It is apparent that the pace of change in today’s world is relentless. We’re constantly faced with a barrage of day-to-day challenges and provocations from work, society and even within our own households which continually “stress-test” our personal and collective relationships. As a result, we’re becoming increasingly less tolerant of one another which is evident in the global divorce rate of circa 44%. In the words of musician Tom Waits, “we are buried beneath the weight of information, which is being confused with knowledge; quantity is being confused with abundance and wealth with happiness. Such confusion sometimes make us question our own identity and perhaps how we view ourselves in the context of the world.

Ancient wisdom has it that our inability to tolerate/manage these said challenges prevents us from enjoying a peaceful and purposeful life. However, for us to better manage/tolerate the challenges in our external environment, we must first tolerate and manage the urges that exits within us.

So here are four urges one must seek to overcome;

1. The urge to CONSUME - In an age where we’re constantly being fed information from myriad sources, one must try to overcome the urge to consume needlessly. We ought to be mindful of what we imbibe as they shape our views and beliefs. Remember, “garbage in; garbage out”.

2. The urge to CONTROL - We have to tolerate the various dualities that come into our lives and remain humble. It is important to understand and accept that we can’t control all occurrences or events in life. The only thing we have control over is how we respond to these events.

3. The urge to CONVINCE - We’re so convinced about our opinions and viewpoints which are mostly shaped by our beliefs. We usually want others to also buy into these beliefs which then results in arguments or difference of opinions, and even a breakdown in relationships in some extreme cases. We have to repress the urge to convince others in certain situations.

4. The urge to COMPETE - Not all fingers are equal, meaning certain people will excel much better than others in the game of life. We must be happy for them and their achievements without being envious, reminding ourselves always that we’re on our own path and have our own destiny. We must resist the temptation and the urge to compete.

Conclusively, one must seek wisdom to elevate ones consciousness above these urges to consume, control, convince and compete so as to become more tolerant of oneself as well as the environment that one exits within. By doing so, we grow to love ourselves more and in turn have a greater chance at experiencing our own peace and purpose.

Remember - “Your own self-realisation is the greatest service you can render to the world” - Raman Maharshi

Peace, Love & Light.