Finding Hope in Times of Hopelessness
Hopelessness arises when life does not go our way. We feel everything is working against us, and life will never be better again. The mind drives us into a negative downward spiral with every new thought. During such times, it is easy to leave off activities or routines that could be helpful to us. Instead, we adopt unhealthy habits in an effort to cope and fill the void. However, especially during these times of despair, said the spiritual Master, we must work extra hard to hold on to the habits that will benefit us. Contrary to how we may feel, this is when we need to do the work to tap into our inner strength.
We need to find comfort and solace so we can trace our way back to our normal state. How can we find comfort in times of hopelessness? It happens when we strengthen our connection with God. God is the all-knowing source of all happiness, joy, inner wisdom, love, calm, and bliss. The Creator knows our past, our present, and our future. When we connect with this divine Power through meditation, we partake of all the love and happiness already within us. This serves as a lifeline that pulls us out of our situation.
Sant Rajinder Singh Ji said that the key to navigating away from a state of hopelessness is to defocus our attention from our current state. We need to redirect our attention to the infinite reservoir of joy and hope within. When we experience God’s love in meditation, we are reassured that we are loved and protected. We simply have to do the work to tap into this love, and we can do that when we take the time to sit in silence and reach out to God.
