"Try to experience the daily demands of life with the least resistance" - this statement surfaced up in my conscious mind while going on a contemplative walk a few days back.
Our daily lives are filled with demands - from ourselves, our family, our workplace, traffic woes, and much more.
Every such demand is an experience in itself. And our days are a summation of those experiences. Some experiences are memorable and pleasing, while some leave behind a bitter taste.
Last week, I was tired one evening and we decided to order dinner. D was waiting and getting "hangry". The delivery person took more time than expected. After almost an hour, I called him to figure out his whereabouts. He was near my apartment and rushed to my doorstep. He insisted that he rang the bell multiple times, which we never heard, though we were sitting at home. He also sounded a bit aggressive, claiming that he had been trying to reach my number many times. He didn't listen to my arguments and was defensive that we made him wait. I received the order, without arguing back with him. Though it felt unjust, I decided to let go of this experience and not spoil my mood on a Fri evening.
D asked me, "Are you angry with the uncle because he shouted at you, mommy?"
I replied, "No, that's okay. It's not a big deal."
More than the experience, it is our resistance to that experience that causes greater pain and struggle.
Instead of viewing resistance and acceptance as binary parameters, let's consider them on a spectrum where one end is complete resistance and the other end is total acceptance.
The state of Total acceptance isn't easy to achieve for normal humans. It is more suited for evolved souls with multiple decades of practice.
The state of Complete Resistance is the one that causes severe stress and leads to destabilizing our state of mind for the rest of the day.
In the spectrum,
there are multiple points where
There is resistance, but not at extreme severity.
There is acceptance, but not to the point of total surrender.
Those points where we "resist less" can help us sail through moments of uncertainty, and manage situations beyond our control.
The keyword here is "Try". As we consciously make efforts to "resist less", it slowly becomes a habit.
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