Scurry! To Bury The Worry.

Worried all the time are you?
If you are...then you are a worrier.
And not a " war-ier ".


Am I a worrier too...like you?
Yes, I am, but a bit different.
In what way?
I am a warier worrier...that's how I am different.
I call myself : A veteran "war-ier" who is in no hurry to worry, any more.

For:
As I worry...I never hurry.
Instead, I scurry, to bury the worries, as soon as I can.
Can it too, if possible.
By changing/altering my "thought scape" to escape from the past/future state, into the now.

Do you do that too?
Bet you don't.
I do all the time as now I have learnt how to.
I "get to do it “ .

Most of the time it is possible to, too...as I force back my thoughts that are the prime cause of the worry, back to the now!
As the root cause of worry(ies) are thoughts that reside, either in the past or in the future.
Mainly future.
Our thoughts...they do that perpetually.
They seldom, if at all, remain in the now.
Thoughts reside within the mind and/to mind you most of the time.
You need to reverse that mind state.
Then you will also get to bury the worry all the time.


How do I know that?
How do I “ get to do it "?
Simple.
As I have now learnt, to live in the now...I get to live in the now!
That is how.

To make you comprehend how it is done : Allow me to share and explain be delving into my Aviation background:

In aviation parlance, “ Living in the Now " is like the wings level/straight and level flight, with all systems running steadily, smoothly, in a preselected direction, at an assigned altitude, with engines running at optimum speeds too, to get the best of the output, for that state of flight.

Now that is what we would call a still mind caged in the now.

The attitude of the aircraft is always straight and level...i.e. nose on the horizon, and wings level.


What would be a " worried mind " like?

As hind sight, when I remember my combat flying days, up there in the air, whenever I get to worry, as a veteran Fighter Pilot, now. I qualify a " worried mind " state of mind, akin to the state of Combating !
Up there in the air : The aircraft changing attitude, altitude, direction, rapidly, continuously to get behind the adversary, else he would get you!
At full power!
Engines shrieking!
Trading Kinetic energy of the aircraft into Potential energy, rapidly, and vise-verse too.
In the bargain; Rolling, Yawing, Pitching...all in rapid succession.

That's how I would qualify a "worried mind" like.

In olden days this type of in flight engagement was called a "dog fight" as it would involve several fighter planes in one engagement.
These days, we call it Combat.
They are one and the same sate while in action...its just that the numbers of combatants engaged in combat, is less in comparison.
Dog fights are/would be a rarity in modern 'air-warfare' , due immense sophistication of the weapon platform, called a modern fighter aircraft.

Flying a Fighter aircraft all alone, in a combat state, is all about, controlling the planes' attitude at will.
Firmly.
Decisively, with you commanding the machine all the time, and never ever, vice verse.
The attitude remains : either nose up, i.e. above the horizon, or nose down, i.e. below the horizon.
That’s applicable always, while engaged in combat .
Engines shrieking at max power.

The attitude is seldom straight and level...i.e. nose on the horizon, and wings level.


I learnt, honed and mastered that skill of combat flying for the first 09-10 years of my professional career.
Always wondering, why am I doing it, once I mastered most of it?
I could never see a logical answer on the horizon, ever, as I always new that my generation would never get to use those acquired skills, on any adversary, ever.
Dog fights were/are history.
Combats too.
As wars and warring nations became friendlier and friendlier maturing by the day,and killing differences if any through dialogue and negotiations on the table.

Why did all of that happen by the end of 20 century?

As adversaries; developing nations realized, that none of them would/could/can ever, afford to wage a full fledged war...in these the changed times, thanks to the efforts of global leaders of that/this age, who uni-polarized and decided to live-in, the new world.

A career in there in the Air Force to me, was minus the real challenge, of getting a chance to apply the well honed skills.
It was getting/got stale...by the day.
I chose to leave my first love...Fighter flying...as such.


Ever since then, I grew up in the corporate world banking heavily on my values and training imbibed during my upbringing at home, school, college and then the excellent mentoring in the Air Force.

While doing that, and also while experiencing several roller coaster like experiences too, I began to wonder, search, and yearn for answers to questions such as:

* Why did I do what I did for the fist 14 years of my professional career?
* What was the end result?
* Was it worth it?
* What lessons have I gleaned?
* How do I put them to good use?
* What should I do next?


Through these quests/ thoughts and eclectic experiences, and by mulling, musing over them 24*7, it was possible for me to arrive at a final, just conclusion, that :

* It was all in the mind
* It is always within the mind state.



Having arrived at that, what next?

Next, I learnt to: mind the mind.

Got to mind the mind.
I decided.

Master it.
To control it.
Bind it at will.
Tether it too, in the now.
Absolutely.

As the mind is like a Fighter plane, too.
It’s to be controlled...At will.
Firmly. Decisively. Completely. Always.

As this, the craft called mind, is powered by some very powerful engines that get to fire it.
With all of them firing all at once, in one go, in pairs, if not single.

Those uncontrolled engines I have now named:

1. Desire
2. Greed
3. Ego
4. Anger


Earlier in life , to me, learning to mind the mind, would be an unchallenged challenge as my mind would either be by itself, delved in the past, that is in the Air Force years that I spent and missed too, or would be worried about the future.

Comparing, complaining, trying to control the future, all the time.

The mind would control me, thus.Me! I would be controlled by the mind most of the time.
Mind would mind and bind me.
Rather than me controlling and minding, binding it.
More often than not, getting me into a combat like state.
Turbulent and worrisome.
Making me react to situations and people alike.

Not anymore.
As, now I am in command and control of it, as I have learnt how to tether it.
By living and leaving it in the now.
Always.
Wings Level.
That’s all easily possible now, as I am in the know of it all, with me keeping the mind tethered firmly in the now.

That was not so then.
It would delve in the past at will, or for that matter, in the future too, for too long.
That was a damaging and a tearing time.
Just like the combat state I explained above...up there in the air.
And... it would not last long too.
Controlled Combat with me in command.
Maneuvering to win...rather than be skinned.
Quickly, skillfully deftly as the man behind the machine, out to win.
Not like the machine by itself controlling me, and continuing the combat, leading to my possible peril.

Machine then, alias the mind, now.

In both the cases it was me who had either got to get to control it, or be controlled by either he aircraft or the mind.
Why?
For the final win as a result.
Win over the machine then, and mind now.

As: like then, the final results here too would favour that pilot who controlled his craft better than the adversary.
The other one would get to loose...fatally, mostly.
You see in combat the best man behind the machine wins, and skins as well.


That successful winning result that would result, would result only through better control and mastery of the machine.
Ultimately, and finally happen too, through long years of devoted, tough, demanding, passionate, committed-to, training.
Sweating it out...literally.
Like all Fighter Pilots: still do!
From dawn to dusk...and in pitch dark nights too.
Sweat it out 24*7 in tough times as well.
Singly and in teams.
As we believe in " Tough times do not last, toughened minds do. "
We sweat and sweat without any regret.
As we have a very true saying out there in the Air Force:
" The more you sweat in peace the less you bleed in wa r"
How true.

Now: let’s apply that logic to the powerful human mind too.
It needs to be trained, controlled, and finally tethered, too.
Through well controlled upbringing, education, mentoring, coaching, grooming, experiencing, meditating, and learning.

Constantly: learning, unlearning and re-learning.
All the while.
So as to get to control the mind.
Toughen the mind set too.
Quickly.
To get to keep it in the "wings level" state,all the time.
Unidirectional too.
Engines running at optimum speeds.
With you in control and not vice verse.
Adeptly.Deftly, Firmly, Decisively,

By living in the now.
Always.

Hey! does it mean:

* No more combats?
* No more thrills?
* No more journeys into the past/future.

No! it does not mean that.

With you and when you are in total control only then and never before that:
Do get into combat like situations...once in a while, as controlled combat is thrilling too.


In the air, to learn, and practice so as to win in an actual combat, we would get into combat, from a wings level stage, by radioing :

“Combat Combat Go”

Once you learn to live in the now too, do get into combat too, every now and then, as combat is indeed thrilling.

Meaning:

* Do delve in the past on pleasant memories.
* Do plan the future.
* But don’t let it last long!
* Don’t delve in that perpetually.
* Dont allow the mind to take over.
* The mind loves to, by default it has been built too.

When required or called for, only then, engage the mind in combat...i.e. delve in the past or travel into future and then quickly!

* Get back into the now
* Get into straightht and level flight,

In the air to disengage from combat once the aim of the exercise is achieved, we would radio:

" Stop Stop Combat Stop"

To execute that disengagement, and get to wings level state.
Quickly.
We would too.

There fore if you have too get your mind into that state of bliss again:

* Firstly; get into that state for the thrill of it, live it, love it.
* Do visit that past or travel into the future too, and then once having lived with, after having enough of it,
* Get back to living in the now.

It’s worth it.
The more you learn to too, the better you get to do it.

Good for you too as you don’t then get to:

* Fly at full power, engines shrieking.
* Mind power.
* Uncontrolled...Unbridled..

Like in combat we do/did.
It’s not worth it.
As It leads to 'Unfair Wear and Tear'...and Fatality.

At times during combats, in case one did not control the aircraft properly enough, we would get into what is called a ' Spin ' .
A Spin is much uncontrolled maneuver of the aircraft.
Feared too; in the nascent years of aviation.
No more.
Now we know how to get into a spin and recover too...deftly...again, through training and experiencing it, and mastering it.Over the years.
To save our own skins.
From the opponent and his aircraft alias, The mind, getting the better of us.

Why?

To live, to fight, yet another day!

That is why.


In relation to the mind... a spin like maneuver, also results, if left uncontrolled.
In medical parlance it is what is perhaps known as depression.
A direct result of worry.
When not checked, it also leads to fatal results including those through suicides.

Therefore, don’t worry...as there is no need to.

Instead, control the controls that other wise get to control you, and responsibly speaking; get you in that state.
Often.
Learn to control your minds' engines:

* Desire
* Greed
* Ego
* Anger


And live, live in the now...blissfully.

Devise your own methodology to do it.
With patience and perseverance you will too.
As I have.



On my part:
I fall back on one simple nursery rhyme and two couplets, that made little or no sense to me when they were taught to me, as a school kid.
They were then, mere, well rhyming words that had to be by-heart, by rote.
The deep thoughts sunk within them were unfathomable to immature minds like mine, at that age.

Having scene the ups and downs of life, now, they do make sense.
A lot too.
Therefore I use them as simple tools, to control, tweak, and " trim my thoughts " that at times, get to dominate the ever permeable mind.

How?

Here are the steps I follow:

1. The first step is to make me/you realize that me/you am/are not in the now and I/you get back to the now.


Bring the mind back into the now.
From the past or the future, wherever it has got drifted too.
It would be in there whirring, whining, and shrieking at very high speeds, over there.
Realize that it is doing just that. In there.
Then...navigate it back to the now.
Make a conscious and a deliberate attempt you will have to and when you do that you will too.Only then it will happen.
Once here, back in the now...throttle back...rev down the engines to reduce the high speeds.
To optimum and controllable speeds.
Power down!

2. Next step, cage the:

* Desires
* Greed
* Ego
* Anger


I do that.
And that gets me to get to getting back in the now.
Firmly and truly.

Wow!
Take a deep breath, as you do.
Helps a lot.



3. Finally: once In the now:

I force myself to recite a simple nursery rhyme. Next.
To help get to the wings level state, and get a constant direction for myself/my mind, to steer.
If need be I hum it too.

Here is that rhyme.

"Row row row your boat...gently down the stream.
Merrily merrily merrily...life is but a dream".

That simple rhyme gives me the desired direction.
The stream itself flows in a certain direction, and the boat would follow it too.
It’s my choice, this stream, as a dream stream.
So let me row here...slowly but surely.
Merrily: Upstream, downstream, across the stream too, as the case may be.
Ultimately to join a river, leading to an estuary, and finally into an ocean.

Next step the reciting the rhymes state?

I tell myself lets get to settle at an altitude of peace and tranquility.
I do that be reciting the following lines.

"Don't worry...be happy".

That very thought comes to my mind next...as I now get to ' trim ' the controls, alias mind, to settle down at an acceptable/predestined altitude.
Like I used to trim my airplanes' controls as a Fighter Pilot...once I was settled in straight and level flight, after combats etc.
This thus results as, the altitude I decide to settle down as an altitude, of my choice.
Engines running optimally and smoothly...not shrieking at full power.Like when in combat.
Instead:wings level, nose pointing straight ahead, in a direction of my choice.

Enjoying the flight.
Commanding it at will.


The end of all combat engagements is reported to the leaders/supervisors and/or the controllers both in the air and on the ground.

This is done by radioing “Ops Normal” status meaning;

“Operations Normal."


Finally, I need to report “Operations Normal" here too, as I would there, now that I am in the now.

Report to: The almighty.

How do I do that?

I do that by reciting two couplets composed by a simple Indian weaver, 100's of years ago.
A revered saint now. Sant Kabir Das Jee!

Kabir Das Jee, very aptly and precisely, described ' worry ' alias 'chintaa' in Hindi, in his own unique couplet style :

* I recite and remind those immortal lines and report “ Ops Norma l” to the almighty, in my own unique thankful, pray full way.


" Chintaa Aisee Dakini, Kat Kaleja Khaye
Vaid Bichara Kyaa Karey, Kahan Takk Dawa Lagaye?"

( It means: worry is akin to a ‘Dakini’; a Sanskrit word for a celestial lady who roams the space and will fully enter any space, with lightening like pace,with no trace of exit...like worry does too. Worry enters you and then dissects your well being with no end in sight…so much so, that it is impossible seek medical help too ,beyond a point, as there is no cure for worry with the doctors…they can only do so much on that ailment ).


* The second couplet of Kabir that I recite, gets rid of the worry and firmly anchors me in the now.It helps my " bury the worry " as per plan. It’s a kind of a prayer seeking contentment.


"Saieen Intaa Deejeeye, Jaamey Kutummbh Samaaey.
Mainn Bhee Bhoooka Na Rahoon, Sadhu Bhee Bhooka Na Jaaey"!

(God give me enough…so much, that I can take care of my self and my dependents….Nothing more. Nothing less. Neither should I be found wanting or go hungry ever nor should the guest who knocks on my door should. It’s all about my needs and not my wants. Take care of my needs always. Help me remain contended this way. Help me keep away from desires etc.)

Thus with a deep sense of gratitude: I would, and I do transmit, to the controller, The Almighty! who ultimately controls all of us:

“Ops Normal.”

Axee
Alias
Arun