One Life Lesson I Learned From Destructive Rains Endangering My Home
Conscious life helps you wade through this fragile and unpredictable life.
The government has declared my state (Himachal Pradesh) a ‘natural calamity affected area.’
Hundreds have lost their life. Thousand have lost their homes.
Devastating rains also plundered my home village. Our hill is dealing with multiple landslides at different locations. The closest is 200 feet from my house.
This makes the situation problematic, as next week’s predictions look worse. The heavy rainfall forecast for an entire week on the already destabilized and weak mountain does not look good.
We are already cut from the mainland. Roads are blocked.
The entire state has been underwater. People are dealing with the worst flooding, multiple cloudburst, and landslides. Roads, electricity, and water supply are already dead in many zones.
One realization — Life is fragile.
This kind of devastation makes me think about how everything is so fragile.
We can lose our homes, loved ones, or even our lives at any corner. Nothing is ever predictable.
When we think we have sorted everything out, something happens and twists our life unexpectedly.
When I thought my career was at last stabilized, covid ruined it. My best(est) friend (plus business partner) died.
When I thought love had found me, immense turmoils happened.
It is frustrating and unsettling. We question our existence.
BUT…
These challenging situations also open our closed minds. We dig into our strengths that we never thought were there. Priorities become clear.
While talking to my father, I explicitly told them, “Leave the house at the slightest hint of rain destabilizing the mountain underneath it. Be vigilant and keep an eye out if anything goes wrong.”
That is what we can do right now. Isn’t it?
No help is coming.
Emergency is happening all around. We can not expect anyone to come to rescue us.
It is the people there who can help each other out.
If we lose our cool in devastating times, the situation worsens. Overwhelm and overthinking (especially negative thoughts) overpower.
Our minds shut down to life’s probable solutions.
Reason?
Fear.
Fear kills our thinking ability.
Logic flies out at the slightest hint.
Emotional turmoils overpower. No doubt, initial shock will happen. Doubt will devour you.
But this mindset can not lead to solutions. Worry and anxiety will eat you from inside.
What matters is how fast you can distance yourself from turmoil and stabilize your heart and mind.
It happens when you are already practicing conscious living.
You can not fight your emotions. It is NOT possible.
Why?
Because you can not cut your mind from your mind. Thoughts can not cross-cut each other. In fact, it will drain you out.
But you can clearly see its play when you distance yourself from your mind.
Peace can happen in tumultuous times. You don’t have to drown in anxiety and overthinking all the time.
The key is being conscious.
You can not see in the mirror if your dress looks good on you if you are standing too close to the mirror. You have to create some gap to see it clearly.
Similarly, you must create distance from the problem to see the solution.
I’ve been practicing conscious living for many years. It teaches you to be calm and solution-oriented despite the situation.
It does NOT mean fear will magically vanish. It can not.
But fear will lose its grip on you.
Perfect solutions happen when you deal with problems with a calm mind.
Being aware creates the distance between your mind and you.
It means you can see your emotions, reactions, and suffering just like you see in others. You become a third person in your own story.
This distance helps you to see your emotions without getting attached.
Emotions become like a child. They crave your attention and kindness. You witness every emotion without distinguishing it as good or bad.
Then a stable mind happens. With that peace, you can find a practical solution to any problem.
Final Thoughts
These cloudbursts and heavy rain lashes undoubtedly endanger my home and family. I’m concerned but not paralyzed by the worry.
I want to support them and not freak out. And I can only help them in the best possible way when I am stable and at peace.
Life will bring turmoils and challenges. But with each difficulty, see through your resistances and lessons.
Life is fragile and unpredictable. But with awareness as your anchor, you can drive past those difficult times.
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