There are moments in life when effort does not translate into progress.
You show up. You try. You do “everything right.”
And yet—nothing moves.
Recently, while re-reading The Laws of Human Nature, I encountered an exercise that asks you to walk back through your own memory lane: identify where you succeeded, where you failed, and—most importantly—where you felt stuck.
As I reflected, I realized something unsettling. Across different phases of my life, I had experienced periods of deep stagnation—days, weeks, months, and sometimes years—where despite sincere effort, nothing seemed to shift. These phases were accompanied by a familiar cocktail of emotions: dissatisfaction, frustration, anger, and eventually a quiet helplessness. Dreams stalled. Momentum evaporated.
Over time, I’ve come to see this as a powerful equation:
Stagnation + Emotion = A Force That Can Either Break You or Transform You
When Stagnation Breaks Us
Nikola Tesla famously said, “If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency, and vibration.”
If this is true—and lived experience suggests it is—then prolonged negative emotional states don’t exist in isolation. They attract similar energies.
Negative thought patterns amplify negative outcomes. They compound. They spiral.
I’ve seen this play out not just psychologically, but spiritually.
Through my spiritual practices—particularly mantra japa dedicated to Batuk Bhairava Baba and Maa Tara—I’ve learned that generating energy without protecting it can be destabilizing. The ritual itself is instructive:
Before a single mantra is chanted, there are layers of preparation—reciting protective hymns, invoking the Guru and Ganesha, cleansing the five elements (bhut shuddhi), purifying and protecting the seat (asana shuddhi and bandhana), and safeguarding all directions (disha bandhana). Only then does the japa begin.
Why so much preparation?
Because energy—once generated—must be contained, absorbed, and integrated. Otherwise, it dissipates or is consumed by external forces, whether positive or negative. Even after japa, silence is essential so the subconscious can absorb what was created.
This mirrors life.
When stagnation fuels negative emotion, we unknowingly leak energy. Worse, we invite forces—internal and external—that thrive on despair. One of my gurus once explained it simply: “Negative attracts negative.” Consume darkness consistently, and darkness will begin to feel familiar—even comfortable.
The Choice We Still Have
Yet even in the darkest moments, one truth remains:
We can only control what is within our control—and nothing beyond it.
That understanding presents two choices.
The first is to spiral—believing that nothing will work, no one will help, and even the universe has turned away. This path rarely changes outcomes. Even when circumstances eventually improve, the mind often lags behind, unable to recognize or receive what is now possible.
The second choice is far harder—but far more powerful.
It is to remain positive without becoming delusional.
To stay grounded without becoming cynical.
To keep acting—even when results refuse to show up.
This means reframing setbacks as lessons. It means reminding yourself, repeatedly, that this too shall pass. It means staying in motion even when momentum is absent.
When negative thoughts surface, do not negotiate with them. Interrupt them. Get busy. Move your body. Listen to music. Engage in work that grounds you. Spend time with people who radiate steadiness and optimism.
And when the mind insists on returning to darkness, say it out loud if you must:
“This shall pass.”
“The future is brighter than it appears.”
“The universe is benevolent—even when it is silent.”
From Stagnation to Stagmotion
I’ve started calling this phase Stagmotion—a temporary stillness before movement resumes.
Stagmotion is not failure.
It is preparation.
But motion only returns if we are internally ready to receive it. If bitterness hardens, motion arrives but slips past unnoticed. If faith and balance are preserved, motion arrives and accelerates everything.
What this reflection has taught me is simple, yet profound:
No matter the situation, I must strive to remain positive, emotionally regulated, and rational.
I must anchor myself in faith, stay present, and continue to live fully—even when outcomes are unclear.
Time always moves forward.
But how we live within time is what we will remember.
In my next post, I want to take this inward journey further—exploring my evolving understanding of the subtle bodies beyond the physical, the nadis and chakras, and the koshas that shape our inner world.
Because sometimes, progress does not come from pushing harder outward—but from understanding more deeply within.