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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 ..

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