Good times, bad times!

This is a blog gathering my random thoughts on bad times, good times.

There are days when I wonder about good and bad times. Are we really at the mercy of the planets? Is there something called a good time or a bad time. Do prayers offset bad times?

I am reminded of this story which I read in Tinkle a while back. There was this old Wazir who used to respond “Goodluck, bad luck, who knows?” to everything that happened to him. The story starts off with supposedly misfortune befalling him, which turns into a blessing in disguise, and then into misfortune and so on. I don’t remember how it ends, but that phrase stuck in my mind.

Therefore, if we were to presume that every misfortune is good fortune in disguise and vice-versa, then we are not at the mercy of the planets. Hmm, this merits a rethink….

One more phrase that I recall, however clichéd it may sound, is “tough times never last, tough people do”. Possibly true, since everything seems to follow a cyclical pattern and if you can keep your head up in the trough, you will reach high in the peak. Imagine the plight of all the employees in Satyam – probably the Rajus will stay happy for the next “Saath pusht” (seven generations). What of the employees? How are they to blame for the brink where they find themselves today? Can “bad time” hit 50,000 odd people at the same time? I don’t know, but this sure qualifies as a “tough time”. I hope that all those people are really tough to weather this storm.

I heard someone say that astrologers have it great during Recession with people flocking to them for advise and parikramas to ward off the evil times. I don’t know – probably there are a lot of these people who lead people astray for personal gain, but of the believers, I suppose that going to the astrologer serves the same purpose as going to a place of worship – you look for a source of hope, to stay afloat in a tough time and move on clinging to a vein of hope, no matter how slender it is.

Another piece of conversation strikes me is one I had with a friend. She was undergoing “Shani” phase in her life and was at the end of it. I was to start off on this same phase. She told me, that there are 4 forces in everyone’s life –
1. Suya-bal – refers to the will or the qualities that come from self
2. Griha-bal – refers to the power that the planets have on the course of events
3. Deiva-bal – refers to the power of God in charting the course of events
4. I forgot this one, but it refers to the goodwill and prayers that others offer for you.

She reasoned, at any point in time, only 25 percent of what is happening to you is because of planets, which you cant do anything about. God doesn’t go against anyone, and goodwill is something that has to be earned. As for Suya-bal, it is upto each of us to bring it out. Why should 25 percent hold sway over the balance 75 percent. It can be only because the self has not realized its potential.

I recall this reasoning in the worst of my days to tide over that crisis, that moment. I really believe that what can be achieved by harnessing my will would be good, it will have the support of God and the people who matter the most to me.

Someone once told me, “I am going through a bad time, I should just put my head down and submit to it, endure what it gives me”. I think that person let the 25 percent override the balance. We shouldn’t do that – oh, I know it is easy to preach this, very difficult to try and follow it. But I remember that friend and her words – she may not have fully been able to implement the “Suya-bal” and I sure am not able to always do it – but the memory helps.

In this context, there are two other phrases/ verses which I recall when tested. Possibly, those who have the habit of reading Readers’ Digest, would recall these:

1. Why worry when you can fix it, if you cant do anything about it, what’s the use of worrying?

2. The optimist fell twelve storeys
And at each window bar
He cried to his friends who were frightened below
“Well, I am alright SO FAR!”

The second one especially has the ability to soothe frazzled nerves and give me the strength to move on.

There are various ways we all cope - it could be different for each of us. What never fails to amaze me, though, is the sheer capacity that we all have to cope and move on. We all have it and when it matters, we prove our mettle.