Have you ever noticed that we live in an imaginary world? No, I’m not referring to the one where our creative juices flow freely. I’m talking about the not-so-desirable one.

Imaginary World vs. Reality

Assume you fantasize about a perfect job with an excellent package. Lo and behold, by the miracles of nature, you actually get that job. You go in all excited, pumped up, and ready to take charge.

Six months later, the repetitive duties wear you down. A realization dawns that the reality of your job is very different from what you had envisioned. And then you grow bored, annoyed, dissatisfied, and whatnot?

This gap between our imaginary world and reality extends to many aspects of our lives, including employment, relationships, and even spiritual journeys. We all tend to imagine a world where everything is perfect, but such a world has no existence in reality.

Reality often falls short of our imagined world in anything and everything. That’s the undeniable truth of this world.

The Hamsters on the Wheel

Many imagine sitting around and doing nothing if they had enough money in the bank. In other words, we see ourselves as carefree kings and queens who never have to lift a finger in their lives.

Unfortunately, as they say, there’s nothing called a free lunch on this planet. Even those in the most influential thrones are nothing more than hamsters on a wheel, constantly engaged in repetitive tasks that need patience and persistence. Sorry if this view sounds disheartening, but it holds the inherent truth of life.

Monotony is unavoidable. Immaterial to whether you are a world leader, a business executive, a homemaker, or an ambitious student, there will always be chores that demand repetition and dedication.

Joy in repetition?

Developing ourselves is always a good idea because that takes us to our full potential. We all have the right to choose what we want to do with our lives to make it more exciting. At the same time, to achieve whatever objective we aspire for, nobody can escape the repetitive, mundane tasks.

Therefore, instead of wasting our energies on complaining and resisting, what if we can train our minds to embrace and accept the repetitiveness of life? What if we could drop the urge to shift activities like turning the pages on a calendar and focus on the task at hand with patience and perseverance?

That’s what Karma Yoga suggests — we become Yogis and Yoginis, individuals who master the art of becoming the joyful hamsters on the wheel.

A Karma Yoga practitioner approaches life with a sense of commitment. They clearly understand their chosen path and embrace the monotonous tasks and obstacles that come with it. By doing so, they discover the profound peace and subtle joy of acceptance.

Further, a Yogi or Yogini understands that our reality may always be more mundane than our imagination, but that doesn’t diminish the value of our actions. And since complaining and resisting only lead to suffering, they try to find contentment in doing their duties.

The Service Attitude

A method Karma Yoga provides for tackling our monotonous, repetitive duties is to build a service attitude towards them. Whether sweeping a floor, grappling with numbers, or creating content, we do it with an open heart and an attitude of service.

So, the next time you find yourself in a hamster on a wheel situation, remember the knowledge of Karma Yoga. We can’t change the world’s repetitive nature, but we can definitely become the joyful hamster, spinning through life with a heart full of kindness, love, and grace.

Become the joyful hamster on the wheel. In it lies your key to contentment, inner peace, and joy.

Love,
Sri Devi Om