Learning to Stay Centered

Priya Bhaidaswala
Jul 22, 2017 · 2 min read

On my 21st birthday, my parents gifted me a gold necklace with a pendant in the silhouette of a lotus. In most Asian cultures, the lotus is a sign of purity of body, mind, and speech. The lotus’s roots are grounded in mud, but the flower floats pristinely above water, letting droplets fall off its petals with ease.

I wear this lotus everyday as a constant reminder to myself to stay centered. The daily aggravations of life often times pull us to our emotional extremities.

My morning self was in a panic, speeding my way to work even though I was already too late to make up for the lost time. My afternoon self was peeved at my boss for his hovering and micromanaging, even though he has always been this way and will never change. By the evening, I was so upset at a coworker for his rude and immature behavior with me that my legs were literally shaking. But by the night rolled around, after grabbing dinner with an old friend, I was in the best mood all week.

How is it that when we’re upset, our emotions make us feel as though our situation is permanent? The mind fixates on the negative too easily. We get carried away in the rawness of the moment. It’s crazy how strongly our emotions can change in just one day.

What we forget in that time is that for every bad moment we feel today, there will be a happy moment that follows. And for every happy moment, there will be a sad one that follows.

Just as everything else in life, this moment too shall pass.

It is so easy to emotionally react to every person, situation, or issue at hand. But rather than reacting, what if we paused to assess our emotions? What if, instead of reacting, we respond with a clear and centered mind?

With this tactic, I probably would have greeted my parents before rushing out of the house. I would have used a not-so-snappy tone with my boss at work. And I would have calmly confronted my coworker without the tears and trembles.

Staying centered is not about being happy all the time. It’s not about being robotic and emotionless either. Staying centered is about being rooted in a consistent state of thoughtfulness.

Like a lotus, let life’s misgivings roll off my back like little droplets.

Nobody said it would be easy, but with daily practice, it is definitely possible.

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