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Look up!

There was nothing that could calm her down. Everything about her life was falling to pieces and she juggled multiple facets of her life, trying to restore some peace and order. But they just kept falling apart. She tried everything to keep herself calm, called up her friends, meditated and tried to read in whatever time she got to keep her mind from steering off course. "I don't know what's going on?" she said aloud to herself, flinging down her book. "Someone somewhere is really upset with me," she continued to the invisible audience, breaking down into tears. "My boss doesn't like me. My work is getting too hectic. My friends keep fighting and are very unhappy. I have no money left. I have nothing to look forward to," she complained.

"There's tomorrow," said a familiar voice. The thought confused her but she found it strangely comforting. "Look outside," said the voice, "it is cold and dark and there seems no chance of any light finding its way, but you know that the sun will soon rise and then, you will be able to see the way again." She listened intently. "Let me tell you a story," said the voice.

"Murphy was just a little red ant living in a colony with thousands other red ants. Murphy was too young but he yearned to go out of the anthill and see what the world looked like. One day, there was news of a flood coming in their direction and everyone panicked. Everyone would have to move out of the anthill and find a new home. Being one the little red ants, he was put in line and marched out with all the other little red ants. They walked and walked for a very long time. His feet were sore and he felt very tired but the elders with them refused to stop. Then he watched as his friends began to cry, some stopped. The others kept marching. He turned around to look and saw that a few had elders to look after them and bring them back to the march but some others were left behind. Murphy was scared. Though he was tired, he kept walking but his feet were too little and the road was too long. He couldn't keep up. He found himself walking at the end of the line now and found it very difficult to stay awake. He didn't even have the strength to cry. The ants were marching onto a hill now and Murphy simply could not take another step. He looked up at the hill and realised that he could go no more. Tired, hungry and upset... he fell asleep. When he woke up, it was dark all around him and he was alone. 'Why did I ever ask to leave the hill?' he cried out. 'I want to go home now.' A rustle in the bushes nearby scared him. He started making a run to the top of the hill but it was of no use. He couldn't see anything in the dark.' 'How will I ever find them?' he thought to himself. He made his way to a big leaf on the side and climbed into its cover. He started to think of what he should do to find his way home. There was no answer and so, he started to cry. The wind blew him a bit of warmth and wiped his tears silently. He was standing on top of the hill, he had made his way till here and now what else could he do? 'Look up!' he told himself. There it was, the answer. He climbed onto the tree on whose leaf he had been sitting and waited. Sure enough, when the first rays of the sun woke him the next morning, he could see the path that his family had taken and there it was, just a little ahead, his new home. Joyfully, Murphy jumped off the tree and made his way to his new home."

The voice let the story stay in her mind for a while before it said, " When you are down and out, all you need to do is look up. In prayer, in hope or surrender and then put your mind to rest. Once you learn to look up, life will follow suit."

She laughed at the suggestion but since it made her feel better, she decided to look up. Instantly, she felt better. She had stopped crying and she soaked in the peace and decided to go to sleep. When she awoke the next day, she had a smile on her face and yes, her problems didn't matter anymore. With the first rays of the sun that day, she too had found her way home.

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