A committed meditation student was very keen to become a master. He went to a guru and asked him, “How long would it take?” The guru replied: “Ten years.” The student, a bit impatient, was disappointed and queried, “But I want to master it faster than that, I will work very hard, and practice ten or more hours a day if necessary. How long would it then take?” The guru smiled and remarked, “Twenty years.”

We are routinely restless about our future. We want to be sure that we will achieve our desired outcomes. Besides, we are constantly striving for something more satisfying. We wish for more success, recognition, wealth, comfort, love and recognition. Our addiction to smart phones and social media is a reflection of this underlying restlessness.

While some level of restlessness is healthy, in high doses, it drains our focus and energy. In the process, not only are we less effective at whatever we are doing, but also are unable to enjoy the present. Here are three reflective perspectives to address this.

1. Trust the universal intelligence

Nature accomplishes all its results by surrendering to the universal intelligence. This intelligence is not only present within us, but also governs all our vital functions. It runs our digestive, nervous and reproductive systems; manifests our DNA and karmic imprint; and also dictates our cycle of birth and death. In its presence, we are always evolving, as we need to.

However, in our individualistic society, we have a misplaced sense of self-importance. Human mind is a blessing, but also a curse. A powerful mind anxiously wants to shape and bend the flow of the universal intelligence to suit its own wishes. Caught up in its restlessness for more, we become disconnected with the potential of our deeper innate intelligence. When we learn to trust that intelligence and believe that the way our life is evolving is for our highest good, we are more productive and feel more at peace.

2. Discover the right potential

One of the key reasons for our restless drive is our supposed need to discover and fulfil our potential. Perhaps a worthy cause! However, too often we assume this to mean our ‘outer’ potential – our professional success, material progress and social recognition. Used to constantly comparing ourselves, we feel restless with a peer’s greater progress.

What if the purpose of your life is to explore and fulfil your ‘inner’ potential: the potential to connect with your inner intelligence and align your thoughts and actions with it, to grow your self-awareness and realise your true nature? To discover the reservoir of love and stillness within.

3. Reform the relationship with time

We are also restless because we believe we have a short life and limited time to accomplish our goals. That’s because our perception is invariably restricted to the physical dimension of our being. We naturally consider our life to be finite.

What if our core self, our spiritual being, is on an eternal journey, spanning thousands of lifetimes? Eighty years of this lifetime would then be equivalent to merely a few hours in our soul’s journey. Would you be as pressured for time and as restless in your life then?