“We cannot control the rain, but we can move ahead with greater confidence when we have an umbrella with us!” These wise words caught my attention as I was surfing the Art of Living website. Life has a way of pulling the rug from under your feet and I was looking for a safe haven from the vagaries of existence. That was when I visited the website. But first things first…
I had moved to Bangalore leaving my family when I got admission into a reputed law college here. Coming from a protected background, it was a challenge for me to survive in the big city all alone. I was feeling lonely and lost and sought out the wrong kind of people to keep me company. I thought the only way to make and keep friends is by partying. I made friends with people who took me on the path of self-destruction. We would get together each evening and binge on booze, cigarettes and non-vegetarian food, all three of which were easily available if you had the money to spend. The alcohol gave me a kick and made me feel that life was wonderful and happy and the so-called ‘friends’ loved me for who I was. I received support that I was seeking from the outside world, little realising that it was just a mirage and that my drinking pals would vanish the day I didn’t have the money to fund our vices. Smoking and alcohol thus became an integral part of my life. I got hooked on to these habits and felt I could not do without them.
One day I woke up with a splitting headache and could not attend college. I lay the whole day in bed feeling nauseated and sick. I realised that I couldn’t go on in this manner. I had to do something about my life. What should I do? How do I get out of this vicious circle? Who should I turn to for help? These questions agitated my mind.
Suddenly an idea struck me. Being in Bangalore I had heard about Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Guruji. His influence on the young minds is so great that there is always someone in every college or school that has done one of the courses offered by the Art of Living Foundation or at least knows someone who has.
I sought help.
I visited the Bangalore Ashram in August 2011. The serene and sylvan surroundings at once captured my heart. I felt I had come home! There I got an opportunity to see our beloved Guruji. His presence was mesmerizing. He seemed to be a divine being. I felt as though I was in a different world — a world of peace and bliss, a world that seemed like heaven on earth. And before I realized I found myself sitting for the next YES+ course in the Ashram, in the presence of Sri Sri Himself. The Youth Empowerment Seminar included interactive training on life skills, techniques to improve mental concentration and methods to overcome fear and anxiety through yoga, meditation and a powerful breathing technique called the Sudarshan Kriya.
The first time I did the Sudarshan Kriya, I felt all the negativity being flushed out of my system through my breath. The tears started flowing and washing all the pessimism out of my life. Positivity filled the vacuum that was created. I could feel the energies changing around me and the realisation dawned that happiness was an inside job. My life was transformed. Things that seemed impossible for me began to actually materialize. I quit smoking and drinking and there has been no urge to get back to it ever again. All this is due to Guruji’s grace.
This is not all. Guruji’s blessings have been so great that apart from helping me to kick the bad habits, he has put me squarely on the road to success. After completing my Law degree, I was on the lookout for a good job as I needed to support myself. Despite several failed attempts at securing a decent job, I did not lose faith. At the core of my being I felt that Guruji would take care of everything and things would work out. I surrendered to the Divine.
Recently, I had an interview scheduled with a multinational company for a Legal post. I sincerely prayed before going for the interview. After the first round of Interview, when I got an opportunity to interact with the other candidates who had come there, I found that I was the only fresher while all the others had had some work experience. My hopes for the job faded considering the fact that my competitors clearly had an upper hand. I thought to myself, “Probably this job is not for me”, but still I did not lose hope. I went through all the other rounds of the interview sincerely and with great patience, applying the 5 Golden Rules that I learnt at the Yes+ course.
What followed was indeed a miracle! To my surprise, when the final list of selected employees came out, mine was the only name on it. I was the only one selected for the job. Wow! I still feel ecstatic thinking about it!
I humbly thanked Guruji in my heart as it was only because of Him that I got the job. I know He is there for all of us and He is watching over us always. He has been a great blessing for me and now I can never imagine my life without Him.
Jai Gurudev
Shilpi