Human beings are not the victims of situations and circumstances. The person who moves forward with their mission or goal with conviction and determination lives a meaningful life.
If I have firm resolve, if I am committed to being a good human being, there is no excuse not to practice and live a virtuous life. The mind will suggest all kinds of excuses, but we must reach within for something stronger than the mind.
Various situations and circumstances arise in our lives. Some may be favorable and others unfavorable. How do I remain firm in my virtue? If I am committed to staying in my comfort zone, bringing virtues into my life is not possible.
We all have our comfort zones – we have figured ourselves out: “This is what I like, this is what I am, this is what I do, this is where I feel comfortable, this is where I feel uncomfortable.” We have created a little cocoon around ourselves, and we try to maintain it.
Developing virtues like kindness, forgiveness, tolerance or acceptance requires us to come out of our comfort zone. Self-effort is required. In the beginning, self-effort may seem like a sacrifice. We become lazy. As a result, we end up staying in the same place.
Whenever we try to bring some kind of discipline into our life, the weakness that we identify with throws a tantrum. Because we identify so much with addictions that we have — whether it is an emotional addiction or an addiction to a substance — the very moment that we think of it, that act itself becomes the chain, the shackle on our feet. And we feel as if we have become a victim to this situation. No! Will power, self-effort, is what makes us a true human being, a seeker of God, a yogi, when we are able to push through instead of remaining stuck.
Yes, our comfort zone may feel good. But if the aim of life is just to feel good – that’s a very limited goal. Even an ant gets up in the morning and sets out looking for food and shelter. What makes us a human being is this capacity to stretch our boundaries, to work with that energy that gets trapped keeping us in our comfort zone. The day we begin to view our life in that light, instead of identifying with being a victim of circumstances, we gain control. All situations are the same, but how we’re looking at them is what makes a difference.
Be sincere with your devotion; be sincere with your determination to be a good human being without deluding yourself. When we all strive to be good human beings, then we can create a beautiful community around us and we can truly live a meaningful life.