Failures are a part of life.  We cannot always be successful.  Problems in life will come and go.  It is not possible that life will always go as we want.  In fact, reversals are important as they ultimately lead us to success.  “The phoenix must burn to emerge.” [Janet Finch]

          We are elated when we succeed and devastated when we fail.  In the Bhagavad Gita, Arjuna was sorrowful because he had to fight a war in which there would be death and destruction.  Lord Krishna assured him that these things are momentary, and to emerge victorious one needs to focus on higher principles, develop equanimity and act.

          Bhagavad Gita 2.14 is a beautiful verse where it is mentioned that both happiness and distress are temporary, they come and go just like the winter and summer seasons.  They arise due to contact of the five senses (smell, taste, hearing, touch and sight) with their objects.  It is best to tolerate these situations and not be disturbed by them.  Tolerance is choice we make, so that we can with calmness focus on a purposeful response.  Our soul is eternal and beyond these temporary happenings.  By realizing this, we do not waste our time on petty worries and work our way through our problems peacefully.

          Similarly, Bhagavad Gita 5.20 is also empowering as it tells that us that an enlightened person maintains equanimity in good times and bad.  These things do not impact him, he accepts both as God’s will and blessings.  He does not deviate from devotion to God.

           When we are distressed, it is important for us to get over our negative emotions by dealing with them successfully in a productive way.  At os.me, we can share our opinions/experiences honestly and learn from each other.  We can overcome problems and focus on our higher purpose.   

Key Takeaways:  Realising the transient nature of happiness and distress helps us maintain our perspective.  When things are going right, it is natural to feel euphoric.  We should be joyful and happy, but we should not get identified by these feelings.  Similarly, we feel down when things do not go according to our expectations.  We should accept our feelings, rest and rejuvenate.  Like the change in weather, this too will ultimately pass.  Ultimately building our strong connect with God and our spiritual roots will help us tide over bad times.  It will help us focus on a higher purpose.  We can become calm and deal with our problems with confidence.