Exams of Life - Talk by Sri Sri

Succeeding in school – and success in life – is like running a race. When you run a 400 meter race, do you look to see who is next to you? Do you look to your left side or right side? If you see who is running faster, will you be able to run better? When you are running a race, success comes only when you put in 100%. Even then, whether you succeed or not you are happy because you gave your 100%. Someone else put that much and they succeeded. It’s up to them. You put your 100% and that’s it. If you look around too much while you are running, you will fail. The same idea holds true with you when you want to compete: you’re competing with yourself. See how much effort you put last year and this year how much more you can put. Or look into how you performed last month, and this month see how you can perform better. Then your ability increases. But if you look at others, either you get depressed, jealous, or arrogant. Such activity is sure to bring a hoard of negative emotions in you, and subsequently, you will have negative emotions and a lack of energy.

While in school, students are constantly preparing for and thinking about exams. Spiritual life is not much different: see every moment as an exam in Art of Living. Your test is to see how much you are able to be in the present moment. Your success is measured in your ability to overcome any negative feelings that come to your mind. Suppose you get angry; how long that anger lingers in your mind shows how well you have done in Art of Living. If the anger comes and just vanishes, then you have done very well. But if it comes and stays for the whole day, or two days, or three, then you need to work harder. But, as students know, hard work is bound to pay off.

Once in Rishikesh, I met with an elderly saint. The priest simply praised me , until I said, “Baba, why are you praising me? You tell me some negative points in me, so that I can work to improve them, if there is anything to improve.” The priest replied, “Why should I tell about your negative points. No need… sorrow will tell you. When you become upset, that will you tell you what was your negative point. The sorrows in you will teach you what is negative within in you. Only what is positive in you has to be shown because you do not recognize all the good qualities in you.” This is a very positive way of looking at things, instead of pointing to somebody and focusing on their bad qualities. This approach kindles good qualities in a person – especially for parents. When the positive points in a person are enlivened, you will see the negativity automatically vanishes.

 

From Talks by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

You can ask your own questions to Sri Sri Ravi Shankar on the occasion of Twitter Town Hall with Sri Sri  on 23rd February 2014 at 9:30 P.M IST.