In the race of life, a person usually gets so entangled that he does not pay heed to his mind. When there is a big setback in social life, or one falls prey to mental disorders and has to consult a psychiatrist frequently, he realizes that life has drifted away in the wrong direction; the aspect of mental health and balance has been left untouched. In such a situation, one feels the need to reformulate the working style and vision of life.
In order to live life properly, the person needs to have a sportsman’s spirit. While playing, one does not take either victory or defeat seriously and keeps moving forward amidst them while improving his skills. Similarly, take life sportingly and move forward by learning the necessary lessons from its ups and downs. Every situation is relative, whose material form should not be taken so seriously that life’s eternal element gets out of our hands. If you still have to worry, then at least do so for the immortal element, which remains the fundamental basis of happiness, peace, and mental balance.
While playing, people react in a simple, spontaneous, and healthy manner, but the scenario changes when life is taken too seriously. So in any situation in life, do not react impulsively or insanely to make a mockery of yourself, for which you have to repent later. Always hold onto your wisdom in any case so that no situation may lead you to mental imbalance.
For doing this, remember the Supreme God and meditate upon his creation – the Universe, in which innumerable lives are appearing every moment, and no one knows how many are disappearing. Our game is not too long either, but the role is only relative. Moreover, He is the father of every being. He has to take care of all his children. The universe functions according to His principles. So, how is it possible that everything may occur at our behest and as per our wishes? This type of thinking and understanding makes a person humble, patient, and courteous and creates a solid foundation of mental health and balance.
When there is no disappointment to a person, life presents thousands of creative options, even if everything is not favorable. In such a situation, life appears full of possibilities for him, and he does not get discouraged over defeat, failure, or loss. Disappointment is actually a kind of disability. It is a mere mental illusion that arises from ill-presumptions. The root of this is the lack of faith in the possibilities of life. It gives nothing except worsening the circumstances. Moreover, society gets the impression of the under-development and immaturity of the individual. Therefore, believe in your capabilities as you are an integral partof God. Invest your time, efforts, and energy in expressing these potentials according to your interest and caliber. By doing this, the world of your aspirations will gradually begin to take form.
Do your best and leave the rest to God; then, whatever happens, it is for your good. The Omniscient Lord, who is the well-wisher of all beings, would do only good for us, but this does not mean that we should sit idle. Our efforts have their own place, and there is no alternative for them. Do not leave any stone unturned in creating the world you aspire. The grace of God works at the peak of human endeavor, and he helps only the diligent. Keep this in mind, and work relentlessly. Treat lethargy, negligence, and laziness as your enemies and not let them come near you.
Also, practice being happy in life. Make confidence a part of life and boost your morale. Refrain from such tasks, thoughts, and practices that suppress them. As a result, your lost smile will gradually come back to your face. You will be able to see these miraculous effects in your life. If life is entangled in the vicious circle of circumstances, all this can be difficult, but by making small victories inside and out, gradually, life will begin to get rejuvenated.Small accomplishments boost confidence. Morale becomes higher and higher with every success, and joy begins to emanate from within, which can be further enhanced with practice. In fact, the highway to life is ascertained with diligence, honesty, good-will, and generosity. In this, please refrain from the desire of getting quick success and stature in any way without paying its price. This tendency compels a person to adopt shortcuts and, in the long run, proves to be a deal of loss. The desire to become a big name quickly and the lust for becoming rich leads a person to indulge in frivolous show-off and forces him to do drama for cheap appreciation. In this way, even if one gets cheap appreciation from sycophants, yet in the eyes of the prudent, these childish acts only makes the person a subject of mockery. It then becomes a policy of life to safeguard one’s vested interests by hook or by crook, by using trickery or deceit or influence or pressure, which upon failing ultimately results into disappointment and frustration, and at the same time the burden of hatred of the society also begins to build up. Finally, it proves to be the path to decline, and in such a situation, one is doomed to live a suspicious and intimidating life.
However mean your life is, meet it and live it; do not shun it and call it hard names. It is not so bad as you are. It looks poorest when you are richest. The faultfinder will find faults even in paradise. Love your life, imperfect as it is. You may perhaps have some pleasant, thrilling, glorious hours, even in a poorhouse. The setting sun is reflected from the windows of the almshouse as brightly as from the rich man’s abode; the snow melts before its door as early in the spring. I do not see, but a quiet mind may live as contentedly there and have as cheering thoughts, as in a palace. – Henry David Thoreau
Despite external dazzle, stature and influence, and comforts and luxuries, such a moribund state of mind cannot be called a successful life. Therefore, such behavior and thought process has been discredited as wrong because it causes restlessness in mind. The person moves towards the state of distress, perplexity, and insanity and does not make any worthy achievement, but one gets tension, fear, anger, frenzy, apprehension, despair, inferiority, and lowliness, and his mind becomes hugely imbalanced and fickle and turns into a reservoir of psychological disorders.
At the root of all this lies ill-imagination and a destructive thinking pattern, while negative thought process dominates over the mental space. Criticizing others becomes a part of the attitude, and one finds it easy to blame others for every bad situation or failure in life. The person refrains from taking responsibilities, but for how long can one hide his face from the truth of life. When faced with reality, all malice, deceit, and hypocrisy get destroyed.In such a situation, there is nothing left except embarrassment, humiliation, and guilt. Further, the person loses his credibility before the public, owing to which he loses his dignity among the masses, while divine grace is nowhere near him. There is only one way to get out of this self-created vicious circle, and it is to keep the mind always full of positive thoughts and keep yourself busy in constructive activities. Keep remembering about your God and the goal of your life.
Also, keep analyzing your life on the highest criterion every moment. Go ahead in life with your pious resolve while succeeding in small pursuits of righteousness and nobility. Neglect the evil and show the prudence of not cleaning mud with mud. In this way, the process of restructuring the personality will pick up the pace. One will be protected from mental impulses; his mental balance will be maintained, and life will continue to move towards the set goal and peace, harmony, and joy.
To make bread, to dig in the earth, to feed an animal or cook for a stranger — these activities require no extensive commentary, no lucid theology. All they require is someone willing to bend, reach, chop, or stir. Most of these tasks are so full of pleasure that there is no need to complicate things by calling them holy. And yet these are the same activities that change lives, sometimes all at once and sometimes more slowly, the way dripping water changes stone. In a world where faith is often construed as a way of thinking, bodily practices remind the willing that faith is a way of life. – Barbara Brown Taylor
“Tough times never last, but tough people do! – Robert Schuller”
Source: Akhand Jyoti Magazine Jan-Feb 2021