In our daily life everybody
undergoes with stress, no matter age of the person. Stress is not a disease,
but if it is out of your control it may cause of many serious diseases such as
depression. Thus the root of depression is stress. The key to become a winner
over stress is right attitude towards all things your surroundings.
What is stress?
Nervous system of our body is
said to be master system of our body, which control whole activities of our
body. The mind is the most powerful part of the nervous system. Mind work with
full potential when it is in a balanced or in calm states, so our body is working
with full potential. When this balanced is disturbed by any reason a stress or
strain developed in our nervous system.
When I see infants, their mental
state seems as balanced and calm. Whenever they need anything they give a
signal which is known as a cry. They have no tension or strain on mind because
they are fully depending on their parents for their needs. When they grow up
two or three years, see things around them, attracted towards and they want
those. If they don’t get their mental level disturbed from calm state and very
starting level of stress begin. They grow with more burdens, which are imposed
by society for more marks obtained, more extra co-curricular activities, more
expectations. Their equilibrium of mind (whose natural tendency has been in
calm state) is disturbed and level of stress is increased. Now they become
adults with many goals, wishes and expectations of others which they have to
full fill. A bomb of stress remains in their mind, whose intensity increased
with failures of achievements.
When I ponder on why nobody gets
rid of stress, a number of reasons appear in front of my eyes.
Ø When
you make a plan about anything, suppose you do your level best and plan does
not execute according you. There are rising two situations, one thinks
positively and go forward with new plans. Another one is sticking with previous
and upset all environments. Your stickiness or attachment with that becomes
reason of a rise of stress. Now I think what stops me to detach, it is my ego,
which only be reduced only by my effort and by changing by attitude.
Ø When
conversation with any person is not according your satisfaction level, such as
differences in opinion on any topic, misunderstanding, anyone tries to cheat
and quarrel. In this case you need to introspect yourself, find out if you are
wrong, then correct yourself. If you find fault in others, then it’s very
difficult to change others, so ignore them don’t put garbage of anger and
negative talks in your mind accepts them as they are. If they are harmful to you
then separates yourself from them. Regarding this, I want to tell you an
instance-
Once there is a
student named Rahul who always remains in disturbed state and angry. By luck a
generous professor is in his college. He noticed Rahul and called him in his
cabin. The Professor asked him the reason of his disturbance. Rahul replied
–“Sir, all people are selfish, they cheat one another. No one is reliable. No
one has manners. Most students badly behave to me. I feel lots of anger to see
them. ”. The Professor said –“Rahul I
understood your problem. I can solve your problem, if you like.” Rahul-“Sir I
obey you. I want to get rid of this.” Professor-“keep one bag always with you. When
you return home, take potatoes write the name of the person who spoiled your
mood on potato. Write one name on one potato. Put potatoes in bag. Meet me
after one month. ” Rahul- “Sir, I will do this.” Professor- “Remember Rahul
always keep the bag with yourself.” Rahul started what his professor said. He
came to professor after 15 days and said-“Sir, my bag becomes too heavy to
carry it all the time and it smells so badly. I cannot do this task more. ” Professor-“Rahul,
you see. If weight of anything becomes heavy, it is very difficult to hold it.
Like this if you remember all wrong saying or wrong doing of people all the
time, then heaviness of all negative thoughts increase gradually and your mind
is unable to handle it. The result is stress and unhappiness is generated. As
potatoes are spoiled for kept long time and smell so badly. The bad smell of your kept thoughts is hate
and prejudice for others. This increases your stress and always seems unhappy
and disturbed. So you should develop the quality of forgive and then you are
able to forget.” Rahul- “Sir, I agree with your saying, but for me it is very
difficult to forgive.” Professor –“everyone is bound with his tendencies
whatever those are good or bad. You feel pity for them as they are slaves of
their worst tendencies. It makes easy for you to forgive. ”
Ø Nowadays,
the tendency of showing what you are not, are increasing. You may think how
this can be the reason of stress. Suppose you want to see Zee TV on your television,
but the frequency of signal which is transmitted doesn’t match the frequency of
the channel on your television, then what you see- disturbance. In the same way
when your actions and speech is not same with your originality a strain
defiantly takes place in your mind.
Ø Everyone
has unique life which can be similar to other in some aspects, but as a whole,
it is unique. So caliber, health and wealth of individuals are unique. If you
forcefully copy to others this may also create stress. A very common example-
your friend has iPhone 6. You want it but your pocket is not allowed. You know
very well your situation, but still you want and you think about this
continually, how I manage. You are not able to pay your full attention on your
daily routine. This increase burden on your mind and become reason of stress.
Ø The
most powerful thing in the universe is thought. Thoughts of people create the
environment of the place. All of you feel this when you go to any pious place
you feel good. Even in the mountains or the sea beaches where very few people
come, you feel peace because there is a very low quantity of thought pollution.
So it is necessary, to have positive and right thoughts, then you create a
peaceful environment which is necessary to lead a stress free life. Separate you
from negative thoughts, environment is also necessary.
Ø You
all agree that everyone should work hard to fulfill one’s needs. When one achieves
one’s need yet he runs after more, ignoring his essential responsibilities
towards himself and his near ones, then this leads also stress. If you run
after more you have to spend more time for work, maybe you spare more time for work by reducing your sleep or
give no time for retreat yourself or give no time for dear ones. This disturbs
your mental as well as physical health and more work done with poor health
misbalance your mental state.
Ø Sometimes
such situations arise that you start scare from the future. The main thoughts arise
in your mind are- if this will happen or if he /she will do this or if he/she comes
what will he say etc. you remain in tension. You can’t control your future, but
you can prepare yourself for future rather than imbue yourself in useless
thoughts.
All of us understand all these points, but practically it
seems difficult to achieve this balance of mind. Balance of mind is possible
when there is strong coordination between mind and heart. Let take an example
of pendulum, if it hangs with a weak string, it’s very easy to set in motion
and will take long time to come into equilibrium or balance state. If it hangs
with strong string, it is not easily set in motion and if motion start, it will
quickly come into equilibrium state. In
this example pendulum is compared to the brain, support by which it hangs is
compared to heart and string is compared to coordination between two of that. This
strong coordination is done by meditation. Hence the balance of mind can be
achieved by meditation. Once this achieved right attitude automatically
develops and you can lead stress free life. So we should learn to meditate.
“It is our own mental
attitude which makes the world what it is for us. Our thought make things
beautiful, our thoughts make things ugly. The whole world is in our own minds.
Learn to see things in the proper light. First, believe in this world, that
there is meaning behind everything. Everything in the world is good, is holy
and beautiful. If you see something evil, think that you do not understand it
in the right light. Throw the burden on yourselves!”
Swami Vivekananda
