Often as we strive to move higher in life, either materially or spiritually, we often find ourselves making some progress and then sliding back. This yo-yo becomes a frustrating pattern and we find ourselves making marginal progress. There are two ways in which we can break this frustration – we can either focus and work on eliminating the lower habits that pull us down, or we can focus on attaching and inspiring ourselves to a higher ideal. If we reflect upon it, we will realise that the second approach is far more effective – when we attach ourselves to the higher, the lower automatically falls.

When we find ourselves short of time and constantly busy, we get frustrated that we cannot do many things that we want to. But when we anchor ourselves to the inspired idea that is waiting to be expressed through us, we magically find ourselves making different choices with our time and energy. Lower time wasting and unnecessary activities, and fear of failure automatically fall.

When we find ourselves not enjoying a relationship as much as we used to or want to, we get frustrated with all the faults the other person has and focus on why they are not ok. But when we anchor ourselves to love and acceptance – loving them because that is our default nature, and accepting them, just as we have accepted ourselves with our own faults, we magically find a shift in the quality of our relationship. Being critical and fault finding automatically falls.

When we find ourselves struggling within, we get frustrated with our own shortcomings. But when we remind ourselves that our capacity to overcome our challenges is larger than the challenges, and we give ourselves challenging and life-changing goals to achieve, we magically find the enthusiasm and discipline to live the life we always wanted to. The lower tendencies which took us away from our path automatically fall.

It does not mean that we won’t fall time and again. Like gravity, our lower instincts and habits will keep the pressure pulling us down.  But like a rocket that is aimed at orbiting space overcomes this pull because it is programmed to only move higher from the second it takes off, we too need to program ourselves to attach to the higher in our life from the second we open our eyes every day. We can live like a yo-yo or a rocket, the choice is ours.

(Picture – Holy Name Cathedral, Colaba – Mumbai )