Why are so many struggling emotionally these days?

Mental health problems are through the roof.

Most people seem more stressed and anxious than ever.

Yet at the same time, we’re safer, more protected, more comfortable, more coddled than ever before.

Something ain’t computing.

I didn’t really get why until I stumbled on this ancient quote from Rumi:

“All your anxiety is because of your desire for harmony. Seek disharmony, then you will gain peace.”

Could the guy have been right?

What if, in our determined pursuit of:

• Harmony

• Happiness

• Safety

• Perfection...

We lost our way?

Here’s why this is important, that most modern people do not understand:

In our striving for harmony, we reject truth.

The truth is that life is messy.

It has sharp edges.

It has problems that show up every day. And we’re essentially training ourselves (especially our young) to pretend that hardship isn’t a thing.

So when it shows up at our door with jagged teeth, we fuss and fight and hide.

Rumi said we should seek disharmony, but I don’t believe we need to intentionally try to make life harder for ourselves.

That’s just a kind of masochism.

Instead of actively trying to avoid struggle, we can accept that it is there. We can even embrace it.

And here’s the beauty of this:

When we accept the messiness of life, we see that it was all in our heads anyway. And by avoiding the bad, we inadvertently give it strength and renewed meaning.

That’s why we’re suffering.

We’ve made ‘hard’ things bigger than they are.

We’ve, rather ironically, made life more challenging than it needs to be.

So, how do we find our resilience again?

We stop desiring harmony.

We let go.

We no longer entertain thoughts that say life is a misery.

Because only you have the power to create a nightmare.

We surf rather than ducking below the waves.

My Untethered Mind course is perfect for navigating life with far less worry.

The course doesn’t give you any tactics. It’s an experiential process that helps you come to various realisations about the true nature of thought.

This discovery process is worth doing for anyone overwhelmed by stress and worry.

Learn more about Untethered Mind here.