We are very similar, in many ways, to steel reinforced concrete, in that much of our strength comes from within. The pillars of motorway bridges are immensely strong because, apart from the toughness of the concrete itself, they have a rigid steel structure embedded within them.
In the same way, we have an inner strength, an emotional structure that allows us to handle the rigours of daily life. The strength of that structure is different in each one of us, indeed it can change depending on the strain that life is exerting at any given point in time. But the important thing is that we can increase it through some very simple practices.
Generally speaking, we are stronger, mentally, when we see problems as challenges, and stronger still when we feel we can overcome those challenges and come out the other side unscathed. So how do we improve our resilience to the bumps and knocks that life delivers?
Well in my own case, I find that chanting raises my life-state and allows me to tackle challenges more positively. By chanting about a particular issue, I find that I see the details more clearly and hence have more ideas regarding the possible solutions to solve it.
Of course, other people have their own way to deal with challenges. Some meditate, some pray to their God for guidance or divine intervention, some in fact are so grounded that they seem to have a built in ability to cope.
However you go about it, the most important thing to remember is that confidence and determination are key factors in winning the battle. Sitting and cogitating the fluff in your navel, getting depressed, or feeling that the challenge is just far too great to tackle, will undoubtedly result in failure, so don’t do it.
One really good tip, whatever you are facing, is to try to break down the task at hand into bite sized pieces. As Geoff says to Ed, in The Buddha, Geoff and Me, ‘How do you eat an elephant?’ … ‘One bite at a time’. So take it bit by bit, deal with each day as it arrives, and remember to stay strong and above all positive. If you believe you will win, then you are already half way there.
Sometimes the World of Tranquillity can be a true blessing, a lull after a period of intense effort.
The advent of each day brings us joys and challenges, each of which have the ability to alter our life-state in some way. Joys tend to raise our life-state, challenges may lower it if we let them, and therein lies the conundrum. We need to be vigilant, to observe our life-state from moment to moment, but in doing so, we affect that life-state.
Many things happen in life. There are joyous days and times of suffering. Sometimes unpleasant things occur. But that’s what makes life so interesting. The dramas we encounter that are part and parcel of being human.
There are two types of people in this world, and no not those who say ‘There are two types of people’ and those who don’t. The two types are those who are Radiators and those who are Drains.
There is an expansive life-state of profound, secure happiness, that transcends any material or social advantage.
Whilst feeling a little adrift given my current situation and enraged by the lack of fairness in the way modern institutions and those in power treat us mere morals, I found this piece by Sensei rather encouraging …
Well it’s taken a whole week to get here, but finally Friday has arrived again. I know what you are saying, you were going to fill every minute, of every day, with sixty seconds of gainful employment, and I have. But doing that doesn’t stop me being pleased that, arguably, the best day of the week has put in a much appreciated appearance at last.
It may seem to be a strange thing to say, but our happiness, or otherwise, is actually a choice we make for ourselves. It’s basically tied to the way we view the challenges that life throws at us.
The Search For Enlightenment 
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