How to remove this thorn?
Self effort. First we should notice the cause of sadness. Why are you upset? You are upset because things are not perfect, or people are not perfect, or you are not perfect. Only these three things can make you upset. You should keep some space for imperfection in things, people and in yourself.
See, you are either worried about your job, your relationships, or your health. Know that all these things, whether you have them or you don`t , you are going to die. The drama will be over. Whether you are a villain or a hero, the play will be over. The moment you realise this, what happens? You are able to see things from a bigger context. Your consciousness which was limited, which was being crushed, suddenly expands.
Look back and see how many of your desires got fulfilled and how many have not been fulfilled. Isn’t life still is going on? Can you see how you had been upset for nothing?
As a baby you were upset about so many things, right? As a school boy you were upset for stupid things. One friend did not talk to you and you got so upset, isn't it? So now, wake up and see, it is all so silly. This realization is wisdom.
You know, when we were young, if we told our teachers of our desires, they would never let our desires get fulfilled. They completely destroyed our desires. We all grew up with this kind of training. Our teacher made sure to destroy even our small desires. If you find something is not perfect and if you mention it, they would say, 'No, that is perfect. You are not right'.
In the olden days, people had this way of completely smashing your desires, so that you are happy and centered. In those days there was only one choice, either you have your desire or you have your Guru; you couldn’t have both.