“To conquer oneself is a greater victory than to conquer thousands in a battle.” -The Dalai Lama
Everyone wants victory and why is that? You would rather be victorious than be defeated because you want to feel the euphoria of winning something, no matter what the win is about. You want to succeed in whatever you do.
But did you know that the number of enemies you defeat doesn’t matter? You can win over a colony of ants but that won’t make you the strongest person in the room. But if you were to pick someone your own size and emerge victoriously, then we are talking. So, now you realize it is ‘who’ the enemy is that should matter the most.
Finding the right enemy
To an enlightened mind, there is no greater enemy than oneself. If you think about it, you are the one preventing yourself from being happy. When you give in to anger and sadness, you aren’t really helping yourself. Others can only act as secondary characters in your life, but only you can move your story forward.
Let’s say you have a paper due in the next 24 hours. Your mind says it’s alright to procrastinate your work and encourages you to rest for hours. But now there’s less than two hours until the deadline and you’re stressed out because you haven’t even started the paper. So, who’s the enemy this time? Well, you guessed it right, you did it to yourself. If you had fought your mind and convinced yourself to write that paper while you had the time, you would be relaxing at this moment.
So, you don’t have to look outside, the enemy is in the house.
What To Conquer?
The enemy of your happiness is none other than the complacent or destructive thoughts in your mind. You need to be careful while dealing with such thoughts. A small root of bitterness can bear lifelong fruits. But there is always a way out, and we are here to help you search for it.
The best way is to remove the root of all troubles. If the root is tiny and weak, you can easily pluck it out. You just need to remove your negative mindset as soon as it takes hold of you. Whenever you feel a twinge of jealousy or a little surge of anger, get rid of them while they are still small and replace them with counter thoughts such as appreciation and understanding.
If the roots have grown for a while and are stuck deep in your mind, you just have to work equally harder to extract them. Though the work will be difficult, the results will be worth it.
Victory at last
The hardest enemy to beat is the one in your mind. But your discipline, attitude, and beliefs are more than enough to crush the inner fiend. After defeating the enemy in your mind, embrace the changes you will face. Now, you can embark on your journey towards peace and happiness. You have just taken the first and the most difficult step. It should be a smooth ride from here. So, sit back and enjoy your time.