Baba says, ‘you have to become tension-free‘. Have the determined thought that from today, there is only attention, no tension.

Tension or anxiety comes in a few ways.

Sometimes, tension comes when I worry about the future- ‘what if I lose my job?’, ‘what if I lose my home?’, ‘what if…’ Most of these scenarios never ever come true but I worry anyway and tell myself that I am preparing myself for the worst. I am really not! Worrying does not prepare me for anything, it depletes whatever resources I have such that I am unprepared when the moment actually comes.

Sometimes, it is because I am trying to control that which I cannot. I tried something and I’m not happy with the outcome. So I start to question: ‘why did this happen?’, ‘how can this happen?’, ‘why me?’, ‘I tried so hard…and yet nothing good ever happens to me’. The chain of thoughts goes on and when left unstopped, it makes things worse- the more I think, the bleaker the situation seems to be. So then, I start to do things like blame others, blame my own bad karma, maybe even call people to see if anyone can help me, run around telling people about my plight etc.

Sometimes, it is indeed something big like a death in the family that comes unexpectedly. And I am tensed about what’s next. What will I do? How will I go on? where will I go? More often than not, the tension is about me and the impact on me…not necessarily about the soul that passed on. I am overcome with grief and doubts about an uncertain future.

No matter the reason, the sign of tension is waste thoughts. They come at a fast speed and continue to pick up pace until I am completely exhausted and have no more energy to do anything meaningful. So not only did I have a crisis, I am now tired.

Your thoughts and time are the most valuable treasures of this time– the confluence age, Baba reminds me. So don’t waste it…rather, use it.

Unlike souls in the outside world, I have the knowledge that Baba has given me. He has already told me that things will happen suddenly and I know this from my own experience. Nothing happens with an appointment! I don’t know what will happen tomorrow or even in the next 5 mins. There are no guarantees, so let me not live in the illusion that there is. Because, that’s when I am surprised when something happens.

Next, He has given me the knowledge of the Drama. Nothing that happens in the Drama is useless. There is no such thing as a good scene or a bad scene, it is what it is…it is perfect. There is benevolence in everything- and this can seem cruel sometimes…like, what benevolence could there be when someone close to me dies! But for one, I know a soul lives on, it is eternal. Second, the soul has moved on, it is me that is holding on. Third, I will find inner strength and resources that I didn’t even know I had, discover a part of me that I could only have without that soul. Most importantly, Baba has trained me to make Him my one Support and one Trust. I will NEVER lose Him, so I will always be taken care of!

If I lost a job, I suddenly find myself with nothing to do but Baba has given me a schedule right from the moment I wake up. Let me immerse myself in my spiritual study even as I move on to apply for new opportunities. That’s the real work, the meaningful work…worrying about what happened, why it happened etc. is not useful and is a huge time suck. I might find that the forced downtime is just what I needed to rebuild my spiritual strength before my next chapter…and yes, there is always a next chapter!

When an event occurs, it is always suddenly but Baba has prepared us with the knowledge and we have His company. Never make yourself alone, He says. When I panic and get swept up in the tsunami of waste thoughts, I forget Baba exactly when I need Him the most. Instead, let me pay attention and nip the waste in the bud. I do this second by second. The first thought comes but when I’m attentive, I don’t engage…I put a full stop. Then the second thought will come, again, I put a full stop…I do this a few times until I’ve sent a clear message to my intellect that this is not the right trajectory.

You are the master of your mind and intellect, He reminds me. You are the creator of your thoughts. You have the power to control and rule your mind.

When that second gets loud and scary and I see the darkness start to envelope me, let me remember just one word- I might not even have the awareness in that moment to understand it but let me just say ‘Baba!’. Say it out loud- not because I need to call Baba…He is already there but it is more to activate my own strength, to shift my own awareness away from the problem. It doesn’t take a paragraph or even a sentence to shift…all it takes is one word. ‘Baba!’ is the switch that dispels the darkness and sheds light. It is the key that unlocks my inner strength, it is the power that knocks Maya out cold. That second where I am trying to apply the full-stop might feel like an eternity, I might sense my chest tightening up and feel like I could explode any minute but the word ‘Baba!’ will release me from that choke-hold. You are never alone, promises Baba. Always remember that Shiv and Shakti can never be separated, they are always together.

Every day, there are mini tests that come my way that are opportunities for me to practice paying attention, applying the full-stop. Let me use my time in a worthwhile way in remembrance and strengthen my connection with Baba. Then, when the big storm comes, I’m in auto-pilot. That is how I prepare, not by worrying.

My thoughts create feelings which influence my attitude. My attitude is what creates the atmosphere. You have a responsibility to yourself and also towards your brothers and sisters in the world, Baba says. You have suffered long enough, stop sabotaging yourself from this moment on, become tension-free, He says. There is enough sorrow in the world, my duty as a world transformer is to radiate calm, peace and power into the atmosphere so other souls experience it in their lives. They may not know where it came from, but they will experience it and thank God and His angels for that little salvation. You have to become an image of support, He says.

So make a determined thought, says Baba, that you will become tension free. All it takes is attention…second by second by second…