“Waking up from ‘winter sleep’, dissatisfied with how we spent our time, we often promise ourselves that with the arrival of spring we will turn over a new leaf. And then everything really starts to change.”
“Starting over is not that easy. In general, good intentions are not enough in these situations, because as soon as we start working, the natural law of cycles comes into play. After the initial period of change and great effort focused on changing something in life, the next phase begins and we stop, overwhelmed, without the strength to overcome the first difficulties and the first rebellion of our own personality, which is resistant to reforming.”
“And this repeats from cycle to cycle: after a good start and takeoff, there is a decline and a return to the state we were in before.”
“In all similar situations, one important factor comes into play, which represents both the core problem and the starting point for its solution: in order to achieve even elementary inner stability, calmness, and strength, our life needs to gain optimal” a rhythm that will enable the expression of the finest qualities of our being.
The absence of a life rhythm is a particular problem for many: the lack of rhythm can explain why we do not do much of what we would like to do, why we miss out on what we have been waiting for so long, why we have not achieved what destiny has determined for us.
For years, we have lived according to an artificial rhythm consisting of numerous established habits, stereotypes, selfish desires, complexes, and fears. But gradually we begin to feel that this artificial rhythm stifles and restricts our true nature and leads us to become beings “out of habit”. Therefore, this course of events must be fundamentally changed. When we abandon the old rhythm, the most important thing is not to allow a state of loss, despondency, chaos, and passivity. It is necessary to find a new rhythm and to build it in such a way that it is based on what we are transitioning to it for – our highest dreams, hopes, and aspirations.
In establishing any rhythm, one essential quality is needed. This process becomes unattainable: perseverance. If we ask ourselves what every rhythm consists of, we will see that it is based on persistent effort in all aspects of being – in action, thinking, feeling, ideas, and creative abilities. Instead of one big effort and short-lived momentum followed by inaction and inertia, it is better to take small but persistent steps that will eventually lead to the realization of our envisioned goal.
Perseverance in effort and action, and rhythm as a result of it, are the keys that open the doors to higher qualities, virtues, and abilities.
Little secrets of daily rhythm
Just like everything in nature, our body needs a rhythm that will help it prepare for upcoming events and situations and transition more easily from one phase of the cycle to another. Therefore, it is very important to have a rhythm in going to bed and waking up, a rhythm in eating, and a rhythm in maintaining personal hygiene. Equally important is having a rhythm in relaxation, physical activity, and the balance between work and leisure. In perseverance: simple physical tasks, exercises or just walks not only exercise the body, but also provide calmness and rest for the soul.
By engaging in such persistent actions, our body will respond by revealing deep potentials and reserves whose existence we had not even suspected, which are awakened only in response to the efforts we have expressed.
How to overcome fatigue
Perseverance is also necessary in regulating our energy, work rhythm, and rest. We must organize our work in such a way that periods of activity alternate with periods of rest.
Establishing such a rhythm is simultaneously a practical exercise in which we learn to optimally distribute our strength and reserves. When sudden “unexpected” fatigue and exhaustion strike us in the middle of an activity, we will know that we need to endure one more minute in order to finish the work and we will be able to find the necessary energy for it. As we strive to “endure until the end”, the thought of the planned and well-deserved rest that awaits us after hard work will keep us going. or during which we will regenerate our body and renew our strength for a new activity.
Emotional cycles
Persistence in the realm of emotions consists of the ability to regulate and control three states of our psyche. Who hasn’t experienced extremes in moods? There is a period of “universal good mood” during which we feel a strong surge, everything appears rosy, everything seems beautiful and promising. During this period, vigilance, caution, and objectivity in judgment often weaken, causing us to see people and events not as they are, but as we would like to see them. Despite all the advantages of this period, caution is necessary in judgments so that we do not make premature conclusions and take hasty steps that could lead to negative consequences.
The other extreme is the period of “universal bad mood” during which, sometimes without any serious reason, we feel deep emotional exhaustion, depression, and passivity. Everything appears gray, heavy, and boring. Currently, we have a feeling that all our actions are hopelessly failing, and the flaws of the people around us seem enormous. We only see the dark and negative in everything. Our joy of life, energy, optimism, and faith in people have disappeared without a trace. This period is characterized by subjectivity in judgments, haste in conclusions, and insecurity in actions. Because of our pessimism, because we see people, things, and events only in black, we declare what is possible as impossible and what is solvable as unsolvable.
Between these two extremes, there is a period of complete emotional indifference and insensitivity during which we stop experiencing, feeling, and reacting.
We must make a persistent effort to control all three emotional states. Our task is to show a little more caution, vigilance, and objectivity in judgments during the period of “universal good mood”. Likewise, during the period of “dark mood”, we need to show more enthusiasm, energy, and basic goodness. During the period of emotional neutrality It would be good to have open eyes, ears, and heart, so that we wouldn’t later regret what we neither saw nor heard, and what we missed because of a weary heart.
We have to know that our job and our relationship with people should not depend on changes in our mood. Emotional stability is achieved through persistent efforts we make in overcoming bad moods, especially in those activities and situations where the fate of our dreams, the fate of other people, and our own fate depends on our reawakened enthusiasm, hope, and faith.
Thoughts should also be controlled
The world of our thoughts, that infinite and inexhaustible source, always reflects our perception of visible and invisible reality, our relationship with people and events, the presence or absence of deep understanding of the laws and meaning of existence. Although ideally our thinking should be a guarantee of truthful and objective perception of everything that exists, in practice, quite often, everything can be completely opposite: n our thoughts become a source of illusions and subjective perception of the world and events.
Here, the steadfastness of our efforts should be directed towards learning how to avoid the most beloved and dangerous traps into which we so often fall. These traps appear as “cyclic” ideas, or simply put, “circulations.” Every time we feel trapped in the power of a “circulation” that leads us to the same limited conclusions and reactions, we must show the persistence and strength of will to break that enchanted cycle. Instead of constantly returning to the same topic and endlessly pondering the same thoughts, thereby maintaining the same state of mind and heart, we should make an effort to stop.
If we want these efforts to be effective, they must be decisive and persevering. In addition to willpower, there is a need for sincere aspiration for our conclusions to correspond to truth and correctness, rather than our desires. Genuine and constant readiness to not prioritize ourselves and our interests is necessary. It is obvious that persistence in our thinking must be. permeate much deeper. It is connected to a continuous struggle with one’s own selfishness, in which strong, genuine love and true kindness play not only an important, but a decisive role. After all, as always and in everything.
As for the ability to organize and control time, success in this area means the skill of setting priorities. We often fail to do many things and often leave important tasks for the end. This happens precisely because we do not have the habit of asking ourselves every day what is important and what is unimportant, what can and what cannot wait, what needs to be resolved immediately and what gradually. Persistent efforts of this kind will result in a proper approach to our work and obligations, we will complete what we started and will not miss moments suitable for optimal problem solving. This way, we will avoid making mistakes by reacting to situations either too early or too late.
Necessary inspiration
Perseverance in endeavors knows no boundaries, and that’s why we will only point out some of the most important and current aspects for us. We need a constant source of inspiration as spiritual food, and that in a certain rhythm. We must allow ourselves to return to the sources so that we can take new steps, be in our “element”, express abilities and aspirations deeply hidden within us. It is necessary to know how to pause in order to feel ourselves and remember again those great ideas and dreams that our true nature strives for. Perseverance in inspirations contains an attempt to remember who we are, where we came from, and where we are going.
Another very important aspect for us is perseverance in constantly expanding horizons, and for that, daily or at least occasional but rhythmic effort is needed in understanding and deeply comprehending the laws and meaning of existence. This does not mean gathering more information; it means making a constant effort to ponder what we already know and break through to new knowledge and new horizons that will eventually become much less abstract.
The classics of ancient wisdom have left us so many beautiful treasures in the inheritance. and simple ways of getting to know oneself. Perseverance on the spiritual level is manifested in the ancient practice: every day, usually before going to sleep, reflecting on the day that has passed, and every morning choosing external and internal questions to work on. We are talking about a very deep daily analysis that considers not only external affairs and obligations, but primarily virtues, flaws, and other current aspects of our inner life and our relationship to the world that surrounds us. We need to pay attention to what we have succeeded in expressing and what we have not, to what extent and in what form, what problems and obstacles have arisen in the process, and what lesson we have learned from the events throughout the day.
Therefore, perseverance on the spiritual level also assumes an attempt to perform at least a small act every day through which we can elevate ourselves a little.
Sometimes we are too indifferent to everything. Perhaps because we remain the same for too long, without any change. Perseverance in changing, perseverance in being reborn is the secret. It’s something that doesn’t need to be explained in words. Those who go through it, they know.