When You Are Confused, Meditate
Confusion is lack of clarity. When you look at your situation one way, it looks bad. But as you think of it another way, you feel more anguished. In confusion, your mind keeps wavering. You don’t know what to do.
Do you know, it really doesn’t matter what the reason of your confusion is — it could be a desire, it could be something someone said, it could be politics, it could be a scientific pursuit — anything. There are a million reasons that can trigger confusion.
What really matters is when you are confused you act from a space of indecisiveness which keeps powering confusion in your life.
So the important question is not how do you find specific solution for your problem. The important question is, how do you get rid of that irritation, wavering & agony in the first place.
If you keep on operating from a state of confusion, you wouldn’t find peace.
When you are confused you don’t feel stable. Every side of your story disturbs you —
“This job is not good. But I wouldn’t get another job. Even if I get another job, what is the guarantee, it will be better.”
“I will avenge my situation. No, I feel scared; may be I should just bear the pain.”
“I should open up in front of them. No it wouldn’t help, it never has.”
To get out of the confusion, usually you start resolving one side of your story in your mind. But after a point you feel lost. So, you jump onto the other side of the story. It feels better for sometime. After a point you feel lost there too.
You keep mulling on the situation but your predicament doesn’t change. No definitive answers come out.
Sleep doesn’t help either. Because once confusion has gripped your thoughts strongly, your dreams also play out a confused story. You don’t find a resting point.
In the morning as you wake up, the foul breath continues.
So what can you do?
One remedy to get over confusion is decide on one path. Do what needs to be done. Accept the consequences and then don’t think about it again.
If you can live your life like that, you will be less confused.
But hey, how many of us can stop thinking once consequences start unfolding.
Even when you take a decision, confusion can return. And usually it does.
It is like a thick mist that clears for sometime but then returns with more indecision, insecurity and instability.
What now?
Meditate.
When you are confused, the most important thing is to clear that irritation of heart and wavering of the mind.
This is done by meditating. Meditation creates a sense of peace and calm.
With a peaceful heart you can act from a space of certainty which is grounded in you; not in the external situation.
Any action you take from a space of peace, begets peace.
So, every time you feel confused, meditate.
Do it again and again. Don’t think that by meditating once, all you confusions will wither away.
Practically, tackle each situation one by one. You confused meditate. As you feel peaceful act. Move on.
You feel confused again. Repeat.
Just as confusions return, so should you return to meditation.
As you start acting from a space of peace, over time you will start feeling less confused.
