewpoint of personality development. But if they have already become a part of one’s nature, then the task becomes a bit time-consuming. In such a situation, they can be overcome only with patience and by taking prudent steps.
In this direction, the first and foremost requirement is to understand and accept one’s negative self-communication. The sooner and firmer it is dealt with, the better it is. Negative thoughts and actions over a long time allow them to lay such deep roots that predominate the entire personality.
Customary efforts will not lead to anything worthwhile. In order to uproot them from the core or transmute them, there is a need to wage a crusade against them. But, the first step for this is to accept and understand them and then adopt a new system of thinking and lifestyle.
A positive self-image is a complementary step in which a sense of self-respect and pride is created towards oneself. A positive self-dialogue is required for this purpose. The concept of self is to be taken beyond the moral and social dimensions and associated with the spiritual realm to develop it at the deepest level.
For this purpose, one may take recourse to spiritual remedies like consistent positive and pious thoughts, self-contemplation, remembering and focusing on the divine, prayers, and chanting-meditation. The entire lifestyle needs to be disciplined accordingly, thus materializing the ideas in this way. With such ideological purity and spiritual perseverance, a new sense of self-respect gradually develops and blossoms.
Special protection is needed in the beginning to nurture and strengthen these sentiments. However, one should be beware of enticements and harmful elements, which are antagonistic to these feelings. For being victorious while striving for the sake of moral austerities, one has to be alert on the front just as an allegiant warrior; else, even the diminutive negligence of thoughts, behaviour, and conduct may lead him to a big blunder. In such a situation, seekers have been seen succumbing and surrendering to the allurements and undesirable elements countless times.
When we are negligent towards restraint of senses, lead an undisciplined life, indulge in malefic activities, or adhere to malicious tendencies, we lose our sense of self-respect somewhere. The guilt of wrongdoings grips us somewhere deep. Therefore, be alert and careful from the temptations and delusion of the mind that pushes one into the dark depths of stress and depression. Face them with courage and enter the kingdom of the soul and fight every inch of the battleground of your self-consciousness, hoisting the flag of victory and ensuring your birthright.
With this, a person moves beyond mental control and self-management stages and comes out of his negative thoughts and inferior complexes by making small victories. In these moments, one understands the significance of Sadhana (controlling and restraining life) along with Upasana (worship). So, reverence to the Jivan Devata (life deity) becomes a part of his daily routine. Moreover, the knowledge and grip of the subject in professional life leads to imbibing a sense of confidence. With the natural development of the potentials of the mind and the caliber of life arises a new self- confidence. By staying focused on one’s goal and realizing one’s utility in social life, feelings of guilt, fear and inferiority begin to subside, and a calm, mature, and robust personality begins to take shape.
Taking out a few moments for meditation and self-contemplation daily assume an important place in this context, as the depths of meditation help penetrate the inner self’s complex knots and orient them towards resolution. In these moments, stand before your Ishta (object of devotion) like a child with the truth of your life, with all your frivolousness, malice, shortcomings, good and bad, everything, with a sense of offering yourself. This process helps in dissolving the inner knots. In these moments of prayer, communicating with one’s deity in every breath and going to the refuge of a true spiritual mentor is also a surefire way.
In this way, by bathing daily in the triple- stream of Upasana (worship), Sadhana (restraining life), and Aradhana (working for the society), the knots of guilt, fear, doubt, and dilemma begin to dissolve. Make sure that your focus is on your soul, Ishta, spiritual mentor, and the great ideals. When this happens, life will start flooding with new enthusiasm, energy, and confidence.
All that is needed for this is a daring effort. When one understands that it is futile to sit on the shore and count the waves, then comes the opportunity of crossing the gushing stream with a bold dive into it. With this change of temperament, the frightening challenges of life turn into the ladders of progress, development and lead to a new life.
Akhand Jyoti Magazine 2021 Nov-Dec