More than words, we convey through our presence and our vibrations. I can speak about love for two hours, but a baby in your house can show you love in seconds. Even your puppy does the same – they jump around, go crazy, and instantly communicate what love is. We convey through our vibrations.
Inside, you may feel low, while outside you put on a smile – and people notice. Someone may welcome you warmly but inwardly think, “Oh my God, why did you come?” And haven’t you met people you instinctively avoid, or people you instantly like to interact with? That is vibration.
If you are upset at home and go to work with an uptight mind, you spread those vibrations. If you are fearful or anxious during an interview, you often don’t get hired because the vibration is shaky. If you were the employer, would you hire someone whose mind is unclear or trembling? Confidence gets hired – anxiety doesn’t.
Yet neither at home nor in school are we taught anything about our vibrations. We don’t know how to clear negative ones or strengthen positive ones. It is natural to get upset; you cannot smile artificially all the time. But you must know how to snap out of it – and that is where we lack training.
Babies know it. A baby’s tears are still wet on the cheeks, and the next moment they smile. Ancient people said a healthy emotion should last no longer than a line drawn on water. But as adults, our emotions stay like lines carved on stone. One person upsets you, and you think of them when you wake up, while brushing your teeth, while showering, while sipping tea. We are caught in our own mental dialogue.
Even as I speak, you are having your own dialogue – “Yes, yes, this makes sense,” or “No, I don’t agree.” So when you say yes, are you listening to me or to yourself? When the mind says yes, it is only agreeing with what you already know. When it says no, it is because logic is based on knowledge, and knowledge is limited.
For years, people believed butter was bad. Then Time magazine said butter is good. Cholesterol was thought to be dangerous; now they say the brain needs it, and low cholesterol increases the risk of depression. Scientific American published that. Knowledge changes, so logic changes.
Mental health is a big issue today because we have ignored consciousness. That neglect leads to anxiety and depression. We worry about the country – it will be fine. If you want to worry, worry big: worry about the planet. Big worries energise you; small worries take away sleep.
Small worries suffocate you, a larger vision empowers you.
Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
