Winning, whining, wining — or worshiping?
Suppose we strive to do something challenging. If we win, our mind becomes jubilant; if we don't, it often goes into a zone of negativity, [...]
The stronger the hold of problems on our mind, the weaker becomes our hold on ourselves
Suppose we see a friend getting rattled when facing problems. We may tell them, “Get a hold on yourself.” This common usage suggests that we [...]
Stronger than what faces us is what graces us
Life sometimes hurls at us overwhelming obstacles that we feel utterly unequipped to deal with. If we have a materialistic vision of life, we feel [...]
There is more to us than what faces us
Suppose an unarmed civilian is facing an armed aggressor. The odds may seem hopeless. But if they discover that they have a weapon more powerful [...]
Even if we have a million reasons to be resentful, still resentment remains utterly unhelpful and can be horribly harmful
Life is tough. People let us down. Things go downhill for no apparent reason. We ourselves make a mess of things, often against our better [...]
Pleasure and pain are both life’s ringtones – don’t keep hearing the tone, start picking up the phone
Suppose our phone rings. Some ringtones are soothing; some, jarring. However, how the ringtone sounds is not as important as what it indicates: that someone [...]
Life may be full of problems, but we don’t have to be one of them
Life is tough. We all face problems. When multiple problems attack us, we may feel overwhelmed, resentful, hopeless. These feelings can induce knee-jerk reactions that [...]
We can’t eliminate suffering, but we can cultivate a purpose that makes suffering bearable and meaningful
Consider soldiers fighting to free their country from tyrannical invaders. They are ready to face pain, even death, because the war is deeply meaningful for [...]
Amidst unmanageably distressing times, reduce your working frame to manageable units of time
Sometimes, we face such huge distress that everything seems dark. How can we deal with such times? By reducing our working frame. If we start [...]
Life is a school in which everyone thinks their exam is the toughest
Suppose a school has an examination system in which each student gets a different question paper. The system might seem unfair, but actually, it is [...]
When time becomes unfavorable, don’t become unfavorable to the Lord beyond time
We all go through phases in our life when many things go wrong. While going through such bad times, if we let our attitude go [...]
Even if we can’t see adversity as opportunity, we can still see opportunity in adversity
Some people say, “See every adversity as an opportunity.” While such an exhortation to think positive sounds good and can be helpful, it can be [...]
Even if we can’t understand Krishna, we can still stand under Krishna
Life sometimes assaults us with devastating adversities that cripple us materially and spiritually. Unable to understand why God is letting such things happen to us, [...]
Problems may get stuck inside us, but we don’t have to get stuck inside them
Suppose someone writes abusive graffiti on our house wall. We will be annoyed. If the graffiti is written with indelible ink, we will be more [...]
No matter how bad things are, we can always make them worse – we are never powerless
Sometimes, life puts us in so many difficulties that we feel utterly powerless. That feeling can drown us in despair, self-pity, resentment and even suicidal [...]
Even when our eyes are full of tears, we can still choose to be all ears
Sometimes, life afflicts us so grievously that we feel broken, tearful and blinded by confusion and dejection. How can we move ahead when our vision [...]
Chemical highs can’t cure life’s lows, we need to go spiritually high
When life’s adversities push people down, they often feel so dejected that they desperately seek something to lift themselves. And often they turn to chemicals [...]
Stop blaming your outer world, start building your inner world
Suppose the weather suddenly turns chilly. We could blame the weather and feel sorry for ourselves. Or we could don warm clothes and get on [...]
Just because pain is circumstantially beneficial doesn’t mean it is intrinsically desirable
Some people try to make sense of life’s difficulties by saying, “Pain helps us appreciate pleasure better. Bad times make good times sweeter.” Certainly, pain [...]
Spirituality reveals that our destiny is bigger than the biggest adversity
We all wish to have a better future. Using whatever talents we have, we often dream of achieving something wonderful, thereby fulfilling our destiny. But [...]
Krishna doesn’t promise a stormless sea – he provides an unsinkable ship
When we practice bhakti, we often expect to become free from problems. And if that expectation is not met, we become disheartened. Dharmic traditions often [...]