A young lady sat in a bus. At the next stop a loud and grumpy old lady came and sat by her.
                       She squeezed into the seat and bumped her with her numerous bags.                                          

The person sitting on the other side of the young lady got upset,
asked her why she did not speak up and say something.

The young lady responded with a smile:
“It is not necessary to be rude or argue over something so insignificant,
the journey together is so short. I get off at the next stop.”

Anonymous

Did someone betray you?
Stay calm.

Did someone steal something of yours?
Let it go.

Did someone break your heart?
Be strong.

Did someone insult you?
Stay in your self-respect.

Did someone cheat you?
Forgive them.

Remember this journey is too short…

Yes!  It might be easier said than done, but if we hold on to the hurt then we are the ones who are drinking the poison and expecting others to die!

It really is not necessary to argue over things that are insignificant, or take pain and sorrow from things that are so fleeting.  If we do, then we stop enjoying the beautiful scenes of life.  We get too caught up in judgement, anger, and our own self-pity and in so doing we become the creators of our own unhappiness.

We may never know when other people’s stop will arrive. They may only be in our ‘bus’ for a very short time, in which case, what is the point of getting upset? Let it go and move on. And even if we are on a longer journey together, why do we not do ourselves a favour and decide to enjoy the ride instead of spending it whining and complaining? It is in our hands to create the best moment at every moment!  We can create memories of happiness that we would like to remember again and again. What is the point of creating memories that we would rather forget?

Let us exercise what is in our hands.  Take the path of least resistance and less pain, which is the loving route of forgiveness, kindness, compassion and respect. To stay quiet, to love, to forget, to respect, are signs of an enlightened soul. In any case it is a dead-end street to try to control others.

If we hold onto the negative, we are poisoning ourselves. Would you give poison to someone you love?  That is exactly what we do when we complain and criticise and get irritated.  Acceptance is love.  Non-acceptance is based on underlying feelings of anger and rejection. It means that at some level we do not accept or love ourselves.

So next time you find yourself being disappointed, annoyed or upset with something or someone, just remind yourself the journey is TOO short. Why should I allow this person, situation, or my own lack of tolerance to steal my happiness or my zest and excitement for life?

It’s Time… to let go. This journey of life is too short to spend it blaming and complaining. Stop drinking the poison and choose acceptance and happiness instead.

© ‘It’s Time…’ by Aruna Ladva, BK Publications London, UK

Om Shanti