Mrinalini had always been known for her calm and composed nature. People admired her ability to stay poised, even when things around her got difficult. Her friends often came to her for advice, marvelling at how nothing seemed to rattle her. But life, as it often does, threw a series of challenges her way, testing her in ways she had never imagined.
It started with her parents falling gravely ill. Her mother needed constant care, while her father’s health deteriorated rapidly. Mrinalini found herself juggling hospital visits, doctor’s appointments, and taking care of their household needs. This alone would have been enough to overwhelm anyone, but life wasn’t done with her. Around the same time, her workload at the office doubled. Her once-supportive boss had retired, and the new one seemed determined to push her beyond her limits. Deadlines loomed large, and the pressure to perform weighed her down.
As if that weren’t enough, her personal relationships started falling apart. Her closest friend distanced herself, citing Mrinalini’s constant busyness as the reason. Mrinalini’s relationship with her fiancé, once a source of joy, had turned sour. Arguments became more frequent, and her partner, feeling neglected, began pulling away. The weight of her failing relationship and the guilt of not being there for her friend gnawed at her.
Every day felt like a battlefield. The emotional and physical exhaustion left Mrinalini with little energy to take care of herself. Her nights became sleepless, filled with worry, and her days felt like a relentless race, with no finish line in sight. Slowly, the calm and poise she was known for became a thing of the past. Her mind, once a sanctuary, now felt like a storm. She snapped at small things, lost her patience easily, and constantly felt on edge. Happiness, which once felt like a natural part of her life, now seemed distant, almost unreachable.
Months passed, and the pressure mounted. Mrinalini’s body began to show the signs of her inner turmoil—constant fatigue, headaches, and a gnawing sense of dread every morning when she woke up. Depression settled in, and she began withdrawing from the world. The light in her eyes faded, and even the smallest of tasks felt like mountains to climb. She found herself on the brink of a catastrophe, feeling like she had no control over her life. Happiness, peace, calm—they all felt like distant memories.
One afternoon, when she was on the verge of an emotional breakdown, her friend Neha invited her over for tea. Mrinalini almost declined, but something in Neha’s voice made her go. They sat in Neha’s cozy living room, sipping tea in silence. Sensing Mrinalini’s unease, Neha softly suggested, “Why don’t you try meditating for a few minutes? Just close your eyes and focus on your breathing. It helped me when I was going through a tough time.”
Mrinalini, sceptical and tired, thought to herself, “What difference can a few minutes make?” But feeling too drained to argue, she reluctantly agreed. Neha guided her through a simple meditation—nothing fancy, just focusing on her breath. At first, Mrinalini’s mind raced, filled with the same thoughts that had been tormenting her for months. But slowly, something unexpected happened. A wave of calm washed over her. For those few minutes, the storm in her mind seemed to quiet down. She hadn’t felt this stillness in months, and the sensation was too powerful to ignore.
Surprised by how those few minutes of silence affected her, Mrinalini decided to give meditation another try the next morning. And then the next day. Soon, she understood the necessity of continuing it daily. With each session, she felt a little more of the old Mrinalini returning. She began to regain a sense of control over her mind and emotions. Meditation became her refuge, a place where she could reconnect with the peace that had always been within her.
She soon realized that the happiness she had been chasing—through her relationships, her work, her external life—wasn’t something outside of her. It was something she could cultivate within herself, regardless of the chaos around her. The more she meditated, the clearer it became: happiness wasn’t dependent on the world around her; it was her choice. She could choose calm over chaos, peace over anxiety.
As Mrinalini continued her practice, she began to notice something remarkable. While the upheavals in her life didn’t disappear overnight, they started to lose their grip on her. Her relationships, which had been strained, began to heal. Her partner noticed her newfound peace and responded with more patience and understanding. Her work, which had once seemed overwhelming, felt more manageable as she approached tasks with a clear and focused mind. Even her parents’ health stabilized, and Mrinalini found herself caring for them with renewed energy and love.
In time, the external storms that had once seemed so insurmountable began to thin out. One by one, the challenges that had dominated her life for so long started to fade. Mrinalini stood stronger than ever, realizing that the true source of her happiness had been inside her all along. Her choice to cultivate calm and inner peace had not only transformed her mental well-being but had also created ripples of change in the world around her.
The upheavals eventually disappeared, but Mrinalini knew
that even if they hadn’t, she would still be okay. She had learned the most
valuable lesson of all: If our happiness depends on something outside us, we
are denying ourselves the power of choice.