Making of meaning
When you believe you are in control of your life, rooted in action consciousness you get to decide what direction your life takes, you might be setting yourself up for frustration and disappointment. The sense of being in control of your destiny arising from a sense of doership rooted in subtle egocentric self, might make you feel good temporarily when the external factors are favorable or at the very least the tide of external forces has not turned against you. We see numerous such examples of people living 'The Good Life' all around us. High paying job, upward moving career trajectory, loving family, perfect health, exotic vacations. But how long do the good times last. How long can we avoid facing difficult circumstances like severe illness, financial setbacks, loss of a loved one and finally the inevitability of one's own death.
A crushing blow of fortune is enough to bring one's consciousness in complete disarray, for there is no stable anchor unaffected by external forces around which one can rally one's psychic energy. The ever growing menace of mental illnesses is nothing but disorder in the mind (also called psychic entropy) when faced with adverse stressful event and our increasing inability to keep order in consciousness in face of adversity. Resilience, perseverance, courage and transformational coping, are all attributes that we really admire. The ability to take misfortune and make something good come out of it, is a very rare gift. Those who possess it are called "survivors" and are said to have "resilience". So what makes people resilient?
First and foremost is the presence of a stable anchor in the form of a "goal" or "purpose" that is much higher than your own limited physical self and its immediate biological and social needs. A self transcending goal that gives an everlasting meaning and purpose to your life. Meaning and purpose can be found when you start to think beyond your own limited interests. When you think about how to bring peace and joy to others. When you start thinking about what can you do to alleviate suffering of even one living being. That is the beginning of building a stable anchor and steering your life through "meaning" and "purpose".
People who practice devotion or spirituality and within that specifically the practice of surrendering the control of their life to God find it easy to remain stable in times of misfortune. The unwavering belief that their life is in God's hands and whatever happens is in their own best interest, gives them a safe mental space that keeps their consciousness in order during adversity. A deep understanding of "The law of karma" coupled with regular meditation practice slowly builds into oneself that rare and most prized skill of "resilience".
So what is that one single "meaning" and "purpose" that makes your life worth living?
