Happiness does not neatly fall into our laps. Just as physical fitness needs effort, the mind too requires training. The untrained mind is habituated to taking the path of least resistance. It easily turns slight discomfort also into thoughts of suffering. People readily become dismal in the face of problems. Have you ever wondered why that is so?
The reason is the negativity bias of our mind, where adverse events impact our brain more deeply than positive ones. For example, you remember the one critical feedback your boss gave and forget the ten good ones. Your mind keeps revisiting the single mistake you made, while ignoring the many good things you did. In this way, we have trained our mind to selectively harbor negativity or remain fixated on problems. To counter it, the art of optimism needs to be learnt and made a natural state of mind.
Positive reframing is one such potent technique which when practiced, trains the mind to deliberately see goodness and notice the abundant opportunities that exist in the same situation. Rather than feeling miserable by focussing on what you lack’, count your ‘blessings’ and fill your heart with gratitude. For example, if you have to pay huge taxes, be thankful because it means you have a large income. If you have many chores to do at home, feel gratitude that you have a roof over your head, while so many in the world are homeless. This simple reframing of the situation empowers us to see that our worries are not as drastic as our mind perceives them. When we change our perspective from the deficiencies to the manifold blessings in life, it helps us see the silver lining in the worst of situations. ‘Choosing’ to see goodness and grace in any situation empowers us to remain spirited through the vicissitudes of life.
Swami Mukundananda shares many such gems of wisdom which can be practically applied across all domains of life. Swami Mukundananda is an IIT-IIM alumnus, national bestselling author, and a world-renowned teacher of spirituality, yoga, and meditation. He is the founder of JKYog India, a charitable, volunteer-driven, non-profit organization. Swamiji will be giving live discourses in Hindi and English across many cities in India. On 17th, 18th and 19th November, people in Gurgaon and Delhi will have the priviledge of personally meeting and interacting with Swamiji. Take advantage of this golden opportunity for free and also get Swamiji’s latest books ‘Questions You Always Wanted To Ask’ and ‘The Art and Science of Happiness’ signed by him!
● 17 November: Excelsior American School, SushantLok Phase I, Gurugram
● 18 & 19 November: Siri Fort Auditorium, August Kranti Marg, New Delhi.
More information about the event can be obtained from www.jkyog.in/events or from the JKYog India website.
