Make Your Life a Song

Overcoming daily negativities

A close friend called me the other day. I actually picked up, which is half a miracle. I’m the worst about picking up my phone.

My friend and I caught up briefly, and then he shared something he’s struggling with. People at work were making his life difficult. They were making false complaints about him and blocking his professional growth, including promotions and raises. He didn’t understand why. He hadn’t done anything to them, and in fact, had gone out of his way to be a supportive colleague. His best guess was that they saw him as a competitor rather than a collaborator, and therefore had come to see him as a threat.

I sympathized with my friend. I’ve been there, and it’s hard. I’m not interested in this kind of nonsense. Like him, I just want to keep my head down and do my work. Who has time for workplace politics?

We discussed strategies for ignoring people’s negative comments and ways to ensure we don’t get sucked into their negativity. We talked about the cost of spending time on these issues, and how stooping to the level of other people can result in the loss of our own happiness.

We also reflected on how hard it can be when other people’s negativity has direct impact on your life. It’s one thing to ignore a stranger when they say something negative at a grocery store. It’s another thing altogether when it’s people you interact with daily. It’s even worse worse when their comments affect your professional trajectory.

As we were chatting, a line from Guru Ramdas came to mind. My kids learned it in Punjabi School last year, and I’ve been thinking about it a lot ever since. Here’s what it says:

ਹਰਿ ਜਨੁ ਰਾਮ ਨਾਮ ਗੁਨ ਗਾਵੈ ॥
ਜੇ ਕੋਈ ਨਿੰਦ ਕਰੇ ਹਰਿ ਜਨ ਕੀ ਅਪੁਨਾ ਗੁਨੁ ਨ ਗਵਾਵੈ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥

hari janu ram nam gun gaavai.
je koi nind karay hari jan ki apuna gun na gavavai. 1. rahau.

Vahiguru’s devotee sings the virtues of the Divine Name.
Even if someone slanders them, the devotee does not lose their qualities.

It’s a beautiful line and a beautiful sentiment. It also raises a question for me. Is it practical to think that singing about divine qualities can shield us from other people’s negativity? Is it enough to simply think ignore people when they hurt us?

My first answer to this question centered on the concept of focus. It’s not about ignoring other people’s slander, but about remaining so intently focused on the divine qualities that these orient our responses. When people’s nonsense swirls all around us, like tornados across an empty field, can we keep a clear vision and a clear head, eyes on the prize?

I see the wisdom in this. It makes sense that clarity and concentration can help us from getting stuck in the muck. I like the juxtaposition of the two lines together, creating an implicit relationship between the approach and the outcome. How can a devotee maintain their qualities in the face of unfair criticism? Well, it’s because they’re focused on something else entirely—the Divine qualities. It’s through this focus that they can remain positive in the midst of negativity. Like a lotus flower blooming in the swamp, as Guru Ramdas likes to say.

I’ve had another reading of this line while thinking about it the past few days. It relates specifically to the verb in the first line: gaavana, to sing. I love the image it invokes of the devotee. They’re not just remembering complacently and not even just reflecting idly. They’re singing. There’s joy in it. Right?!

The devotee sings the divine virtues. It’s active and it’s joyful and it’s constant. Maybe Guru Ramdas is not just describing the practice for becoming a lotus flower. Maybe he’s also describing what that state looks and feels like. Singing about divine qualities is not just how you inculcate qualities and gird yourself against negativity; it’s also an expression of how great life can be for those who to choose to live this way.

Here’s the wisdom I take from Guru Ramdas Sahib as I reflect on his words this week: Make your life a song.

There are times when that feels hard, when we feel pulled by the forces of negativity, when other people’s nonsense makes our lives feel complicated. But maybe it’s as simple as stepping back and thinking about Guru Ramdas Sahib’s wisdom.

We can fall into other people’s complaints and obsess over it, or we can focus on living our own lives. We can dive into the muck and roll around it, or we can float above it and flower. The choice is ours to make. What will you choose?