Situations and people come in front of us for a specific purpose. Nothing random. 

By: Jim Ryan
Source: The Daily Guardian https://epaper.thedailyguardian.com/2026/06/12/e-paper-today-delhi-13-june-2026/
Dated: June 13th, 2026

Life is constantly in motion. People and situations keep arriving in front of us and sometimes we need to make a snap decision as to how to respond. The tools we have at our disposal are our powers of reasoning, but these powers rely heavily on our past experiences, our attitude, our intentions, and even our cultural heritage – national or familial.

Perhaps it is not surprising, therefore, that we sometimes fail to make the right call. We look back and think we could have managed things better, we could have used different words, our intentions were not quite aligned. We sometimes wish we had had just a moment or two to think a little more carefully as to how to respond.

This is where spirituality can help us get things right. Quiet moments of personal meditation time teach us how to go into silence – momentarily or for an extended period. It is this practice that enables us to step back, think, and wait when faced with tricky people or situations. This initial pause moves us away from any immediate reactive decisions and behaviour.

Moving into silence, the mind is separated from its old positions and trigger mechanisms; in this clarity, it can see which events led to this moment, what is happening, and where things are likely to go, depending on my response. We can see the past, present, and future jigsaw pieces of any situation.

This positioning as a detached observer, held within the energy field of the awareness of being a soul, develops discernment and a broader understanding of behaviours and situations, and naturally increases our tolerance and patience. There is expansion of the understanding of how things are triggered, what motivates certain individuals and, most importantly, how I, the soul, am likely to respond. I learn how I can align my responses with my spiritual beliefs faster and more effectively.

With experience we see that situations and individuals come in front of us for a specific purpose – nothing, despite appearances, is random. We develop the understanding and gain insights into the fact that although circumstances may create difficulties, the difficulties teach us something and we become more and more adept at dealing with them. Once we master the responses to one type of situation or person, we feel more confident and comfortable. Then there will be other situations and people for us to meet and learn from — a dance in time with myriad opportunities for our growth and development. The world is not haphazard – there is a design, and the more time we spend in spells of silence, the more we see the beautiful patterns of the hidden perfection.

Jim Ryan has a background in education. He is an author and a Brahma Kumaris Rajyoga teacher, based in Plymouth, Devon, UK.