If you can’t go outside, go inside

Bhumi Sharma

This phrase keeps me calm. There are times when we all feel a bit overwhelmed and troubled. That’s when I remind myself – “If you can’t go outside, go inside.”

And it helps.

But then the question arises, “How?”

All it requires is a pause, a halt. Take a pause, whenever you feel troubled. Breathe in, breathe out.

Close your eyes and look inside yourself.

Reflect and stay with yourself and your thoughts. You might see an ocean of problems. Don’t get overwhelmed.

To understand any problem, we must give it our undivided attention. We must look at the problem as a whole without any judgements, biases, or complications.

Start with the small.

J Krishnamurti in one of his talks in Ojai, California said, “Root of understanding lies through the small, the trivial. Without understanding the small, thought – feeling cannot go beyond itself.” So take one thread at a time, and slowly you will be able to unwind the enormous entangled wool of thoughts inside you.

This is how I keep myself calm and untangled from any outer/inner disturbance. It is very necessary to stay calm and have a stable, still and open mindset while learning.

Whenever I have to take a dip inside, here’s what I do:

Take a walk.

Journal a lot.

Listen to music.

Talk to myself in the mirror.

Play my violin.

Watch my breath and emotions.

Remind myself I am me, I am good, as junk is not made.

It is always the air in the balloon that makes it fly and not the colour outside.

Bhumi Sharma just finished her class 12 from Rajghat Besant School, Varanasi. She can be reached at bhu.divyodika@gmail.com.