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Untie the knots in your mind to be happy always

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Stop worrying about the future and start being in your Now. FILE PHOTO | NMG

Two friends were walking towards the town to sell their stuff in the market. On the way, they got into an argument and they started to fight. One thing led to another and they soon were fighting in a big way. Soon a crowd gathered around them and tried to understand what was happening. No one came forward to mediate. Seeing the crowd swell, the friends got even more enraged and continued their arguments and with a higher intensity.

A wise man passing by the way saw the crowd and stopped to see what was happening. Someone told him about the two men who were arguing and fighting for long. The wise man walked towards the men and tried to pacify them. But they were in no mood to listen. He then pulled out a beautiful silk kerchief from his pocket and offered it to them. The men had no clue as to why this man was giving them a kerchief. But at least that caught their attention and they stopped to look at it. He asked the men what it was, and they looked at him like a fool. One of them said “It is a beautiful silk cloth.” He asked them, is it beautiful? Again, the men were confused but they said, “Yes of course” but this time in unison. The wise man started to put knots in the silk cloth and asked the men, “What is this?” and this time they got a little furious, but again answered, “It is still the same silk cloth”.

The wise man asked, “But earlier you said it is a beautiful silk cloth, isn’t it beautiful now?” The men said, “It was beautiful but now you put the knots, how can it be beautiful?” The wise man started to pull both ends of the knots saying, “Let me untie them then.” The men screamed, “How can you untie by pulling them apart, it would only tighten. If you have to untie, look at the knots closely and untie them carefully.” The wise man then asked the men, “Then why are you not looking at your knots closely and pulling yourself apart?”

Don’t we do this all the time in our lives. When faced with tough situations, we focus on coming up with solutions rather than understanding the problem and applying mindfulness. The world is filled with joy and happiness if we practice mindfulness.

Focus on the present: The biggest challenge of life is that we are driven either by the struggles of the past or the dreams of the future, without focusing on what is around us and in the moment. It is only when you shift your attention and focus on the present that you can enjoy life.

Stop worrying: Do you ever carry an open umbrella and wait for it to rain? We don’t, right? But we start preparing for everything that can possibly go wrong with our lives, by worrying about it, even before the problem arises. Stop worrying about the future and start being in your Now.

Apply three golden rules: We have all heard about the three golden rules, we know it, but we don’t implement it because we don’t apply mindfulness. If you are wondering what the golden rules are, “Respond before you react, listen before you talk and think before you assume.” Simple, yet difficult unless you practice awareness.