If all of us were to throw our troubles
into a heap and had the option of choosing someone else’s troubles from it,
we’d be aghast by the sufferings others undergo; and quickly pick back our own
troubles, with gratitude.
All of us without exception have some
grievance or the other, whether financial, career, family or relationship
related. Some highly successful people may seem to have it all – cars,
luxurious house/s, holidays abroad, a high paying job and a beautiful spouse.
But we do not know the inner workings of anyone’s life; a seemingly successful
person may be unhappy because s/he has it all, but cannot find a companion to
share her/his success with. Conversely, someone with a supportive and loving
life partner may be struggling to make ends meet.
Each one is blessed and ‘cursed’ in their
own unique way. To berate our misfortunes would mean that we do not recognise
our blessings. Not just that; let us also be grateful for our troubles because
they shape us and define who we are. Because each time we face a problem,
therein lies the key to our evolution as a human being. It is an opportunity
for us to learn and grow as a person; to become bigger than our problem.
Unfortunately, we let our troubles become bigger than us; this becomes the
reason for our stress and distress.
If you come up against the same problem
over and over again, then you are yet to learn from it. For example, a sales
representative who keeps hearing ‘no’ over and over again either needs to
change his product or his selling tactics. When he changes one of the two or
both he will stop hearing ‘no’ and meet with success in his venture. Similarly,
when we face the same problem over and over again, we need to introspect or
take feedback from others to understand what is it that we need to change
within our lives. The change required may be one of attitude or fortitude. We
either evolve into stronger beings or break away from our set patterns of
thinking.
Going back to the story, we will take back
our own troubles from the pile, not because the burden is easier to carry, but
because a known devil is better than an unknown devil. We know the nature of
our own troubles; we have been living with them for a while. We may not be
adept at handling them nor can we wish them away, but by now we have definitely
developed the skill set required to live with them. However, that’s not what
problems are meant for – to live with; they are meant to help us grow into
finer human beings.
So, until we actually develop the mechanism
to actually throw our troubles in a heap and choose the more ‘desirable’ ones
from it, let us continue digging deeper and unearth the lessons contained
within.
