Lose Now, Win Later

Despite it being the middle of the night, Nil was still resisting her pain. It felt as if there was a block of concrete weighing down on her head. She had caught a cold a few days ago. How could she have known it would turn into such a severe flu? How could she have predicted that it would last for days? Yet she had been so careful. Winter had truly arrived…

She kept turning from one side to the other in bed. The pain in her temples prevented her from falling asleep, yet her eyelids were growing heavy. Her sinuses were blocked, and she was struggling not to take a painkiller. She was on the edge now, feeling like she was going to go crazy from the pain. She had quit taking medicine months ago. She wanted to heal naturally.

The pressure from her family was growing stronger each day. In everyone’s eyes, Nil had turned into someone strange. How could she still refuse to see a doctor?

Her mother, who always took a pill before going to bed, insisted: “Just take one, dear. It will make you sweat and relieve the pain. Will your flu really last a whole week?” Her father, who had also caught the bug, added: “I took one before bed — I sweated, slept, and felt fine. You should take one too.” As if her parents weren’t enough, her aunt — a nurse — kept insisting, “What? That’s impossible! How will you get better without medicine?”

She couldn’t tell whether she was enduring the headache or the pressure from those around her. She got out of bed and went to the kitchen. She barely held herself back; her hand almost reached for the medicine, but she changed her mind. She had paid too high a price already. She didn’t want to ingest something that would harm her brain in the long run. It already upset her stomach. It caused more harm than good. Her awareness had increased after attending a training about it. She had read the ingredients. Plus, it didn’t affect everyone the same way. And who could guarantee that every box was properly tested? She had realized it wasn’t consistent.

She turned on the stove and put water and linden tea into the small pot. While waiting for it to boil, she opened the cupboard. She dabbed clove oil on her fingertips and massaged her temples. The warm steam rising from the pot seemed to help — her breathing slowly began to ease.

It was a time of night when everyone else was asleep. She waited for the linden tea to steep. As its scent spread through the room, she tried to recall what she had learned in the training she had attended. She forced her mind — she needed to hold on to the truth. What was it that kept her from taking medicine? How was she enduring this much pain? Which principle had her awareness embraced so strongly? What if she couldn’t sleep at all? Should she maybe take a pill in the morning? And if she did, would everyone say “Well done, Nil”?

“Momentary relief doesn’t solve the problem.”

Human beings want to satisfy their immediate needs. Being impatient and ego-driven, they tend to confuse benefit and harm. They may fail to realize that what feels beneficial in the moment results in loss in the long run. Every momentary benefit eventually brings an overall disadvantage.

Those who seek solutions should aim to learn the truth, not just information. Because the solution to problems lies in true knowledge.

It must bring benefit in the long run, allowing a person to be better than they were yesterday. Knowledge that leads to positive progress is consistent.

A medication that relieves pain at the moment does not make the body healthier overall. It harms brain cells. It prevents the person from perceiving the message the body is trying to send. Its harm outweighs its benefit. For someone who wants to strengthen their immune system, using medication is neither beneficial nor consistent. It disrupts continuity in health.

To become someone who wins in the long run, a person must bring awareness to their momentary solutions. The more they can endure their immediate pain and internal or external pressure, the more they will find relief in the long run.

“Every momentary trickery is a loss in the long run.”

Nil remembered the principles she held on to. It was the scent of reality filling her nose. She smiled as she poured the linden tea into the glass. She was paying the right price. She would keep resisting the pressure. She had decided to heal through real methods. So there was meaning in the rules. She was the one who would win. Therefore, the one who follows the rule is always at an advantage.

How Does Losing in the Moment Lead to Winning in the Long Run?

 

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Yahya Hamurcu