Skip to main content

Life's Challenges: Accept or Resist - What's Your Choice?

"To offer no resistance to life is to be in a state of grace, ease and lightness. Learn to accept the impermanent nature of all things and conditions. Life flows with ease."-  Eckhart Tolle

Think like a writer. Every para is  garland of words, carefully woven together for a purpose. The purpose is usually leading you to a situation of conflict, heartbreak or pain. So, you already know (whether you are a reader or a writer) that it is hiding just around the corner, waiting to pounce on you at exactly the moment when you lower your guard.

It's just a matter of time before it hits you - pain, discomfort, conflict, problems.

So, in a way, I have always resisted and fought against situations that create conflict or discomfort within or around me. A sense of 'survival' sets in - but this doesn't mean that I go and fight with each and everyone who stands in my way. Far from it! I don't ever hold individuals responsible for conflicts as much as the situations that pave the way to trigger clashes of egoistic minds. I work towards creating situations that don't lead people to let their monstrous egos take over. 

The point is: I strongly resist what is bound to happen. You cannot control people or situations no matter how strongly or sincerely you work towards it. 

Simply put, being a control freak isn't good for your growth, happiness or well being. 

But let me come back to my earlier point - Think like a writer.

A writer lets the words flow into wounds, bursts of laughter, soft clouds of candy like romance, angry bursts of thunderstorms and so on. Point is this - the writer does not resist in the act of creation. The writer rejoices in creating light out of darkness, meaning out of nothing and a sense of justified order out of chaos.

Why can't we, spiritual aspirants, be able to do the same? Why are we tempted to resist? Why do we lose temper?

Answer is - the ego is not yet conquered and we live in a state of mind-body duality. 

To resist the present and to worry about the future is so much a part of our self-created world of fears. We need to let go of our fears first - only then we will be able to enter a state of accepting the present fully and living through it fully with the awareness that 'This too shall pass.'

Have you thought about this: What do you tend to resist in life when it comes your way or do you begin to resist even before it manifests? Do you feel happier and comfortable with yourself when you resist something or do you feel like you have taken on the world's load of dirty work?

What do you gain or lose by resisting the present challenges that life throws at you?

Do share your thoughts. I'd love to know. 

Other Posts (As the Wise ones say, Old is Gold)

Comments

Anonymous said…
We always try to control the situations though we know we cannot hold them... At the same time its hard to leave everything thinking that what all happens is fate. This confusion holds us back from reacting to the situation..
Ajith said…
Listening to the audiobook of this from audible.com .its free download with 1 month amazon membership..really good ..

Most LOVED Posts

Best time to light diya

Want to know when is the best time to light diya or deepam at home? In most Hindu homes, 'deepam' or 'diya' is lit at least twice - once in the morning and then in the evening. For both times, brass is considered to be auspicious for lighting deepam or lamp at home. Clay diyas are also considered auspicious for lighting at home. When lighting diyas on Fridays, it is better to use ghee than oil, if possible. [ Connect with Svara on Facebook ] [Read: Vidyarambham - The Labyrinth Within] When Should I Start Lighting Diyas? The symbolic shift begins from darkess to light. Therefore, in the evenings, light diya before sunset to usher in divine blessings into your home. At what time should we light diya today? Every morning at sunrise and every evening before or at sunset. An ideal time would be to light the diya at least half an hour before sunset. Can we light diya after 12 PM? In Hindu homes, the diya is lit early morning at around sunrise and towards evening sunset. Can ...

The Ugly Truth about Caste in Kerala

Many years ago, when I wrote this post on Kerala's caste system, I had not considered that people would start sending in abusive comments about one caste over the other. It baffles me that this is how Indians, all of us, continue to judge each other on account of caste differences.  [ READ: Guru Kripa: Powerful Lessons at the Lotus Feet ] My question is - why do you ABUSE any caste or community? I suggest that you read about the lives of great Masters and their stories - none of them judged anyone on the basis of caste.  You can read the life stories of Sri Adi Shankara Bhagawadpada, Tulsidas, Jnaneshwar, Namadev, Sri Aurobindo, Sri Ramakrishna, Swami Paramahansa Yogananda, Shirdi Sai Baba, and many more Gurus in Sanathana Dharma. NONE of them endorse these caste hierarchies in Bhakti Marga. Assuming that Guru Sampradaya does not appeal to your sensibilities, do read this  new book 'Ants among Elephants' written by Sujatha Gidla, who writes about herself as being bor...

Does something bad happen if the diya goes off?

Is it bad if a diya goes off? This is a frequently asked question among people who light the evening lamp or diya regularly in their puja room.  [READ: How To Light Deepam at Home and  Why Malayalis Light Nilavilaku ]                                                     [Image by Sachin Yadav @ Pixabay] Why Did My Lamp Suddenly Turn Off? Where there is faith, there should be no scope for fear - this is Bhagawan Krishna's message to Arjun on the battlefield of Kurukshetra.  That represents strength of Bhakti. [READ: Bhakti: Meera's Greatest Wealth] Consider another example in the tradition of Bhakti.  When Prahlada, a young lad, is targeted by his own father, he remains calm under every situation. When he is thrown into the sea, the wise lad is reminded that the sea is the abode of Shriman Narayana. [ READ: Amazing Stories of Lord Shiva ] H...

How do you light Deepam at home?

How do you light deepam at home? As a child, I loved watching the ritual of my grandmother lighting the deepam or the traditional lamp at home in the evenings. A sense of serenity accompanied her frail figure as she would carefully straighten every wick, dip it into the tiny puddle of oil and light the lamp. [ Let's Connect on Facebook ] As my grandmother would read out the scriptures and chant the prayers, the fragrance of incense sticks and flowers added depth to the experience. In many Hindu homes nowadays, the lighting of the lamp (or the nilavilakku, as Malayalis refer to the traditional lamp in their homes) is not a regular practice. A lot of people have many questions around how to light deepam at home and which oil to use and so on. An important point to keep in mind - Maintain physical cleanliness and hygiene while lighting the lamp. Wear clean clothes while lighting the lamp. The most essential factor is unwavering focus and concentration when you light the lamp every eve...

What is the story of Shivaji? The great son of a great mother called Jijabai

Chhatrapati Shivaji, the great Maratha warrior whose guerrilla warfare tactics are fleetingly mentioned in Indian history textbooks, is increasingly relevant today. A Hindi movie 'Tanhaji' starring Ajay Devgn and Kajol got many of us curious to know more about this warrior. Sadly, we don't seem to have much information in our history textbooks!   [ READ: Significance of Surya Argya  and How do you Light Deepam? ] Source: Anjali Natarajan on Twitter  Shivaji Maharaj: The Great Son of a Great Mother Jijabai The more I read about Shivaji Maharaj,   the more fascinated I am.   I wondered why we have learned so little about this great warrior and his great mother Jijabai, and why public memory has been totally erased from most history books! As a mother, I have always been fascinated by how some of India's greatest and most revered men and women are individuals who were deeply influenced at an early age by their mothers. Bharat is a country that belongs to...