Most of us do not like to have the negative emotions like anger, worry, fear, resentment, and hatred; still we find it hard to keep our cool when things go haywire around us. How can we handle such situations better? Many years ago, I got the answer to this question from the well known author Dale Carnegie through his great book, "How to Stop Worrying and Start Living". He uses the generic term "worry" for a wide range of undesirable emotions and provides excellent advice on how to deal with them. The top three suggestions from this book that I liked the most are following:
- Live in present. The load of tomorrow, added to that of yesterday, carried today, makes the strongest falter. Our main business is not to see what lies dimly at a distance, but to do what lies clearly at hand.
- Accept the worst. Ask yourself, "What is the worst that can possibly happen if I can't solve my problem?" and prepare yourself mentally to accept the worst, if necessary. Then calmly try to improve upon it. Co-operate with the inevitable.
- The Golden Rule For Conquering Worry: Have faith and pray. Always have the thought that you are not alone. Share your burden with God.
वो शमा क्या बुझे जिसे रोशन खुदा करे
A point/counter-point from Iqbal. [I have heard anecdotal rumor that Mr. Manmohan Singh read this one many years ago in Parliament when he opened the parliament session for the first time.]
ReplyDeleteख़ुदी को कर बुलन्द इतना, कि हर तक़दीर से पहले
ख़ुदा बन्दे से खुद पूछे, बता तेरी रज़ा क्या है
Why wait for Him to ask your wish? It is far more easier to express it in a prayer right upfront. And when you can clearly state what you want, you can easily work towards achieving it.
ReplyDelete