A family paediatrician often used to say “This will get worse before it gets better” — an adage that doesn’t just hold good for infections and other medical conditions but for life in general as well. Whether it is a relationship or a business association in which one has been getting a raw deal, we tend to give the other party a long rope till things get full blown and reach a breaking point, before they are resolved or terminated some other way. This is simply because we do believe that there is a small chance that there will be a dramatic change at some point or that the problem will go away or a miracle will happen that completely alters the equation. Or we sit there worrying how we will ever get through or are so afraid of the situation escalating that we would rather continue with the status quo as opposed to rocking the boat too much.
We are gripped by fear because we cannot fathom what lies beyond and harbour the mistaken notion that it has to be bad because it is dark and unknown — the known devil vs an unknown angel. What complicates the situation is our inability to acknowledge that a deadlock has been reached and no reversal is possible. If things have to get better the unseen hand has to step in after we have done our part to improve the situation.
As one is heading towards a breaking point or an impending log jam, hanging in with faith and hope, free from fear, looking ahead firm in the belief that whatever is likely to happen is part of the grand plan and will work for one’s good is what will sustain us. And when we touch the dreaded low it helps to remember that the worst phases or the lowest points often open out into something meaningful, big and force us to tap into hidden strengths. Another thing about hitting a nadir is that we know it cannot get any worse and that things have only one way to go but up. Understanding that the grand design is what matters and will prevail in the very end will help us cultivate a philosophical attitude. We will then realise that everything that happens en route is only leading us toward the divine plan.
During the bad times remember that strength beyond expectations comes from Supreme and is available to us if we ask. When we forget that and rely solely on ourselves, we tend to grossly underestimate our ability to cope with situations.
If we look back at some of the very trying phases in life we are sometimes amazed at how we survived right and where the strength came from. Right? That should encourage us to stay motivated and teach us to place our trust in the ultimate source. Once we concede that some things are beyond what is humanly possible to address and surrender completely, the picture changes, no matter what stage of the situation one finds oneself in.
The writer is a Reiki channel, yoga practitioner and a spiritual seeker.
