Hari
Om
Each 'Choose-day' we will investigate the process by
which we can reassess our activity and interaction with the world of plurality
and become more congruent within our personality.
We are reading "Tips for Happy
Living - jIvnsUÇai[
/jiivanasuutraani", by Swami Tejomayananda (Guru-ji). Choose-days writings
are here to prompt deeper thinking on the choices made on a daily basis and
seek to provide prompts for raising the standard of one's thinking and living.
This text composed in format of Sanskrit traditional teachings, speaks directly
to this purpose. As ever, the full text may be obtained from CM Publications - or your local centre
(see sidebar).
How,
then, do the noble overtake their troubles?
Tada
inrazainéTsahaiddae;anuTs&Jy dEyR< caTmivñas< c
†FIkuvRn!
sadnmagRe A¢ @v àiSwtVym!.6.
Tadaa
niraashaa-nirutsaahaadi-doshaan-utsRjya dhairyam chaatmavishvaasam cha
dRdhiikurvan
saadhana-maarge agra eva prasthitavyam ||6||
At such moments, giving up dejection, depression and
so on, and strengthening fortitude and self -confidence, one should keep
marching ahead on the path of success.
We
are all prone to lose confidence when we meet some impediment to our progress
in any project or work. Depending on our
disposition, we might become impatient, dejected or even fall into depression.
These negative feelings prevent us from making further effort; we can talk
ourselves out of it and paralyse ourselves with fear. A fellow said to his friend
"In the beginning I had thought it would not work out; then I followed
your positive thinking technique and now I am positive it won't work!" We
do this to ourselves all the time.
The
problem for that fictional fellow began with the lack of belief in his own
project. Another anecdote says "a problem is that which you start seeing
when you lose sight of the goal". If at the very beginning the goal seems
unattainable, why would we start?!
Those
who succeed are those who never lose sight of their goal. No matter what
difficulties come their way, they accept them as part of the process. Traffic
making late for meeting? It happens, move on. Mail didn't arrive in timely
fashion for a signing? Renegotiate the date. The succeeders do not take things
lying down! They bounce back and keep at it, often with renewed enthusiasm and
determination, never losing their confidence or poise.
Some
resort to shortcuts and unrighteous ways when their initial efforts fail to get
results. This does not work longterm!
Remember
the lesson of the king and the spider; after losing a battle and many men, the
king retreated to a cave. He had the company of a spider, which was having
difficulty making its web. No matter how many threads broke or dropped, it kept
on spinning and spinning until the web was complete. Inspired by this 'try and
try again' behaviour, that king went on to win the war.
Self-confidence
and patience are paramount. Do not lose confidence; seek to retain it.
Confidence expresses as 'I can', 'despite everything I can'. Determination is
'I must'. Patience is 'I will'. Thus, say to yourself, 'despite everything, I
can, I must, and I will do … '
