Question: How can we remain happy in the face of obstacles?

Sri Chinmoy: Make progress. Just because there are hurdles, will you give up the race? Between you and the goal there are a few obstacles, but you have to overcome them. If you say, "I don't want to overcome the obstacles, but I want to reach the goal," how can you expect to do it? If you are just at the starting point, you have to be prepared to encounter difficulties. When you have to cross a difficult hurdle, you will see whether you really want to reach the goal or not. This is not actually a test; but if you do not encounter any obstacles, you will not value the goal. If God comes and stands in front of you at this moment, you will not value Him; nobody will value Him. In order to value Him, you have to work and strive and struggle for Him. God can come and give you realisation immediately, but you will not know how to value it properly. One great spiritual Master had a nephew who used to serve him in every way. When he gave this nephew just an iota of his own realisation, the nephew immediately said, "You and I have become one now in spiritual height." He felt that there was no need for him to serve his Guru any more. In your case also, if you are not prepared, you will not value God. The goal is God. You have to make full inner preparation. What I call preparation in the real spiritual sense, your ordinary mind will call an obstacle.

From:Sri Chinmoy,The giver and the receiver, Agni Press, 1987
Sourced from https://srichinmoylibrary.com/gvr