HAVE YOU EXPERIENCE
WITH MONSOON
HAVE YOU EVER EXPERIENCED THE INDIAN MONSOON? IT BRINGS ONE OF THE FIERCEST, MOST THUNDEROUS DOWNPOURS OF WATER FROM THE HEAVEN. IF YOU'RE CAUGHT IN THE HEAVY RAIN, IT'S NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE OT STAY DRY. SIMILARLY, IT IS HARD NOT TO GET CAUGHT UP IN THE CHALLENGES AND NEGATIVE SITUATIONS OF THE WORLD. FEELING PEACEFUL, HAPPY AND CONTENT IS NOT ABOUT AVOIDING CHALLENES IN OUR LIFE, AND CONTENT IS NOT ABOUT AVOIDING CHALLENGES IN OUR LIFE, BUT ABOUT HOW WE NAVIGATE THROUGH THESE CHALLENGES TO REACH THE TYPE OF LIFE WE WANT TO LIVE.
ALDOUS HUXLEY SAID, EXPERIENCE IS NOT WHAT HAPPENS TO A MAN, IT IS WHAT A MAN DOES WITH WHAT HAPPENS TO HIM. ' IT'S HOW WE RESPOND THAT MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE. IF THERE IS ONE POSSESSION WE HAVE THAT IS THE MOST VALUABLE AND CAN TRULY TRANSFORM OUR LIVES COMPLETELY, IT IS OUR FREE WILL. WE ARE THE AUTHORS OF OUR OWN LIFE STORIES. CHALLENGES AND DIFFICULTIES MAY FALL UPON US, JUST AS THE MONSOON RAINS FALL UPON OUR HEAD. WE DON'T SEEK THEM OR SOLITCIT THEM. THEY JUST COME OUR WAY. WE MUST CHOOSE HOW TO RESPOND.
HAPPINESS DOES NOT COME AUTOMATICALLY. FROM A YOUNG AGE WE RECEIVE METHODICAL EDUCATION IN A VARIETY OF AREAS AND FIELDS, BUT HAPPINESS IS USUALLY NOT ONE OF THEM. TO LIVE A HAPPY LIFE, WITH INTEGRITY AND WITH BALANCE, IS ONE OF LIFE'S AMAZING SECRETS WHICH IS REVEALED WITHIN THIS CHAPTER. THESE ARE SIMPLE PRINCIPLES THAT CAN BE USED BY ANYONE TO EXPERIENCE A SENSE OF SATISFACTION.
DO YOU EVER FEEL IRRITABLE OR FRUSTRATED? DO YOU EVER FEEL THAT LIFE ISN'T GOING YOU WAY? DO YOU EVER FEEL THAT THERE IS A KEY PART OF YOUR LIFE THAT NEEDS ATTENTION? IF THE ANSWER TO ANY OR ALL OF THESE QUESTIONS IS A YES, IT'S SIGN THAT YOU LIFE IS PROBABLY OUT OF BALANCE. THE SECRET OF LIFE IS FINDING BALANCE, NOT TOO MUCH, NOT TOO LITTLE. JUST AS A CAR BALANCES ON FOUR WHEELS, WE MUST BALANCE THE FOUR CRUCIAL AREAS OF OUR LIFE, OUR PERSONAL LIFE, OUR RELATIONSHIPS, OUR WORK LIFE AND OUR SOCIAL CONTRIBUTION.
BALANCE ON AN EXTERNAL LEVEL IS ABOUT THE ALIGNMENT OF THE WHEELS. IT IS ABOUT ADJUSTING OUR PRIORITIES BASED ON THE NEED OF THE MOMENT, AND FOCUSING ON THAT PARTICULAR WHEEL WHICH IS OUT OF ALIGNMENT. AT SOME POINT IN OUR LIVES OUR WORK LIFE MAY NEED MORE FOCUS THAN OUR PERSONAL LIFE. HAVE YOU EVER WANTED TO SPEND TIME WITH SOMEONE WHO NEEDS TO MEET A PROJECT DEADLINE AT WORK? IT'S IMPOSSIBLE. THEY ARE TOO BUSY REACHING THEIR TAGET. AT OTHER TIMES OUR PERSONAL LIFE MAY TAKE PRECEDENCE OVER EVERYTHING ELSE. HAVE YOU EVER ASKED A COUPLE ORGANIZING THEIR WEDDING TO SPEND MORE TIME AT WORK? IT'S UNREASONABLE TO DO SO AS THEY ARE PLANNING ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT DAYS OF THEIR LIVES. DEAR FRIENDS, WE MUST BE WILLING TO ADJUST OUR PRIORITIES TO BRING THOSE WHEELS INTO ALIGNMENT.
HOWEVER, A DEEPEST ASPECT OF BALANCE THAT RESIDES WITHIN US IS ABOUT OUR ATTITUDES AND VALUES THAT WE HAVE EXPLORED IN THE DIFFERENT SECTIONS OF THIS BOOK. THAT ATTITUDE IS LIKE THE AIR IN THE TYRES OF THE CAR. IF THE TYRES THE CAR ARE NOT AT THE CORRECT PRESSURE, THERE CAN BE A PUNCTURE, STOPPING UR FROM GETTING TO OUR DESTINATION. THIS IS WHY WE HAVE TO NAVIGATE THE INTERNAL ASPECTS OF BALANCE. IF THE EXTERNAL TENETS OF BALANCE ARE ADJUSTMENT AND ALIGNMENT, THEN THE INTERNAL ONES ARE ATTITUDE AND VALUES.
AS WE BALANCE OURSELVES EXTERNALLY AND INTERNALLY, IT IS FUNDAMENTAL TO OUR SUCCESS THAT WE NEVER LET GO OF THE STEERING WHEEL OUR SPIRITUALLY. IF ALL THE WHEELS ARE IN PROPER ALINGMENT, IF THE AIR PRESSURE IN THE TYRES IS OPTIMAL, BUT WE DO NOT HAVE THE STEERING WHEEL IN OUR HANDS, WE STILL NOT BE ABLE TO REACH WHERE WE WANT TO GO. IT WAS THE BUDDHA WHO SAID, JUST AS A CANDLE CANNOT BURN WITHOUT FIRE, WE CANNOT LIVE WITHOUT A SPIRITUAL LIFE, SPIRITUALLY IN WHATEVER GENUINE FORM OF PRACTICE, BRINGS PURPOSE TO OUR LIFE AND GIVE US A DESTINATION WORTH GOING TO. AT TIMES WE MAY FEEL EMPTY OR LOST OR HAVE AN EXISTENTIAL CRISIS, WHEN WE FEEL THAT WE DO NOT KNOW WHERE OUR LIFE IS TAKING US. IT IS AT THOSE TIMES THAT WE MUST HOLD THE STEERIN WHEEL OF SPIRITUALITY TIGHTLY AND PRESS ON. THE STEERING WHEEL COMPRISES FOUR PIECES, OUR SPIRITUAL PRACTICE (SADHANA) AND OUR SERVICE TO GOD AND TO OTHERS(SEVA) WHEN ALL THESE ASPECTS OF THE STEERING WHEEL ARE ADHERED TO PROPERLY, THEY GIVE US THE ABILITY TO DRIVE THE CAR OF OUR LIFE TOWARDS ITS DESTINATION.
LET'S GET THERE, TEGETHER.
