Thursday 20 December 2012

On Caring


Some of my friends tell me they have been praying or meditating a lot recently and this helps them handle their troubles better. They feel more peaceful and centred and can tolerate or ignore things which would've made them very agitated earlier, things which they have found after many years of fighting or struggle to be beyond their control.

I'm not religious. I don't have particularly strong views about religion either. For me it's something that other people do, like horse riding. Hence praying is not my thing. If I ever use the word "praying", what I mean is that I'm wishing for something with all my heart.

I don't get the meditation thing either, though not for lack of trying. When you're back in the real world, your problems will be right there waiting patiently to welcome you. Maybe it works as a good break. For me a brisk walk or an iPod serves the purpose just as well to create some distance.

What works for me is to care a lot. And keep caring. About whatever problem is bothering me. Caring to the point of tears, caring to the point of repeated humiliation, caring to keep fighting about it and keep speaking up about it and keep searching for solutions about it and not stop caring.

Nothing always works, and this doesn't either, and its hard on the heart all the time, but it has a sufficient success rate for me to keep at it, and besides I don't know any other way.