Do you often find yourself lost in thoughts about the past or anxious about the future?
I used to struggle with living in the present moment. I often dwelled on past events, analyzing them, or worried about potential futures, constructing elaborate stories about what might happen.
I believed I was in control of my life. However, despite my self-improvement efforts, I wasn’t achieving the results I desired. Situations didn’t unfold as I hoped. After facing rejection after rejection of my visa application, I began to ask myself: Why is this happening? What am I doing wrong that is leading to this outcome? These setbacks shattered my peace, leaving me stressed and questioning what within me was causing these results.
Months later, during a conversation with my cousin, I had a realization. He said, “We aren’t in control of our destiny or life situations. We think we are, but we aren’t. If we truly had control, why would we be in situations that drain our soul and rob us of peace?” At that moment, it felt as if a brick had been removed from the foundation of my mind. I felt strong resistance within and wanted to scream, “No, no, I am in control of my life!”
Then, I realized I had been trying to control everything. I thought I had surrendered my life to a higher power, but my stress during rejections revealed otherwise. True surrender would have brought peace, trusting that everything was happening for my highest good and that my higher self was guiding everything. Since that day, I’ve become more aware of living in the “now” and less fixated on the past or future. Whenever my thoughts stray, I gently bring them back to the present.
I now engage in activities that I feel inspired to do rather than those I think I should do. This practice has transformed me. I’ve become more peaceful, happy, and joyful. My intuition has strengthened, and I’ve become more in tune with my emotions, which helps me release them more easily.
When I say we don’t have control, I’m referring to our conscious mind, which isn’t designed to know the “how” of our life. I have learned that my conscious mind’s sole task is to help us navigate this world and take necessary actions. But the “how” is the domain of our higher self or soul, which has a comprehensive view of our life and access to all the information about us. Since then, I have understood that I am in excellent hands, allowing me to enjoy life fully without the burden of constant planning. This realization has brought me immense relief.
