Strength in the Storm

1. Stabilize Your Mind to Weather Life's Storms

We can’t control life, but we can control how we respond to life’s challenges.

Life's inevitable storms. Just as a ship encounters rough seas, life inevitably brings challenges, crises, and daily stresses. These storms are great equalizers, affecting everyone regardless of status or wealth. The crucial distinction lies not in avoiding the storms, but in how we navigate them.

Mind's inner weather. The real turmoil of life blows within the mind. An agitated mind can turn a minor irritation into a day-ruining event, while a calm mind can face tremendous crises with courage and wisdom. This steadiness of mind is a practical skill, vital for navigating an age of conflict and anxiety.

Install mental stabilizers. We cannot control external circumstances, but we can choose our internal response. Like the Queen Mary installing stabilizers to sail smoothly through rough waters, we can install mental stabilizers to keep our minds steady. This capacity is not something we need to develop from scratch; it's already within us, waiting to be accessed by a calm mind.

2. Your Inner Resources Are Already Present

Within ourselves, Easwaran assures us, we already have the resources to meet and even thrive on challenges.

Undiscovered capacities. Many people feel overwhelmed by life, believing they lack the strength or wisdom to cope. However, Easwaran emphasizes that every human being possesses deep, undiscovered resources for dealing creatively with challenges. These capacities—strength, love, wisdom, and creativity—are inherent, not something to be acquired.

Calm the agitation. The primary barrier to accessing these inner reserves is mental agitation. When the mind is stressed, confused, or panicky, these deeper resources remain locked away. The practical importance of a calm mind is its ability to quiet this agitation, allowing our innate strengths to flow into our lives.

Beyond quick fixes. Cultivating a calm mind is not a quick fix but a lifelong learning process. Yet, even simple techniques can bring dramatic changes almost immediately. By learning to keep our minds calm and kind in crisis, we become a center of strength for ourselves and for those around us, weathering storms and emerging stronger and wiser.

3. The Mantram: Your Universal Tool for Inner Calm

The mantram is a tool for calming the mind that anyone can learn and use at any time.

A handrail for the mind. The mantram, or "prayer word," is a simple yet powerful technique for calming the mind. It provides something to hold onto in confusing circumstances, allowing thoughts to clear and inner strength to emerge. It acts as an emergency call to one's highest self, appealing for resources that seem invisible in times of trouble.

Beyond mindless repetition. While it may seem like simple repetition, the mantram's power comes from consistent, conscious use. It works directly on the mind, offering immediate help and accumulating long-term benefits. Examples of traditional mantrams include:

• "My God and my all" (Saint Francis of Assisi)
• "Rama, Rama" (Mahatma Gandhi)
• "Om mani padme hum" (Buddhism)
• "Allah" or "Bismillah ir-Rahman ir-Rahim" (Islam)

Practical applications. The mantram calms you down, stops impulsive reactions, halts rising anger or panic, and provides a crucial breathing space to choose your next move wisely. By repeating it silently whenever possible—while waiting, walking, or falling asleep—it sinks deep into consciousness, anchoring the mind against agitation and even extending its protective influence to the body.

4. Live Fully in the Present Moment

Now is the only time there is. If we feel we don’t have enough time, the first thing to learn is not to waste the time we have.

The illusion of time travel. Most of us spend very little time truly in the present. Our minds constantly travel to the past, rehashing memories and regrets, or to the future, indulging in fears, anxieties, or wishful fantasies. This mental time travel, while seemingly harmless, drains our energy and creative resources, leaving us feeling fragmented and unfulfilled in the here and now.

One-third people. When a third of our attention is trapped in the past and another third in the future, we become "one-third people," unable to fully engage with the present. This scattered attention prevents us from experiencing life's richness and makes us feel overwhelmed by even small problems. The goal is to be whole, to be full, and to live completely in the present.

Slowing down for fullness. To reclaim the present, we must learn to slow down and give complete, undivided attention to whatever we are doing. The mantram helps bring the mind back when it wanders, training it to rest in the present. This practice not only makes us more effective but also multiplies life's ordinary joys, leading to a profound sense of fulfillment and freedom.

5. Conquer Worry with One-Pointed Attention

We live where our attention is. When we direct our attention fully to the present moment, we are fully alive.

The scattered mind. Worry, anxiety, fear, regret, and guilt all stem from a mind that cannot stay focused, jumping between conflicting thoughts. This "mechanical problem" of a runaway mind prevents us from being fully present and effective. The solution is surprisingly simple: train the mind to do one thing at a time with complete attention.

The secret of genius and joy. Complete concentration is the hallmark of genius in any field and the secret to profound joy. When attention is undivided, we become fully absorbed in the moment, multiplying life's ordinary pleasures a thousandfold. This skill, "voluntarily bringing back a wandering attention, over and over again," is the root of judgment, character, and will.

Practical application. To cultivate one-pointed attention:

• Do one thing at a time: Avoid multitasking, which scatters awareness.
• Use the mantram for routine tasks: Keep the mind present during chores that don't require full attention.
• Full concentration for complex tasks: Dedicate all attention to activities like driving or studying, even if the body performs multiple actions.
• Address past/future thoughts: Use the mantram to gently bring attention back to the present when caught in compulsive memories or anxieties.

6. Nourish Your Mind with Uplifting Experiences

We need nourishing thoughts and experiences to make our minds strong.

Mind's daily diet. Just as the body needs nutritious food, the mind requires nourishing thoughts and experiences to grow strong and healthy. The mind "eats" all day long, absorbing everything we think, feel, and perceive through our senses. What goes into the mind settles into the unconscious, shaping our character and consciousness for life.

Avoiding "junk experience." Much of what the mind consumes today, particularly from mass media, is like "junk food"—unhealthy, distracting, and often directly harmful. Incessant exposure to violence, negativity, and superficiality dulls sensitivity and fosters belligerent attitudes, aggression, and fear. The unconscious mind doesn't distinguish between "real" and "unreal"; all experiences sink in.

Conscious choices. To nourish the mind, we must reclaim the power to choose what enters our consciousness. Before engaging with any experience, ask: "Will this make me calmer, wiser, more compassionate, or will it agitate me?" Opt for activities that uplift and refresh, such as:

• Uplifting books, music, or documentaries
• Preparing meals with friends
• Gardening, making music, or team sports
• Volunteering or attending cultural events

7. The Power of Association: Choose Your Company Wisely

We automatically absorb the influence of those around us - for better or worse.

Mental atmosphere. Our minds are like white cloths, taking on the color of everything they are dipped in. We participate in other people's states of mind; consciousness is a mental atmosphere where states commingle. If someone in a room is angry or agitated, that state can spread, just like a physical contagion.

Granny's wisdom. Easwaran's grandmother taught him, "We become like those we associate with." This isn't just about imitating behavior; it's about the subtle formation of character. Spending time with calm people makes us calmer; with wise people, wiser. Conversely, associating with agitated or negative individuals can stir up our own minds, even without direct connection to their grievances.

Vigilance in conversation. Speech is a powerful element in this contagion. Negative conversations, gossip, or critical remarks communicate agitated states of mind. To protect ourselves, we must be vigilant about the kind of conversation we participate in, politely excusing ourselves from negativity. When we choose positive company and cultivate positive thoughts, we strengthen our own character and radiate a beneficial influence.

8. Cultivate Kindness to Become Unupsettable

Unkind words can cause lasting wounds. People will hurt you - but you can choose not to hurt them back.

Words are things. Words carry immense power; they can hurt, heal, inspire, or destroy. Unlike physical wounds, the pain from harsh words can fester for years, leaving lasting impressions deep in consciousness. Everyday quarrels, fueled by a mind out of control, often escalate beyond the original issue, causing significant damage to relationships.

The unupsettable mind. The Buddha taught that we get upset not because people upset us, but because we are "upsettable." The secret to becoming unupsettable is to treat others with the kindness and respect we desire for ourselves. This doesn't mean becoming a doormat, but rather gaining control over our own reactions. When provoked, use the mantram to pause, close your mouth, and regain control before responding.

Kindness as strength. Choosing kindness, even in the face of provocation, is a sign of immense inner strength, not weakness. It allows us to:

• Live up to our own high ideals.
• Maintain a sense of inner peace, free from guilt.
• Set a positive example for others, fostering harmony.
• Reply to criticism with detachment, choosing words that are constructive and respectful.
  This practice gradually makes us kinder in action and thought, building bridges rather than walls.

9. Transform Negative Emotions Through Selfless Service

Through selfless service and the mantram, Gandhi changed his fear into fearlessness, anger into compassion, hatred into love.

The human condition. All of us harbor negative emotions like fear, anger, and hatred. These are powerful, addictive "drugs" that can alter consciousness and lead to disastrous decisions and actions. However, negative states are not permanent; they fade if not reinforced by attention and repetition.

Gandhi's transformation. Mahatma Gandhi, initially a timid and fearful man, transformed himself into a beacon of fearlessness and compassion. He achieved this not through therapy, but by dedicating himself to selfless service and consistently repeating the mantram. His life demonstrated that anger, when controlled and transmuted, can become a power that moves the world.

The mantram's role. The mantram helps transform negative emotions by steadying the mind. Fear, for instance, is a frantic flickering of attention. When the mind is gripped by fear or anger, thoughts race wildly. Repeating the mantram acts as a brake, giving the mind something to hold onto. This steadies attention, causing the negative emotion to subside and its energy to be transformed into positive forces like love and compassion.

10. Radiate Peace to Transform Your World

When the mind is still, we can become an instrument of peace.

Broadcasting emotional states. Our minds are not just receivers but also repeaters, broadcasting our emotional states—positive or negative—to those around us. A person's irritation can easily spread, creating a zone of agitation. Conversely, acts of kindness release a force of kindness in the field of consciousness, spreading calm and positive influence.

The power of a focused mind. Most people's minds are scattered, broadcasting weak and confused signals. To have a positive impact, we need a concentrated, focused mind. By training the mind to be one-pointed and at peace, we can transform every negative emotion into a force for good, making our full contribution to a world in desperate need of peace.

Becoming an island of peace. In an "age of anger" and deep anxiety, each of us has a responsibility to become an instrument of peace. By quieting our minds and lighting the lamp of wisdom within, we create an "island of calm" wherever we go. This personal example helps those around us stabilize their lives, turning fear into fearlessness, anger into compassion, and hatred into love, adding light to the world instead of feeling helpless in the dark.

Last updated: January 11, 2026