Guiding Light: The Secret To Letting Go Of Worry & Living Peacefully

What is worry? Think of the old gramophone records. If the needle gets stuck in one groove, the same line keeps playing again and again. In the same way, thousands of thoughts pass through the mind, but when you catch hold of one thought and do not allow it to move on, that is called worrying.

You wake up in the morning and the same thought is there. You are drinking tea, and the same thought comes back. You sit at the dining table, and again it troubles you. Much of our sorrow is simply because one thought has become stuck in the mind.

So how do we drop our worries?

One way is to look back at your own life. Last month you worried, yet you are here today. Last year you worried, and you have survived all those situations. When you look at your own experience, you will realize that worry has never really helped. It only consumed your energy.

Another way is to practice techniques that calm the mind. Sudarshan Kriya is one such powerful technique. When it is practiced with total attention, it quietens the endless chatter of the mind. Worry simply gets blown away.

If you are unable to practice immediately, then listen to people who are facing even bigger challenges. Suddenly your own problems begin to appear smaller. Doing some service for others also helps immensely. Service expands your perspective and brings strength to the mind.

Another way is to become aware of a simple truth: everything is changing. Nothing remains the same forever. This understanding brings dispassion and helps you become more centered.

And if none of these methods work, then visit a cremation ground. Watch how many bodies arrive there every day and realize that one day you too will leave this world. The illusion that we are here forever is what makes our worries seem so big.

Life is short, and in this vast universe our existence is but a tiny moment. Everything is temporary. There will be difficult times and there will be beautiful times. Good times and bad times both come and go. Nothing stays forever.

Knowing this, what is the point of worrying?