You should never shy from politics. If you are on planet earth, living with people in cities, in villages, there are people and there is politics. Wherever there are people, there is politics. From village to Vatican, you will see there is politics everywhere.
So what! let it be! The moment you say politics, that means you have a resistance to it. Whatever the situation, the more you resist, the situation will persist. But people are people and they may think even you are playing politics. Your opinions change, your ideas change, your behaviors change, doesn’t it change? Are you pleasant all the time with everybody? No. So, you are not pleasant with everybody, people may think you are playing the politics too.
So, first of all, stop labelling a situation as there is politics because that labelling that you put around a situation starts creating an aversion within you and you would want to run away.
So whenever we think people are playing politics, you consciously come up with a resistance from within and the resistance colors your perception, your vision and then you get entangled in more and more unpleasant situations.
So I would suggest you just accept it. There is a beautiful verse in Kannada by a saint.
If you make a house on an ocean front, and you complain about waves, what can I tell you! If you have made a house right in the middle of the city and you say, there is too much noise, what can I tell you! You are averse to wind and you have built the house at the top of a hill, what can I tell you! You are scared of animals and you have a home right in the middle of the forest, what can I tell you! Similarly, being in the world, if you are complaining about criticism, What can i tell you!
What do you mean by politics? It is all about people’s likes and dislikes. If they dislike you, they talk about that to other people. Don’t you do this? You dislike somebody, don’t you talk about that to others? May not be as much as others, but somewhere you make your comment, your mouth does not keep shut. You air your opinion about other people all the time, all around you. What are you doing? Is it not politics? Come on don’t shy away from politics. Got it?
That is how people are. That is how things are. You be an inspiration wherever you go, you be joyful and a source of enthusiasm, source of creativity, wherever you go. You uplift the spirit in any place you are in, and you can do that. And be unmindful of anyone’s comment. You know the comments are like bubbles on the surface of water. People make a comment today and tomorrow they make a completely opposite comment. Isn’t it? Today they criticize you, tomorrow they praise you. These are normal things in society, in life. If you are so shy about these and keep running away from situations, I tell you those situations will chase you wherever you go. You will have to face it. I would tell you, face it with a big smile. Got it?