Know how good you are at handling blame

 

When someone blames you, you feel a heavy load, and when you talk about it, the unpleasant feeling is spread to all around you. At that moment wake up and see you are the Being and nothing can touch you. This is all just a drama which you have created. You have gone through this over and over again. All the accusations you face in your life are your own creation. Knowing this, you will feel free and light. 

Taking responsibility for all the experiences in life makes you powerful and will put an end to grumbling, retribution, explanations and a host of other negative tendencies. Taking full responsibility makes you free. 

When someone blames you, directly or indirectly, what do you do? 

• Do you register it in your mind and get emotionally upset? 
• Do you dismiss it altogether without taking a lesson from it? 
• Do you talk about it with people, wasting everyone’s time? 
• Do you pity yourself and blame your shortcomings? 
• Do you blame the other person? 
• Do you generalize and eternalize the problem?

When these happen, you are not living up to this knowledge. You need to do the Art of Living introductory course at least six times and read all the weekly knowledge. 

However, if you: 

• Laugh at it and not even take notice, 
• Treat it as a non-event, not even worth talking about or taking any action, 
• Treat opinions and accusations as passing clouds and more of an entertainment, 
• Discourage dwelling on unpleasant and negative moments, 
• Are non-judgmental and absolutely unshaken in your space of love, 
• Remain centered and calm, and do not take pride in your growth or wisdom, 

Then you are a source of pride to your tutor – the Master. 

Overcoming anxiety

 

Nature has built a little fear into all living beings. This fear makes life defend itself, protect itself. Like salt in food, a little fear is essential for people to be righteous. Fear affects you in the following ways:

• Fear of hurting someone makes you more conscious. 
• Fear of failure makes you more keen and dynamic. 
• Fear moves you from carelessness to taking care. 
• Fear moves you from being insensitive to being sensitive. 
• Fear moves you from dullness to alertness. 

Total lack of fear may lead to destructive tendencies – a distorted ego knows no fear. Nor does one with expanded consciousness. While the ego dismisses fear and acts in a destructive manner, the wise one acknowledges fear and takes refuge in the Divine. 

When you are in love, when you are surrendered, there is no fear. Ego, too, knows no fear. But there is a difference, like the difference between heaven and earth – between these two types of fearless states.

Fear makes you righteous; fear brings you close to surrender; fear keeps you on the path; fear keeps you from being destructive. Peace and law are maintained on the planet because of fear. 

A newborn child knows no fear – the baby relies totally on its mother. When a child, a kitten, or a bird start becoming independent, they experience fear and this makes them run back to their mothers. This is inbuilt by nature to sustain life. So, the purpose of fear is to bring you back to the source.

At the present time, many are anxious about how to deal with their anxiety. Here are some of the ways you can manage anxiety:

• Sing, dance and celebrate. The very intention to celebrate will pull you to a more harmonious state. 
• Think about what you can do for others rather than thinking about yourself. Get energized through seva (service). 
• Have an attitude of sacrifice. 
• Remind yourself that you are committed to a greater goal.
• Practice yoga, breathing and meditation. 
• Know the impermanence of the world. 
• Have faith in and surrender to the Divine. Know that there is a supreme power who loves you, is behind you and a accepts you totally. Feeling secure comes with this sense of belongingness. 
• Be courageous and invoke the lion within you. 
• Be unpredictable for a while. Anxiety always relates to some anticipated action so do something completely irrelevant and unpredictable. 
• Be ready to face the worst. This will leave you with stability in your mind. 
• Remember a similar situation in the past when you were able to overcome your anxiety.