Vijitha Sebastian Adappoor

A man approached a doctor for his wife’s hearing disorder. The doctor told him of a technique to get a clear idea about the gravity of the problem. Accordingly, the husband asked the same question to his wife five times. The first one was from 40 feet distance. Each time he inched a bit closer to her. Finally he reached just behind her and she answered saying, ‘This is the fifth time, I am giving you the same answer.’ In our everyday life situations, we always end up with the thought that the problem is with others, when it could be something within us. Instead of grumbling about the problem, the best way would be to adjust to it. The situation many times lies in making adjustments within ourselves and very rarely with the situation.

On many occasions, we are unable to handle pressures because we have our own inadequacies. Before blaming anyone for any inconvenience that we face, we need to analyze if there’s something that we can do to improve the situation and not expect the other person to change. Perhaps, by doing so, we can exchange a little calm and peace with an otherwise annoyed self. Isn’t it true that a tough mind manages with pleasure all the pressures of life? A mind that does not get ruffled even in rough weather is a great sign of equanimity and strength.

Every person has an opinion yet not even an expert has all the answers. We must understand that widely held opinions are still just opinions. So, after giving them a patient listening, we must consider them thoughtfully. Through our own experience we can understand the truth and what works for us and what doesn’t. Every moment is subject to change and we can choose to make those changes beneficial for ourselves and those around us.

We need to think in terms of being generous in our interactions with others. Children are more likely to emotionally absorb their parent’s values rather than intellectually learn them. Once, a father said to his son, ‘Be careful where you walk.’ The son responded, ‘You better be careful, I will walk in your footsteps.’ Our inner beauty is seen in the way we picture ourselves. It has a powerful effect on our children so we should picture ourselves as expressing the best that is within us, living fully, loving sincerely, giving gladly and bringing unique value to each moment. We can also picture ourselves as being joyful, creative, and effectively sailing past each challenge and limitation in our life. The quality and substance of the mental picture that we hold in our mind about our own self, makes all the difference in the actions we take and the results we get. These experiences will be expressions of our inner beauty. We must conquer our inward poverty. Sometimes it is hard to remain positive when everyone around you isn’t and it may take a lot of patience. In behavioural psychology, there is a theory that the reaction to an object or event by a person can be modified by learning or conditioning.

I still remember the anecdote when a fair complexioned, 87 year old woman belittled a 27 year old lady while enquiring about latter’s family details. The younger heart proudly declared that she was blessed with two children. Hearing this, the older one chipped in saying, ‘We were ten siblings and I have ten children.’ Well …that’s like living in the lap of luxury. We receive from life what we are willing to invest in it. When we become aware of the hidden jewels within us, we are led to the source of inner peace and happiness.

‘There is no dearth in Him where all fullness lies. The limitation and pinching lie within ourselves for Our Lord satisfies and fills the longing and hungry soul with good things.’ We ought to have prosperous thoughts and conviction in faith and ambition. The spirit of renewal can be celebrated throughout our life. Ir- respective of the storms raging all around, we can stand firm as God’s plan is always much bigger than our greatest expectations. Easter gives us the chance to sing Gloria and Hallelujah in full throttle and enjoy its reverberations all through our life.