Sometimes a heaviness suddenly descends upon us. Routine activities become an effort and we feel like we are carrying a constant weight. We need to get onto a weight loss program to remove everything that comes between us and our happiness.

The weight of making a plan and not keeping to it starts bothering us. It silently undermines our own confidence and brings to our conscious awareness the gap between knowing and being. Being dedicated to our plans reduces the weight of frustration.

Some situations take time to sort themselves out but we have an emotional need for immediate closure. Developing our faith and patience reduces the weight of anxiety.

Sometimes things going well suddenly take an unexpected turn catching us on the wrong foot. The combination of confusion, anxiety and doubt can weigh us down. Taking small steps and making sure we don’t allow ourselves to come to a grinding halt reduces the weight of the headwind against us. A good driver doesn’t shut down the car when he sees a no-entry board. He backs up and starts looking for alternate routes and carries on his journey.

Some experiences affect us strongly. We may think we have overcome them, but even trace emotions under conducive circumstances can surface and weigh us down. Learning to look the other way, engaging in something to take our mind off can lighten the load.

Heaviness is nothing but either a memory of the past or anxiety of the unborn future. It enters when we leave our mind unoccupied. Learning to live completely in the now, giving ourselves an interesting and inspiring agenda keeps us happy and light-hearted. Astronauts float effortlessly in a weightless zero-gravity environment. Even as we understand the gravity of a situation, we must develop the ability to create the zero gravity zone within to face life effortlessly.

It’s not on the weighing scale but on the scale of happiness that we can measure the effectiveness of our inner weight loss.