Like many others, life has been a rollercoaster ride for me. I have had my share of ups and downs. But, I believe this is how it should be, as they teach you life lessons that come in handy in the direst of circumstances. As the famous industrialist, Ratan Tata, once said, “Ups and downs in life are very important to keep us going, because a straight line even in an ECG means you are not alive.” The true potential of a person is revealed during trying or challenging phases in life.
In the year 1992 I was born premature and had to overcome a whole lot of health difficulties. Having overcome the first challenge of staying alive, when we assumed it was now going to be smooth sailing, we found that there was a problem with both my legs. After many visits to various doctors, we came to the conclusion that surgery on both legs was needed to correct the issue. After the surgery, the right leg was fine and became normal, whereas the left leg relapsed. Physiotherapy and exercises became a staple for me as I struggled to get over this issue.
I soon understood, however, that the issue of my leg was actually blown out of proportion by medical personnel. I became some kind of an obsession for them; a person whom they loved to discuss. The urge to prove them wrong, rather, the urge to prove my mettle, took over and I put my foot forward. That one step forward made me realize, “There is no looking back now.” And true to that, I never did look back. I started running and playing tennis and even represented my tennis academy in various tournaments. Each time I proved my actual strength to my self, as I also believed that I was my own benchmark. I felt, “Nothing is impossible.”
The experiences of overcoming repetitive physical impediments and surgeries brought a new and dynamic sort of realization in me. In my understanding, as soon as we suffer an unexpected injury, the best thing to do is to forget the incident that led to the injury and look forward to the next step, the solution. And meditation aids our clarity of thought and helps shift the spotlight from problem to solution. To forget and move on is one of the most important lessons life has taught me and I believe we can all cultivate this attitude. It helps us accept everything and anything. True strength is keeping everything together when everyone expects us to fall apart.
Why not visualize ourselves as people with immense courage, coming out of every challenge with a big smile and healthier than before, both physically and mentally. In the book The Secret, Rhonda Byrne tells us about the power of thought and how every trying phase can be tackled in an effective and successful way just by thinking and believing in the positive. Believing that “This too shall pass,” makes us stronger, and is solely for our good.
As it is quite often said, “What does not break you makes you stronger.” We just have to be, in a way, bulletproof to the encounters in life and prove what we are made of, with an unfailing will to go through any kind of life’s trials.
–Durga Nagarajan
