The word ‘crisis’ used to be heard only rarely, perhaps once or twice in a year. Now, it seems that there is a crisis every minute. It could be in the home, at the place of work, in our country, or a worldwide crisis. Some crises keep resurging, like the ecological crisis, until people develop a ‘global warming fatigue’ and no longer listen to the warnings, that are very real and impacting the planet.
These crises all have an impact on our minds. The biggest crisis we face in our world today, and probably the fastest growing illness across the globe, is that of mental health. It may be that crises become a new normal. So, what steps can we take to ensure that we are able to maintain calm in any crisis that may come our way?
It is crucial to deal with what is going on in my inner world so that I am able to take charge of myself and bring a sense of calm and peace to my mind. To stay free from feeling overwhelmed by a crisis, we need to prepare and practise, and there are three simple steps we can follow:
First, make time for the self. We need to take time to sit quietly and go to our inner world. When we practise doing this on a regular basis, we can access that inner oasis even for just a few minutes and then return to what is going on in the outer world, with great clarity. When we connect with our inner being, we see the kind of thoughts we are having and see that the brain is functioning, usually far too quickly. Meditation, or taking time to be with our thoughts, is being able to keep track of our thoughts and elevate them to a higher awareness. We discover, with practice, that we are at the core of our being full of peace and love. These qualities are invaluable, because in this state of mind, our intuition comes into play, and we know exactly what to say and what to do. Each morning, as early as we can, and each evening, we must make time for this kind of inner awareness. With practice, we can take a few moments each hour during the day.
The second step is to make a connection with the Supreme Being, or God. To maintain contact with the One who can give inner power and strength. When we focus on this Being, we experience waves of profound love. Any love, even between human beings, can be transformative, but love experienced from God is totally transformative. This happens in ways we can hardly have thought possible. Where there was fear, there is courage, where there was stubbornness, there is understanding of the other. It is a kind of magic. We must develop our own relationship with God and the more we do this, the sweeter life becomes. We develop the confidence that whatever happens, we will be able to deal with it.
The third step is to understand destiny. The idea that the world is a stage, and that we are all taking part in an amazing play is not new. However, what we often forget is that all good plays have times of crisis, but justice always prevails. We may not know what is going to happen next, and we are not supposed to know, it would spoil the plan of the drama. We are actors, all taking part and contributing to the story. We were once in charge of the story, but we seem to have forgotten our lines, things have become chaotic, and we are certainly not listening to the director. The Creator and Director has now taken back His role of being in charge; there can only be a happy outcome. We need to also develop this connection and relationship with the Supreme Being, the Creator-Director, on a daily basis.
Three simple steps: Take time to be with the self, learn how to listen to God, and be an observer of this amazing, unlimited drama. All will be well.
B.K. Jayanti is Additional Administrative Head of the Brahma Kumaris.