The Bigger Picture
by Khushboo Mandowara
Have you ever found yourself asking questions like “Why me, God?”, “What now?” or “How will I ever get out of this?” I am sure most of you have experienced these episodes at some point in life. It could be anything – maybe you lost a job, failed in an exam, had a break-up or lost your savings.
When such things happen in life, it feels like everything is over. Whatever you worked hard for, has gone in vain. You imagined your future to be a certain way, but now everything is in crumbles. Life doesn’t make sense to you anymore. You feel stuck and hopeless.
But, these are the times when it is important for you to remember this – that whatever is happening in your life right now is simply a brush stroke in a painting. You have no idea what the bigger picture looks like. After a few years, when you will be able to stand from a distance and look at your life (the bigger picture); everything will make sense.
Here’s an Akbar-Birbal story, I funnily came across on LinkedIn:
One day, Akbar went hunting and had a little accident. He shot an arrow at his own foot and was injured. He asked Birbal what he thought about the accident, to which Birbal replied, “Everything happens for the good”. This time, Akbar was really upset and ordered for Birbal to be put in a prison. Akbar asked Birbal, “Now, what do you think?” Birbal again replied, “Everything happens for the good”. So, Birbal remained in the prison.
The emperor Akbar went on a hunting trip yet again, this time without Birbal. Akbar was captured by the tribes, who decided to offer him as a sacrifice to ‘Goddess Kali’. Just before chopping his head off, one of them saw the wound on the Akbar’s foot and decided to throw him back into the jungle, as per their customs, they cannot offer an imperfect body to Goddess Kali as ‘Bali’.
Akbar realized Birbal’s words and repented for leaving him in the prison and went back to get him. When Akbar explains what happened and apologized to Birbal for his act, Birbal says “Maharaaj, good that you left me, else they would have killed and offered me to Kali, instead of you”.
Moral of the story is, in the end everything works out. As the famous saying goes, “whatever happens, happens for good.” So, don’t judge your life based on one isolated incident. Be rest assured, years down the line, the pieces in your puzzle of life will fit perfectly well.
Your job is to simply pick the brush and paint – the bigger picture will form itself. So, here let me share 3 simple ways of how to build the bigger-picture thinking:
1. Understand that only efforts are in your control. As Krishna says, “Karma kar, fal ki chinta mat kar” – which means, do your duty without worrying about the result. So, do your best and leave the rest to God. If the result is in your favour, celebrate it. If it’s not, remember; something better is in store.
2. Speak to an experienced person or read up on an inspiring story. Their way with struggles and victories will help you look at the bigger picture. You will realise you’re not alone and that there are people who have been there and have come out as stronger, better people.
3. Spend time in nature. Nature helps to slow down your thoughts. You may be feeling unclear about something right now, but nature has the ability to show you that it gets better and there are bigger things in life. Look at the wide sky full of stars. Walk in a garden and look at the massive trees. Stroll alongside a beach and imagine the depth of it.
This may not solve your problem immediately, but will definitely provide you a different perspective.
Khushboo Mandowara is a Writer and a Life Coach. She believes words have the power to bring about a revolution in the world. With this belief, she is doing her bit by using written and spoken words to help people uncover the best version of themselves. From personal growth to career growth to building a healthy relationship – she has coached and transformed many people’s lives.
You can follow her on Twitter @CoachKhushboo
