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Mental toughness
self-searching honesty, which identifies and admits frankly the deficiencies
within. Simultaneously with this, is the comprehension of various aspects
and traits, which are congruous with a tough and resilient personality.
Dealing with these in detail in his poem, IF, Rudyard Kipling talks of the
need "to keep you head when all about you are losing theirs and blaming it
on you." This verily is also equanimity, conceived as
Samatvam by Bhagavad
Gita (2, 48), which also exhorts on the need to be balanced in honour and
ridicule (6, 7) as also in "heat and cold" (figuratively Standing for
hostility and indifference without).
Absence of falsehood and
hatred is also indicative of inner strength. Kipling advises that on being
'lied about, don't deal in lies/ Or being hated, don't give way to hating."
The Bible also extols forgiveness and in fact doing a good turn even to
those who are inimical or unfair. (Luke: 6-27 to 38; Mathew: 5-11, 43, 44,
22, 39). Valluvar, the great Tamil writer also deals with this virtue of
forbearance in his Kural (151 to 160).
Toughness within is also
revealed in the person's impartiality and broadness in outlook the ancient
Sanskrit concept of Vasudhaiva kudumbakam. This aspect too has been brought
out beautifully by Kipling's reference to "talk with the crowd and keep you
virtue,/ Or walk with kings -- nor lose the common touch." The Bhagavad
Gita, in two separate contexts, (5, 18; 6, 9) also points to the need to
treat all alike -- a so-called high caste or an outcaste, a cow or a dog, a
lover or a foe, strangers, neutrals, foreigners or relatives.
Inner strength and mental
toughness however attain fulfillment only by also being effective, efficient,
hardworking and creative-- the Kipling concept, "to fill the unforgiving
minute/ With sixty seconds' worth of distance run." This verily also is
persistence -- Rudyard Kipling's inspiration to "hold on, when there is
nothing in you/ Except the will which says to you: "Hold on"!"
Applied in practice, the
approach calls for an eager want and dwelling on the needed virtues internalising these and evolving for oneself a positive self image which
would be in harmony with such virtues. Contrary and militating mental
formations would drop off by and by, revealing to the aspirant the strength
within -- so real, though thus far dormant and untapped. |
