Written by Suraj Shah. Inspired by greatness.
Do you wish that the world would just leave you alone?
From the moment you wake till the time you lay your head on the pillow at night, your day, each and every day, is jam-packed with demands left, right and centre.
For some it’s the demanding boss, for others the nagging wife, perhaps the house to clean, the bills to pay, the groceries to buy, and so on and so on.
When the world becomes just too much to handle, all I’ve wanted is for everyone and everything to leave me alone. I bet you have too.
Retreating to the cave
Sometimes I just need to sit in a small room and close the door, or hide under the duvet for ten minutes and shut myself off from the world.
Perhaps it’s a man thing, from back in the stone age when men had the luxury of the cave. You know, that cosy dark place where a guy can think things through and emerge with strength and clarity.
But we live in a different world, where there is just far too much begging for our attention.
Actually, we are always alone
Even though we may crave being left alone, it turns out that actually we are always alone. Truly alone.
All situations that we experience in life, whether pleasurable or painful, will arise whether we want them to or not. Yet they are temporary, and so will only linger for a finite time.
All the people that we are surrounded by, and all the love they shower on us or the demands they throw upon us, will come and go, whether we want them to or not. They too are here for just a finite time, whether for just a few seconds or over eighty years.
Nomatter how hard we try, we can never truly change the situations that we are experiencing. It will end at its own natural time. In the same way, we can never truly change anyone and force them to behave differently — they will change or go at their own natural time.
Equally, nobody can change a situation for us — every situation we are faced with, we have to endure ourselves. Other people can offer their love and strength and support, but they cannot change what we are experiencing in that present moment.
So for that reason, we are always alone.
But we’re not wired to keep this fundamental truth at the forefront of our mind. If we were always aware of it, then we’d giggle at the futility of placing all our happiness in what will inevitably change.
So what can we do to remind ourselves that we are always alone, and to use that to cope with any situation?
Becoming alone in the midst of a turbulent world
Regardless of what is happening in the world around us, or who is coming or going, it is possible to find solitude, to find peace, to regain strength and clarity.
It is possible to take care of matters you are faced with, tackling them head-on with a clear head and a warm heart.
Here are some steps I take to develop alone-ness to support me with any overwhelming situation:
- Take a deep breath.
- Accept that it is meant to be this way, that this present moment cannot be different.
- Let go of trying to force it to be something else.
- Shift focus onto the greatest virtues of the majestic people who live around us and have lived among us.
- Immerse into the feeling of joy when thinking about those qualities and virtues.
- Carry that joyful feeling into the task now faced with.
- Respond to that situation with calm and purpose.
Once you start to discover the alone-ness in any situation, it becomes easier to cope with the day-to-day demands of the world. In fact, it makes it easier to feel good in any situation.
Dear Suraj
Your articles have really inspired me. I lost 3 very important people in my life in 2016. I am coping every day but there is someone else who cannot cope as well. What do I say to him? He longs to join his Dad in the other world. Please contact me if possible. Thank you.
Dear Dakoha,
Thank you for your kind words. What from the articles has inspired you to cope every day with the series of losses you have faced in 2016 and how will you carry that forward into 2017?
Through your own example and deep inner strength, let the words of support surface from within to then guide the person you wish to help.
Warmest,
Suraj