Life is never a smooth ride for anyone, and no one offers anything on a plate for nothing; there are always competitions, expectations, and even confrontations. It is a question of survival of the fittest, the qualities of which include robust health, presence of mind, strength of spirit, courage to accommodate and adjust, and the wisdom to make the right choices.
Being on edge is normal. What makes the difference is how wide is the edge, how firm is the perch, and how wisely one has kept the alternates in mind. It is like a game of chair race; one plans to vacate the occupied chair only when the next is available. Believers know that when God closes one door, He always open another.
Other than freezing, fleeing, or fighting, there is fourth choice too, that is of diverting or changing the course. Ships do so on the high seas, so do the climbers high up on the mountains when the headwinds are unfavorable. The wise should do the same, divert the path without losing sight of the destination.
When I was in school and would always come last in my sports, my father used to say that one should always compete in the field of your choice, not the ones of others excellence. If you are good in studies, compete in that arena, excel and be a winner. I learnt and I did. There never is a fair or level playing field. The art is to find your own level and your own playing field.
Ups and downs are part of life, so is the change. Nothing stays the same forever. I am reminded of the famous couplet by Sufi poet Rahim. It says, be quiet and still when in unfavorable situations since all shall be well once things turn around.
‘Rahiman chup ho baithiaye, dekh samaya ko pher, Jab neeke din aayenge, banat na lagi hai der.’
Feeling afraid when threatened is normal. To threaten and intimidate is the way to subdue others when the just and fair means fail to work. Only those who feel threatened, have feelings of insecurity or have any complexes, resort to use natural differences of gender, ethnicity, race, or religion to exploit opportunities to their own advantage and at the cost of others. It is no wonder that many succumb to these intimidations and pressures and simply freeze or flee. Those who choose to fight do so at their own risk, the wise simply change the course. What makes them to do so is the wisdom of Rahim’s philosophy, as well as their own faith, courage, and self-confidence. Belief in hope gets us through when everything seems to be stacked up against you.
Moreover, as Gita says, no one is the doer, neither they nor you, only He controls us through our destiny. Other’s actions should be viewed in this context; maybe they are unknowingly guiding you towards a better future?
‘We are all puppets in the hands of destiny that controls us through its unseen threads’.
This is how we hold on to hope, with our faith and our self-confidence.
Life is never a smooth ride for anyone, and no one offers anything on a plate for nothing; there are always competitions, expectations, and even confrontations. It is a question of survival of the fittest, the qualities of which include robust health, presence of mind, strength of spirit, courage to accommodate and adjust, and the wisdom to make the right choices.
Being on edge is normal. What makes the difference is how wide is the edge, how firm is the perch, and how wisely one has kept the alternates in mind. It is like a game of chair race; one plans to vacate the occupied chair only when the next is available. Believers know that when God closes one door, He always open another.
Other than freezing, fleeing, or fighting, there is fourth choice too, that is of diverting or changing the course. Ships do so on the high seas, so do the climbers high up on the mountains when the headwinds are unfavorable. The wise should do the same, divert the path without losing sight of the destination.
When I was in school and would always come last in my sports, my father used to say that one should always compete in the field of your choice, not the ones of others excellence. If you are good in studies, compete in that arena, excel and be a winner. I learnt and I did. There never is a fair or level playing field. The art is to find your own level and your own playing field.
Ups and downs are part of life, so is the change. Nothing stays the same forever. I am reminded of the famous couplet by Sufi poet Rahim. It says, be quiet and still when in unfavorable situations since all shall be well once things turn around.
‘Rahiman chup ho baithiaye, dekh samaya ko pher, Jab neeke din aayenge, banat na lagi hai der.’
Feeling afraid when threatened is normal. To threaten and intimidate is the way to subdue others when the just and fair means fail to work. Only those who feel threatened, have feelings of insecurity or have any complexes, resort to use natural differences of gender, ethnicity, race, or religion to exploit opportunities to their own advantage and at the cost of others. It is no wonder that many succumb to these intimidations and pressures and simply freeze or flee. Those who choose to fight do so at their own risk, the wise simply change the course. What makes them to do so is the wisdom of Rahim’s philosophy, as well as their own faith, courage, and self-confidence. Belief in hope gets us through when everything seems to be stacked up against you.
Moreover, as Gita says, no one is the doer, neither they nor you, only He controls us through our destiny. Other’s actions should be viewed in this context; maybe they are unknowingly guiding you towards a better future?
‘We are all puppets in the hands of destiny that controls us through its unseen threads’.
This is how we hold on to hope, with our faith and our self-confidence.