It is easy to have a positive frame of mind when one is in a place with uplifting and powerful vibrations. The same is true when we are in the company of optimistic, wise, or congenial people. There are similar good feelings when everything in life is going well. But can we have an elevated state of mind even in adverse situations?
Good company, a nice place, and favourable conditions may give us an emotional uplift, but that is borrowed energy, which may rise and fall with changing circumstances. An elevated mindset, in the deeper sense, is not constant happiness or excitement – it is inner steadiness, mental clarity, and self-respect and calm even when things are not going the way we want.
This kind of elevation is less about feeling good and more about being grounded. A sustained state of elevation cannot be created by forcing ourselves to think positive. Forced positivity in the face of negative situations creates stress. What is needed instead is the ability to remain uninfluenced by external situations.
That requires awareness – a detached, calm understanding of the situation, acceptance of that which we cannot change or control, and the attitude of learning – identifying the lesson in the situation and moving on. When we engage with situations in this manner, then instead of feeling like a victim of circumstances we are able to determine the quality of our experience. We may then find that hardship elevates us – it makes us wiser, stronger – more than a shallow pleasure.
The values we have cultivated, and which we cherish, also help us maintain an elevated consciousness at all times. When we carry a strong awareness of our values, and they are central to our identity and our life, then they help us navigate through tough situations in a peaceful and stable manner. When circumstances are bad, we can ask ourselves: “What kind of a person do I want to be here?” When we remain calm, dignified, honest, compassionate, or disciplined, in alignment with our values, it bolsters our self-respect. Self-respect generates a quiet elevation that does not depend on feeling good.
Meditation is a powerful practice that helps us build an elevated state over time. When we recognise ourselves as a soul and turn our attention inward, to the soul’s original qualities of peace, purity, and love, we find that we have an inner reservoir of these virtues. Dwelling on them helps us experience these virtues, and this experience nourishes the soul. Gradually, we become more peaceful, content, and stable. A soul who has been enriched and empowered in this manner is not disturbed by external circumstances – just as a healthy person is not affected adversely by changing seasons, whereas someone frail might fall sick.
An elevated state of mind results in an experience similar to that gained from physical elevation. When we climb to a high spot of ground, or are flying in an aeroplane, everything down below, including buildings, vehicles, and trees, looks tiny. Mental elevation similarly changes our perspective – the higher our state of mind, the less daunting situations and problems appear to us. This enables us to deal with them effectively while remaining calm and stable, and inspires others to do the same by developing an inner equilibrium that remains unshaken by external change.
B.K. Atam Prakash is a Rajyoga teacher at the Brahma Kumaris headquarters in Mount Abu, Rajasthan.
