By Janki Santoke 22/6/19
We are so sure of our beliefs, views and opinions. We call it the truth. We say that’s how things are. But have we ever examined whether any of this is true? Why or how, are we so sure?
How do we know that what we think is true? Right or wrong, everyone is equally sure. We don’t ever doubt our own thinking. Even though we have put in no effort to learn how to think or verify whether what we think is true.
We are sure of what to eat, what to drink, how to behave, which medical cure will work, what is best for our children, what is God’s role in our lives…. The list is endless. The beliefs are strong. But can we say that the application behind the belief is equally strong?
And what is the result of this sure-ness? That our life continues with the same, frustrating helplessness. Parts of life never seem to get resolved. Our problems never seem to get solved. Our potential is never fully realised. We then attribute it to God, luck, vaastu or the stars. We do not see that our opinions and beliefs are the prime movers of our lives.
If a person believes that money is the be all and end all of life, how will his life be? What kind of life will he create for himself? If a person believes that family is the be all and end all of life, how would his life be? What would be his problems, his situations? Each one has the kind of life that his beliefs render. As long as those thoughts remain the way they are, his life will ever remain the same – the same problems, the same frustrations, the same aspirations and the same cycle of hope and despair.
Do parents review the way they are looking at and dealing with their children? Do business people review the way they are doing their business? Do teachers come up with different ways of being more effective teachers? If they don’t, how can they expect different results? Everything will continue the same way.
Not only is our life created by our thoughts, it is also interpreted by our thoughts. The same event is bliss for one and misery for another. For one the glass is half full, for another it is half empty. Life for one is delightful. The same life for another is horrible. All this is created by our thoughts. In the same world, at the same time, Duryodhana could not find a single good person and Yudhistira could not find a single bad one!
So it would be well worth our time to examine our thoughts, especially in areas where things don’t seem to be turning out well. Find out if your thoughts are correct. Are our thoughts proving beneficial in our lives or are they hindering progress? Any kind of dissatisfaction, frustration or irritation indicates that we need to re-examine the way we are looking at things, we need to take another look at how we are seeing things.
It is not easy to do this. But it is this kind of objectivity and honesty to ourselves, that will unfold the life of our dreams. We will lose the feeling of victimisation and become a powerful player in life.
