Worry knot

Goals always create worry. When we move towards any goal, we move ahead while worrying about the results. Lord Krishna says it beautifully in the Bhagavad Gita, “The person who does not expect gain or loss from anything works happily with no need even for motivation.”

When we worry, our work gets affected. When we are worried about results, they are affected by the worry. Work should always be done out of inspiration, never out of worry. Inspiration is an overflowing energy that expands our capacity to do things. Worry, on the other hand, shrinks our capacity and limits what we are capable of doing because it takes away energy.

Another major cause for worry occurs when we constantly try to satisfy others’ opinion about ourselves. But the irony is that while we are worried about others’ opinions regarding ourselves, they are worried about our opinion regarding them!

When we are worried about other people’s opinion, we unconsciously weaken our efforts in whatever we are doing. We divert a considerable part of our energy towards worrying about this. We should do things totally and to the best of our ability and not bother about appreciation from others. We should be clear that our real strength comes from ourselves. Then, there is no worry about others.

The world today is highly competitive and everything is measured by productivity. And anxiety is the most non-productive activity.We do not realise that worrying is a waste of time. That is the problem. Everybody feels compelled to achieve. Everyone wants to be first and so they are constantly worried about being the last. We should worry only if we do not utilise our abilities to the full extent. If we give our best, there is nothing to feel bad about even if we finish last. In fact, if we can feel neutral about being last, we have achieved a much bigger thing than finishing first. It is not a sign of failure; it is a sign of success at a different level.

When we work out of inspiration, we will not be bothered about the results. We will be bothered only about doing the task in the best possible way. Any task done with the energy of inspiration always produces good results. Even if it doesn’t, we won’t feel bad about it because we would have received fulfilment simply by doing it. The ‘doing’ itself will fulfil us.

Paramahamsa Nithyananda is a spiritual leader