It is said that we see things not as they are but as we are. While our eyes see everything and everyone the same way, it is the thoughts and feelings that accompany the act of seeing which form an impression in the mind about what we see. If our feelings are light and pure, we feel good about what we see. On the other hand, if we are in a negative frame of mind, we might perceive things differently.
We develop bad feelings and a negative attitude towards others when we keep thinking about their faults. To avoid this, we can dwell on what we like about that person. Focussing on posi-tive qualities automatically frees us from negativity.
There is another way to lift oneself above all things negative, petty, and—when seen in the right perspective—insignificant. That is to develop an unlimited outlook.
Most people are caught up in their own lives and problems which, to them, are big issues. But if we look at the larger picture, we realise that what we expend much of our time and energy on is really a trifle in the journey of life, and even more insignificant in relation to the events unfolding on the vast stage of the world.
Take the case of someone who has lost a loved one recently. If they keep thinking about that person and how they will no longer have their company, love, and support, they will feel that they have suffered a big loss and a void has been created in their life. This can leave them feeling sad, lonely, and miserable. But these feelings would be the creation of their thinking.
Instead, if they look at the larger picture, they would not be shaken at all. They would remember that everyone has to pass away one day and no one can be with us forever. They would also remember that death is merely the soul’s departure from one body to take birth in another. Those with whom we share our thoughts, feelings and time, and who leave us when they die, are souls who have finished one role to start playing a new role. Thinking in this way broadens our perspective.
One can have a universal attitude towards everything. It is up to us how we take the little inconveniences of life and the problems that crop up in relationships. We can either agonise over them and magnify them into big issues, only to end up feeling burdened, frustrated, or depressed, or see them in the right perspective and deal with them in the best way we can, without harming our state of mind.
Such an attitude helps us remain stable in the face of the challenges that life brings. It also helps others around us, as it allows us to rise above self-centred or selfish ways of thinking and to think of others as well. One with such an outlook becomes a good team worker who is able to adjust to the nature of other people and work with them. Such a person can also appreciate the good qualities of others and learn from them. They would be free from jealousy and be able to take advice and criticism in the right spirit.
Such individuals are trusted, a source of strength for others, and are unifying figures in any group or organisation.
Such are the benefits of bringing about a simple change in our outlook. Whenever a challenging situation arises, we can check if we are seeing it with a limited perspective or have a broader vision.
B.K. Geeta is a Rajyoga teacher at the Brahma Kumaris headquarters in Abu Road, Raja-sthan.