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ABOVE LIFE'S TURMOIL
James Allen
The Overcoming of Self
What does "overcoming yourself" mean? It sounds philosophical, doesn't it? You might assume that it requires theories and logic to answer it. But in reality, overcoming yourself is easy. In fact, it is so easy and practical that even a kid can understand it. Overcoming the selfish part of you is destroying the ugly side of you. It is removing factors that cause you great pain, suffering, and sorrow. Getting over yourself does not mean you have to get rid of the good qualities. How can you say that you were successful in overcoming yourself? Suppose you are an impatient person. You get angry quickly with any minor inconvenience. This trait, however, makes you realise something. Your friends and coworkers are avoiding you. They do not interact with you anymore. They are afraid that you will grow irritated with them, which is easy to do since you are impatient.
So, you take it upon yourself to be better. You do anger management exercises. You focus on your breathing when you get mad at something. And it works. Practising gentleness and kindness means you have gotten over yourself. Being quick to anger is not just your only source of sorrow. There are also other elements you have to watch out for. There is lust, hatred, and greed. There is also indulgence and vanity. Be careful of pride, doubt, and delusions. These elements lead to different kinds of desires. For instance, hatred makes you feel good at the moment. You scream at your employee. You tell him how bad his output is. The desire to take out all of your frustrations on another person feels good.
Especially since the employee cannot talk back to you, but it is unfair. You did not need to scream at him in front of other people. Your anger was not proportional to the situation. To get over yourself, there are ten qualities you need to cultivate and practice. They are patience, humility, and purity. The others are self-reliance, fearlessness, and self-sacrifice. Also included are wisdom, knowledge, compassion, and love. The above qualities lead you to live a life that is noble and true. Every action you will take will be genuine and free from pain. That is the reward for overcoming yourself.
Belief, the Basis of Action
What do you associate with the word 'belief'? Images of holy deities may form in your head. Maybe you associate the word with Jesus or Buddha. After all, these two beings emphasised the power of belief. For Jesus, a certain kind of belief will save you. For Buddha, belief is your way to the truth. Without belief, you will not know how to act accordingly. But belief is not just limited to a particular religion or philosophy. Belief is what guides the path of your life. It influences your thoughts and, therefore, your actions. Belief is strongly connected to who you are as a person. Suppose you are a big advocate for animal rights. It would go against your beliefs--and yourself--to support companies that test on animals.
It is impossible to believe in two opposing beliefs. One cannot call for justice while engaging in unjust practices. You might
have heard of lawyers who tirelessly fight for the common good. They always push for justice no matter how hard it is. Despite the challenges, they persevere. They do not quit. They are calm even when the odds are against them. This is what happens when you stick to your beliefs. You stay strong despite the world forcing you to be weak. Do you believe in love and all its forms? Then you should practice it under all circumstances. Do not just love when it is convenient. Do not just love people who are easy to love. Love people who you consider your enemies. Love people who have wronged you. Your belief should always be evident at all times.
The believer in peace does not fight back. If he does, he believes in violence. He advocates for arguments and wars. Again, you cannot believe in two things. So, make sure your thoughts and actions align with your beliefs. There is a reason why Jesus has many believers. Jesus stuck to his beliefs until the very end of his life.He did not give up even when he was tortured for it, even when his friends betrayed him. Do you believe in Jesus? Are you following in his footsteps? Or do you say you believe but act differently? Take a close look at your thoughts and actions. Are they in sync with each other? If not, you are just deceiving yourself. You want to feel good for having beliefs. But you do not actually mean it. You only follow Jesus's commandments when it is convenient. Beliefs save you. It helps you stay away from evil and its many different forms. Beliefs help you to act and be good.