Let our confidence come from not who we are, but whose we are

Suppose we are climbing a huge mountain. Seeing how tall it is, we may lose heart and give up. If, however, we are a part of a team led by a champion mountaineer who has scaled many mountains, then meditating on that connection can boost our confidence. Thus, we can press on till we scale the mountain.

Life regularly confronts us with many metaphorical mountains that we need to scale. When faced with problems that seem formidable and unmanageable, it is natural to become apprehensive. To encourage us in such situations, many self-help books urge us to have confidence, often using exhortations such as, “You can do it,” “What you can conceive, you can achieve,” “Arise and attain.” However, such calls for self-confidence notwithstanding, we all have limitations and weaknesses that can sabotage us.

Gita wisdom fills us with confidence, but from a different source – not from who we are, but from whose we are. The Bhagavad-gita (15.07) states that we are eternally the parts of the all-powerful Absolute Truth, Krishna. When we acknowledge our identity and act according to our spiritual destiny in a mood of loving service to the Whole whose parts we are, then we get help from Krishna’s omnipotence. The Gita (11.33) assures Arjuna that his opponents have been overcome by divine arrangement – he just needs to do his part by diligently executing his martial duty.

No matter how big the mountain facing us, we can begin that climb by first meditating on our connection with Krishna. Regular devotional immersion in spiritual wisdom grants us the conviction that he is far bigger than the biggest mountain. Being thus energized, we can face life’s challenges with confidence. Success or failure, our confidence in our Krishna-connection will empower us to grow through every challenge.