You Can Refuse to Be Miserable

14 February 2003, 10:30pm IST
Swami Swaroopananda.

Emotions are given to us for our benefit. In fact, everything in this world is for our benefit. It is the use or misuse of worldly objects that brings about positive or negative results.

Emotions like fear and anxiety are meant to help us. We must fear certain things - like the misuse of weapons, and adharma or wrong action. Without fear we could act irresponsibly and end up hurting ourselves. This is the positive aspect of fear. But when fear becomes excessive or prolonged, or when we fear the wrong things, it can be harmful.

Emotions are positive as long as they are for the right reasons. Felt to an excessive degree, for the wrong reasons, they become negative. Excessive brooding over the future or regret for the past gives rise to worry or anxiety.

Worry starts with the letter 'W'. We always think of the "worst". When we are conducting our business, we worry: "What if I can't make money? What if there is a loss?" We never ask: "What if I make a profit?" Worry arises from negative thoughts.

Yet, from experience, we know that when we believed the worst would happen, often something good happened. Whenever worries or negative tendencies arise, think about the wonderful things that might happen.

'O' stands for optimism, and this means refusing to become obsessed with the results of your actions. Think positively about the result, don't be obsessed with it.

Sometimes we get more benefits than we expect from our actions, and at other times, we do not get what we expect. But if we are obsessed with a parti- cular result, we usually start thinking negatively - that is, we fear the worst.

We come to believe that the only good result is the one we imagine we want. This makes us pessimistic rather than optimistic.

We cannot predict the future, we can only plan and work towards it to the best of our ability. So, do not become obsessed about achieving a particular result. Who knows - the outcome may far exceed your expectations.

Constant worry arises from brooding over the future and regretting the past. By habit, we forget the positive results from our past actions and remember only the negative ones. How easily we dig up minor failures from the past to reinforce our gloomy outlook!

'R' stands for results. One major reason behind our anxiety for the future lies in our tendency to be physically restful and mentally restless. We want results but we don't want to work for them.

Youngsters during examinations spend most of their time worrying about their results because they have not studied enough. Once you have worked properly for a result, there is no need to worry. When we have planned something and are working towards it, it can be mentally restful. We must rest less and work more.

'Y' stands for "yes". Wo rry continues to haunt us because we say 'yes' to the mind. There will be many situations where worry and anxiety will enter the mind. But do not say 'yes' to the mind. Make up your mind not to worry - that is the secret of controlling the mind. Once your mind is made up, then learning from spiritual texts like the Bhagavad Gita become effective.

In Sanskrit, the word for worry is chinta. A similar word, chitaa, means 'the pyre that burns the dead'. Chitaa burns us once we are dead; but chinta burns us even while we are alive.

Worry will enter the mind, you just have to refuse to entertain it. Do not say 'yes' to worry. Say 'no' to worry and to all the sorrows in your life. Refuse to be miserable. That is the secret of life.

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