JUST WHEN WE THOUGHT THE WORLD WAS ENDING...

 



“Anxiety doesn’t empty tomorrow of its sorrow,

but only empties today of its strength.”

Charles Spurgeon

 

We all need reminders every night when we go to bed… that, despite all our problems, there is something we need to thank God for… that, our problems are very small compared to so many in this world who go to bed with every night…

Yes, we all forget to look at the blessings of God and only end up getting overwhelmed by our problems. ‘Thank you God’ doesn’t come to us easily… ‘Why me?’ … ‘Poor me’… yes, these complaints always come easily.





Last night, when I was about to retire, I happened to see two things… One was the report of my routine blood and other tests. Well, just as my students and their parents get anxious on receiving those unpleasant remarks in the progress report, some of the remarks in my lab-report weren’t pleasant… The anxiety was slowly coming over me… Many unnecessary thoughts, to be precise… “What if that happens, this happens?”… and so on…

Despite my positive thinking (and preaching) side, I still have my anxious side. Perhaps, I write about positive things to beat my own blues and anxieties… Certainly, not because I am free from the ghosts of my mind...

So, I find myself getting into anxious bouts very regularly… and, invariably, they are followed by those perspective-changing thoughts… “Friend, calm down… Don’t make  mountains out of your molehills… Nothing bad will happen; and if it happens, you will cross the bridge when it comes” … Yes, all these rational thoughts save me from the onslaught of irrational ones.

I am aware, that everything cannot be brushed aside as ‘irrational’… Still, most of the thoughts are… They are mountains created out of our  molehills…

Last night, as I was beset by the anxious thoughts, I also happened to watch a video shared by my elder brother, Franklin, on our family group… This was it…

 



Now, whose problems were bigger – of this 66-year-old (otherwise perfectly-endowed) man, here in Mumbai, or of those differently-endowed 19-year-old Mohna and Sohna from Amritsar?






In a second, the anxieties and concerns about my own health seemed to dissolve… My heart was saying - ‘Thank-you God’…even, ‘Sorry God’…

We need to look around us… look at the problems so many of them are facing – in order to get back the perspective in our minds and, yes, the gratitude in our bosoms…

Every night, we all have the same two options before us… To complain and go to sleep, or to thank and go to sleep…

How can we say ‘Good Night’ when our hearts still complain?

“Just when the caterpillar thought the world was ending,” reminds the old proverb, “he turned into a butterfly.”

 

GERALD D’CUNHA

 

Pic’s: 1. Beate Vogl  2. Ernesto R3I3Z

 

Videos: 1. Unknown 2. truly  3. Ruhi Cenet Hindi

Comments

Harish said…
Very well penned Gerry Anna
November 30, 2024 at 10:53 AM
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