October 29, 2026
One good thing about the factor of time in our lives is that it seems to take everything away. If there is a little happiness, time washes it away. Unhappiness won't last as long as you don't hold it back, wishing it weren't there. We have all done this; somebody insults you and you get angry and upset and you are miserable for a couple of days.
Even that is not necessary. The whole incident lasted only 10 minutes, so why did you have to hold onto it? But the mind keeps chewing it over: "He should not have done that. This should not happen to me." The trouble happened long ago, but chewing it again, you are perpetuating the unhappiness. Time washed it away immediately. One has to learn this art of dealing with sorrow or happiness, which is passing all the time.
Whatever unhappiness that has not yet reached me, I avoid. If I do that, then I have enough strength and energy to deal with the sorrow that does reach me. I don't invite it, I don't anticipate it, I don't run into it. The intelligence points clearly to the sorrow and avoids it. The sorrow that has already reached me, I allow to blow over.