Life Lessons

A constant search for answers to the mystery of life led Maninder Cheema to some insightful and highly valuable lessons.

- Maninder Cheema

You've been searching, looking for answers, trying to understand life, perhaps the meaning of it, the why of it. Or perhaps the meaning of your particular situation, your challenges. Why did this happen to me? Or why did that not happen to me? The search carries you to temple, church, books, gurus, scriptures, meditation, workshops, seminars, satsang. Does anything change? Do the circumstances ease? Did you get the answers? What changed?

I had this question. I did a lot of the above for many years. So what changed? Did life get easier? Did I get all that I wanted? Was it at all about getting what I wanted? Was it about happiness? What is happiness?

Decoding life

I used to be unhappy about my job. It was comfortable, but not exciting. Almost like a pension. This confused me. How could I be unhappy about a comfortable, secure and reasonably well-paying job? I tried to quit, change. I got a job offer. And then I chickened out at the last minute. I debated whether twice the current income would make me happier. Was it just about money? I gave up the offer. Shortly, the old job became more interesting. I was happy, the work became interesting, even exciting.

I went through this turmoil, this upheaval in my emotions, about my job. The lesson I learned from this cycle of emotions was of patience. It’s an ongoing learning. But another question that confronted me was when does patience turn into passivity and inaction? How to balance between waiting and taking action? Where does the spiritual search help in all this? Have I truly become more patient?