Children, stress is now a common problem that affects even small children. When a machine becomes overheated, it will malfunction. In the same way, tension adversely affects our mental capabilities and efficiency. It is natural to become stressed in unfavourable circumstances or when faced with danger. But if we are always stressed, it will impair our very functionality.
Frequent stress not only affects our ability to act, it also causes all kinds of diseases. Instead, if the mind is calm and peaceful, we will be able to think clearly and assess situations properly.
Once, a farmer lost his watch in a haystack. He was very fond of the watch, which his grandfather had given him as a birthday present when he was a child. He rummaged through the haystack for a long time. Failing to find his watch, he became disheartened and stopped searching.
There were children playing football nearby. Approaching them, he asked them if they would help him find his watch. The children combed through the haystack but failed to find the watch.
When the farmer had almost given up hope, one of the children came up to him and asked for another chance to find the watch. The farmer agreed. The boy went into the barn where the hay was stored. A few minutes later, he came out with the missing watch.
The farmer was astonished. When he asked the boy the secret of his success, the boy said, “For some time, I just sat still on the floor and listened carefully. In the silence, I heard the ticking sound of the watch coming from one corner of the haystack. Then it was easy to find the watch.”
This story clearly shows how a calm mind can think clearly and find solutions to problems easily. There are many ways to relieve tension. We can enjoy the beauty of nature, appreciate music, and take part in games and activities that relax the mind.
Spending time with friends and small children can also help to reduce tension. Slow and regulated breathing, yoga postures like the savasana (corpse pose), and meditation are especially beneficial in alleviating tension and becoming relaxed.
But more important than all of these is adopting a healthy approach to life. We must cultivate an awareness that will help us maintain an inner balance at all times instead of soaring in victory or sinking in failure. If we do so, our mind will become calm and peaceful, and we can become more efficient in action.
Life should be like a picnic outing. If we see a beautiful site, a pretty house or a flower on the way, we look at it and enjoy it. We look at all the sites but we do not linger there; we simply move on. When it’s time to return, no matter how beautiful the things around us are, we leave them behind and return home, because reaching home is more important than anything.
In the same way, in whatever style we may live in this world, we shouldn’t forget our real home to which we must return—we shouldn’t forget our goal. No matter how many beautiful sites we see on our way through life, there is only one place which we can call our own, and where we can rest—and that is our original abode, our true Self.
Mata Amritanandamayi
The writer is a world-renowned spiritual leader and humanitarian