Got to learn to focus

For every disturbing thought your mind throws up, give it rock-solid reassurance, advise Bharat & Shalan Savur.

A deer trotted slowly, searching for an idyllic spot to give birth to her fawn. She discovered a field full of high grass, promising safety from predators. As her labour pains intensified, suddenly, the skies scowled darkly. Lightning struck, setting ablaze a forest fire. To her left rose a poacher aiming his rifle at her. 

Simultaneously, on her right, crouched a lioness ready to pounce. Almost paralysed by these terrible threats and constrained by her full pregnancy, the deer simply focussed her mind and energy on giving birth… And so, the events unfolded: 

Lightning zig-zagged fiercely, blinding the poacher as he pulled the trigger. The bullet missed the deer and killed the lioness. 

Rain pelted down heavily and drenched the forest fire. The deer gave birth to a bonny fawn. 
You’ve got to know your priority during a troubled moment. It helps you stay focused, calm and healthy. Sometimes, we are trapped like the deer in rough, tough circumstances. And often, we are hemmed in by our own negative responses. When we panic, our body secretes adrenaline to put us in the ‘fight or flight’ mode. Our heart beats rapidly, breath quickens and becomes shallow, and leg and arm muscles tense. Such acute anxiety and fear can cause the blood pressure to spike, induce double vision, a paralytic stroke or even a coma. 

A coma is a desperate attempt, at a subconscious level, to make the world disappear. The opposite of going into a coma is to become deeply aware that each of us is a special soul on our own wonderful journey. The opposite of illness is a beautiful healing stillness. The opposite of fear is a huge dose of love. When things go wrong, focus on running errands or doing any other work. When you focus on doing something in those moments, you dissipate fear and give life to a new strength, a new hope in you. An elderly, erudite uncle of ours once said, “Divine intervention exists, but it must find you being calmly active.”   

Free yourself by focussing on the ordinary. Make a cup of tea. Clear out a drawer. Take slow, controlled breaths of 10 seconds each. Fold the newspaper neatly. Put away books. Count backwards starting at 1000. Shrug your shoulders backward 10 times to loosen your neck muscles. Explore the outdoors on foot and loosen your limbs. Wash your face. 

Remember the ‘All is well’ motto from the popular movie 3 Idiots? Keep your mind secure by talking to it with great love. For every disturbing thought it throws up, give rock-solid reassurance. Remember: today’s mighty oak tree was just yesterday’s little acorn that held its ground.