Pay Attention

A practical approach to choosing a better today, for a wonderful tomorrow

I witness people suffering all around me, plagued by the crushing weight of loneliness, frustration, medical distress, financial, emotional and psychological burdens. Whether real or imagined, a recurring cluster of problems makes life a living hell. And one with no respite.

Some turn to alcohol, drugs, multiple relationships or astrology or religion, while others seek refuge in spirituality.

Spirituality, too, is far from an easy path. It is a subject tormented by contradictions. And even when genuine spiritual gold is strewn amongst a group of people, each picks up what seems the easiest and most convenient to follow, while some don’t understand at all and walk away with nothing, not even gold dust.

The most difficult choice for most people is whom to trust in and what to believe in? Everything seems to end up being a rat race of politics, greed, control and lies.

So how does one begin one’s spiritual journey? Actually, let us not even call it that. Spirituality has become pretentious - a preserve or badge for egoists who wish to establish superiority . Let us just simply call it a self-help journey in order to stay humble, since the truly evolved don't need anyone. They are in communion with their innermost selves and their inner Guru /Teacher guides them.

This discussion is for those who wish to make a start but don't know how. My own way, and one that has served me well,  was steering clear of negativity - both of negative people as well as negative places.

Choosing positivity every minute of every day will save you from a lot of trouble. Knowing who you are and what you don't like helps. If someone is around you who you think is a nice person, but they really aren't, they will eventually show you their real face and once you see that, you have to slowly, mentally, emotionally and physically disengage. Do not try to change people into your image of them. This foolishness will consume your entire life. Do not make excuses for anybody, even yourself. Save yourself first because if you can't save yourself, you simply do not have the skills to save another. 

What is seen cannot be unseen. Trust your instincts. Usually toxic people lose interest in you once they realize their cover is blown and disappear without you having to do anything about it. And if they are stubborn, they will not like someone who doesn't respond and participate in their game. Stop responding and reacting to negative people and when they realize they can't push your trigger buttons, they will leave you alone.

This may take time, in some cases. Don't lose heart. You have to face life with courage and only then can you usher in a better future. Life is truly lived, in the real sense, by the brave and virtuous.

Remember, the same mind, with the same problems, will not create a solution. To move to a higher frequency, you have to trash a lot of what you think you know. Most of all, be present in the moment. Pay attention to your life and the people and events around you. They are all immensely valuable, bespoke learning tools. Don’t distract yourself from real issues by diving into meaningless activities and entertainment designed to keep you in exactly the same place for a very, very long time. Grief is also a real entertainment for a lot of people. It becomes their identity and they have no existence without it.

The mistake people make is either ignoring, or actively resisting the signals that the Universe sends. If your partner/ loved one leaves you for someone else, accept it. You can't force someone to love you. That person is not in your life plan. Let them go. Don’t try to make it happen. Don’t drown yourself in sorrow. Similarly, accept all the things that are in your life with surrender and gratitude. It is the gratitude that creates meaningful change. Similarly, when something or someone new comes along, examine it with a fresh mind. It could be the miracle you are looking for. Don’t kill it with preconceived notions.

A small warning: shutting out negativity means shutting out the world. That means you will be a little lonely. According to me, this is a truly fantastic starting point. Now start feeding in all the positivity into your system: music, art, learning, reading and additionally, tune in to the Self-Realized saints across the world, across time. Saints never lie. Just looking at them and reading what they say is a kind of spiritual armor that will protect you on your journey.

For example, Sant Kabir wrote “Koi Nahin Apna, Samajh Mana!” Translated into English, this means, “Noone is yours. O mind, understand this”! Very stark, very disturbing, but an unavoidable truth. And it is always the truth that will set us free.

As you go along, if you develop an appetite for such truths and your inner yearning grows, the universe could also come and visit you in the form of a physical guide or Guru. Once that happens, consider that you have won a lottery and all your problems are over. If you are able to surrender to the highest power that exists, it will take care of you like a mother.

The universal Mother will then pack away all the parasites and toxic elements and send you the one or two or maybe three people who will respect, love and support you. For an empowered individual, even one genuine relationship is enough gold for a lifetime.

In essence, these small steps are not so small after all - they are everything and will lead towards eventually taking ownership of your life and becoming the creator of your own destiny !!!