THE ELEPHANT AND THE DOGS

 



“Do not get upset with people or situations.

Both are powerless without your reaction.”

Unknown source

 

Just as how we have no control over how some life-situations unfold in our lives, we, also, have no control on how some people behave towards us. Often, we spend a lot of our time and energy fighting these people. What they think about us, say about us and do towards us – yes,  this thought keeps us constantly restless, draining our energy… keeping us anxious, sad, angry and depressed. So, just as we learn to deal with difficult life-situations in our lives, we, also, have to learn to deal with these difficult people in our lives.

It is difficult, yes. But, it is possible. It is, also, imperative for our personal well-being.





Some days ago, seeing me getting worked up over a certain person’s prolonged vicious-behavious towards me, a well-wisher of mine said this: “Do not internalize that man’s behaviour towards you. Your non-reaction will frustrate him… and keep you in peace.”

That’s so true. Nasty people in our lives get a strange kick when they see us reacting to their provocation… They try to provoke us with their caustic words and actions. Initially, it unsettles us, makes us impulsively react… get into a tit-for-tat. But, as many of these people are chronically sadists, we, soon, learn not to play into their hands…

The key is to safe guard our own mental hygiene… keep our mind-space free of negativity. When we do not let these negative people to ruin our peace of mine, it defeats their sinister plan.

There are ample difficult situations in our lives… There are ample difficult people in our lives. The same well-wisher of mine, often, uses these words to calm me down: “If you keep asking - Why do some people behave so nastily towards me? Why do they think in such a negative manner and say such nasty things about me? How can I stop these people from doing such things? etc... it will drive you insane! The only sane thing you need to do is to stop reacting and start responding.”

Again, it’s difficult, Sir. But, it’s possible and, it’s very, very imperative.






My priority in life should be how to win my own mental well-being… and not how to defeat the difficult person in my life. Let the difficult person be… Let his behaviour towards me reflect his own character and not mine. If elephants start reacting on seeing dogs bark  incessantly, what is the difference between the street dogs and the graceful elephants?

May elephants keep marching… May dogs keep barking!

 

GERALD D’CUNHA

 

Pic’s: pixabay

 

Video: Gaur Gopal Das

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