Never Ending Criticism

Once there was an old man and a young boy who were traveling with a donkey.  The young man was leading the donkey and the old man was riding on the donkey.  When they passed through a small village, some of the townspeople yelled abuse, "Look at this old man taking advantage of this poor young boy!  What a rascal!"  After they had passed through the village, the old man said, "We had better swap over, otherwise they will abuse us in the next village."  So then they swapped with the old man leading and the young boy riding.  But in the next village also they got criticized, "Look at this selfish boy, taking advantage of his grandfather.  He should let the old man ride on the donkey."  So then they both got off and led the donkey, but in the next village the people yelled out, "Look at these two stupid people!  They have a donkey, but they are choosing to walk instead!"  Then the old man concluded, "Actually, it doesn't matter what you do, people will always be critical."

Similarly the devotees try to educate us in science of God, Krishna, but we end up only criticizing all their ways.  

Put the glass down!

A professor began his class by holding up a glass with some water in it. He held it up for all to see and asked the students,' How much do you think this glass weighs?'

'50gms!'.... '100gms!'.....'125gms'...the students answered.

What would happen if I held it up like this for a few minutes?

'Nothing' the students said.

'Ok what would happen if I held it up like this for an hour?' the professor asked.

'Your arm would begin to ache' said one of the students.

You're right, now what would happen if I held it for a day?'

'Your arm could go numb, you might have severe muscle stress and paralysis and have to go to hospital for sure!' ventured another student and all the students laughed.

'Very good. But during all this, did the weight of the glass change?’ asked the professor.

'No'

'Then what caused the arm ache and the muscle stress?' 

'Put the glass down!' said one of the students.

'Exactly!' said the professor.' Life's problems are something like this.Hold it for a few minutes in your head and they seem OK. Think of them for a long time & they begin to ache. Hold it even longer and they begin to paralyze you.' 

It's important to think of the challenges (problems) in your life, but EVEN more important to 'put them down' at the end of every day before you go to sleep. That way, you are not stressed, you wake up every day fresh and strong & can handle any issue, any challenge that comes your way!

So, when you leave office today, remember to 'PUT THE GLASS DOWN TODAY!' 

People you associate with will infect your thinking

Once, there was a pristine green field that was alive and lush, amidst the extraordinary bloom of springtime. Next to it happened to sit another field. This one was full of weeds, dirt and rough edged stones. This field was a testament to mediocrity and an acute lack of care. 

Through the operation of nature's laws, the seeds of the weeds from the mediocre field were slowly blown over to the lush field. And so, day by day, the once stunningly beautiful one - with once awesome potential - succumbed to the influence of its low-grade next door neighbor. 
    
Before the season was through, there sat two fields. Both completely overcome by weeds. 

Important lesson: 

Your influences and environments matter. The content of what you read/watch/listen will affect your thinking, feeling and willing. The people you associate with will infect your thinking. 

John F Kennedy said, “You are the same today as you will be in five years except for two things, the people you associate with and the books you read.”

How to React to Criticism?

Do you make the most of criticism? Or do you overreact, missing out on any opportunity to benefit from the feedback? 

There’s no question that, for most of us, receiving criticism is not easy. Even when it’s well-intentioned constructive feedback, listening to someone point out an error that you made or a flaw that you have can be very tough to take. 

While learning how to accept criticism graciously, and even thankfully, may not be at the top of your list right now, learning how to deal with negative feedback could make a big difference in your ability to advance rapidly in your life. 

Research in Expert Performance psychology reveals that top performers in every field learn to view criticism differently than the rest of us.

They see it as valuable feedback and as an opportunity to improve. 

Rather than trying to avoid criticism, expert performers welcome it. They seek out coaches and advisors who can give them constructive, sometimes even painful feedback. They then use this feedback as a guide for steady improvement. 

To become a top performer, you’ll need to open yourself up to feedback from those around you. 

Be enthusiastic

When we are enthusiastic about what we do, success will follow!

Enthusiasm is a critical element of success. Enthusiasm is a virtually unstoppable, attitudinal force that generates energy, creativity, and productivity. When you love what you do, it’s difficult not to succeed. Your enthusiasm is obvious to everyone around you and contagious.

It’s important to ask yourself: How safe is it really, spending your time doing something you don’t enjoy? How well can you perform a task you dread? How creative and original is your thinking? 

The answers to each of these questions are clear: Without enthusiasm, your odds of success are minimal. You will either struggle or burn out completely. But the opposite is just as true when enthusiasm for your work fills your heart. 

Steps you can take to ease the sting of criticism

To become a top performer, you’ll need to open yourself up to feedback from those around you. Here are some steps you can take to ease the sting of criticism and begin to make it work for you, instead of against you. 

1.Hit the Pause Button - It’s important to maintain your composure and not lash back or respond defensively to criticism. Take a breath. Don’t do or say anything. This brief pause not only helps you compose yourself and prepare to listen to what the other person has to say, it demonstrates your poise and self-confidence. Maintaining your composure when criticized shows that you’re in control. 

2.Turn On Your Brain and Turn Off Your Emotions - It’s important to disconnect your automatic emotional response to criticism. Otherwise you won’t be able to objectively consider the value of the information. Focus on the words and facts, not on the feelings they generate within you. Regardless of how undiplomatic the other person is in delivering the feedback, tell yourself that it is designed to help you improve, not to tear you down. 

3.Listen Carefully - Listen intently to what the other person is saying. If you’re busy formulating your rebuttal, you may miss some valuable information that can help you avoid errors in the future or improve your overall performance. 

While any criticism can be discouraging, it’s important to keep in mind that negative feedback can contribute significantly to faster growth and higher performance.

As we rush through life!

In Washington, DC, at a Metro Station, on a cold January morning in 2007, this man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes.  During that time, approximately 2,000 people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. 

About 3 minutes: 
The violinist received his first dollar.  A woman threw money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk. 

At 6 minutes: 
A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again. 

At 45 minutes:
The musician played continuously.  Only 6 people stopped and listened for a short while.  About 20 gave money but continued to walk at their normal pace.  The man collected a total of $32.   

After 1 hour: 
He finished playing and silence took over.  No one noticed and no one applauded.  There was no recognition at all. 
No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world.  He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars.  Two days before, Joshua Bell sold-out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100 each to sit and listen to him play the same music.

This is a true story.  Joshua Bell, playing incognito in the D.C. Metro Station, was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people's priorities. 

This experiment raised several questions: 
1.In a common-place environment, at an inconvenient or inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty? 
2.If so, do we stop to appreciate it? 
3.Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?

Learning:  If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made... how many other things are we missing as we rush through life? 

Dharma (Part 3)

What is dharma? How to serve God? What are the principles of dharma and who sets them?

In Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna states:

paritranaya sadhunam
vinashaya ca duskritam
dharma-samsthapanarthaya
sambhavami yuge yuge
(Bhagavad-gita 4.8)

That is Krishna, himself advents in every millennium to establish the principles of dharma. These principles are very significant for the progress of human society. Dharma forms the foundation of the other three goals of common men. They are, artha (economic development), kama (sense gratification) and ultimately moksha(liberation) It is dharma which separates human beings from animalistic life. Without following dharma, the living entity spirals down to darkest corner of this material world in mode of ignorance. For this reason, the lord himself advents to establish these principles. In fact in Chapter 4th, Verse 2nd, He mentions that because this knowledge was lost due to effect of time, He is again giving it to Arjuna to start a new disciplic succession.

dharmam tu saksad bhagavat-pranitam. This means that Dharma is the direct speech of the Supreme Lord. Dharma is not a product of some one’s mental concoctions but authorized statements from the godhead recorded in the Vedic scriptures.

Bhagavad Gita is the crest jewel of all Vedic knowledge. It was delivered by the most perfect Supreme Personality of Godhead – Krishna to Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra at a very critical time. The war was about to begin and Arjun had lost all vigor to fight. Most unfortunate situation. Krishna is known as sarvajna. With his expert wisdom, he cut off all the illusory doubts troubling Arjuna. These words are recorded in Bhagavad Gita. It is directly Dharma.

So, to understand Dharma in truth we should actually read Bhagavad Gita As It Is, as it was understood by Arjuna.

Dharma (Part 2)

Carrying forth the topic of last issue, we will try to present the conclusive definition of the Dharma according to the bona fide authority of Vedic Scriptures. Just to recap, Dharma doesn’t mean a system of faith (or beliefs) but the innate quality of an entity which cannot be separated from the possessor.

This can be illustrated by the example of fire. Heat and light are the innate quality of fire, thus dharma of fire is to heat and illuminate. Coming to Dharma of a person, we would have to delve into the nature or that quality which is common to each one of them. Upon careful analysis and rule of discrimination by exception, it can be safely concluded, that the dharma is Service. Each and every person is serving someone or other. There are so many examples. A wife serves a husband by keeping the house in order and the husband serves the other family members by earning money and livelihood. The children serve their parents by following their instructions. The executive serves the senior executive who in turn serves the area manager who in turn serves the zonal manager. This goes on to country head, regional head, global head, CEO, Chairman who in turn serves to the interest of shareholders whose numbers might spill on from few thousands to few lakhs. Doesn’t matter who one is serving, but without exception all are serving.

The svarupa, or actual identity of the living entity, is described by Lord Chaitanya as Jivera 'svarupa' haya-krsnera 'nitya-dasa': the real identity of the living entity is that he is eternally a servitor of the Supreme Lord.  Serve we must, whether dog or god, the decision rests on us. In the modern world of distant and cold relationships many are left without the loving care of family, no one to serve. Such people find solace to their heart by serving the animals. Keeping pets is one of the top suggestions given by psychologists to their mentally disturbed or depressed patients. Because by serving their pets, their dependents, they feel the fulfillment of their purpose of existence. The moment the realization that our eternal constitutional occupation is “service” dawns upon, the next question is “Who to serve?”. If our dharma is to serve then who is that person to be served which serves to our best interests. Knowingly or unknowingly we all are serving someone, but due to ignorance we do not know who to serve. The decision to select a master is a crucial one. An ideal master possesses qualifications like, merciful, affectionate, aware of our needs and desires, capable of providing livelihood, capable of providing protection and tolerance amongst others.

None other than the Supreme Lord fits this description. None other than him is capable of maintaining our lives, giving us protection, tolerating our repeated offences and mistakes since time immemorial.

bhoktaram yajna-tapasam
sarva-loka-mahesvaram
suhrdam sarva-bhutanam
jnatva mam santim rcchati
 (Bhagavad-gita 5.29)
Being the supreme controller of all the planets and the enjoyer of all, and best friend of all living entities, who better than Krishna to strike a deal with? Krishna Himself declares Himself to be our best benefactor. The same sentiment is expressed by Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu when he says,

tomare loite ami hoinu avatara
ami bina bandhu ara ke ache tomara

"I have descended just to save you. Other than Myself, who else is your friend?"

The master-servant relationship in this world is based on exploitation. The master maintains the servant so that he can exploit the servant for his own nefarious or not-so-nefarious acts. The moment the servant is incapable of serving, the pay cheques stop. But the master-servant relationship between Krishna and his devotees is transcendental. It is not based on exploitation, but based on love, the intense desire to please each other without any motivation. In advanced stages, the love becomes so thick that the identity of the served and the server interchanges naturally.

There are many examples of this in our Vedic scriptures, where the Supreme Master, the master of infinite universes, kindly agrees to be bound by the love and service, and Krishna himself becomes the servant of his servant. This was illustrated by Krishna around the time of the great battle of Kurukshetra. First he became a messenger for his dear Pandavas. Remember the post of a messenger is significant, but nonetheless he remains the servant. But Krishna graciously accepted it. Further on he became the chariot-driver for his devotee and friend Arjuna who was devoid of any enviousness. Krishna also displayed this sentiment when he served his old friend Sudama Vipra in his capital city of Dwarka.

So who do we want to serve, the mean, business minded bosses of this world or the most benevolent and affectionate and capable boss – Krishna? The power to decide rests with us. 

To be continued…

Dharma (Part One)

Dharma is often a topic of debate or discussions among people. Different people have different interpretations of it. Some say it is humanity, some say it is Nationality and others say faith is Dharma. Yato mat tatho path. As many people are there, as many will be interpretations.

Dharma is a Sanskrit word, and the English word that comes closest to it is Religion. The dictionary meaning of religion is “a particular faith”. Let us see the original meaning of Dharma from the scriptures the authority on Dharma.

The scriptures say that Dharma is the intrinsic nature of an entity. By entity, it is meant living or matter. Dharma is that quality which cannot be separated from its possessor. In other words Dharma is the root of it’s identity. Srila Prabhupada used to give example of fire. The dharma of fire is heat and light because, heat and light cannot be separated from fire. In case these two qualities are not present then it is not fire, but something else. Similarly the dharma of sugar is sweetness. The two cannot be separated.

This brings us to the point that what is our dharma? If we go according to the dictionary meaning, that corresponds to Religion or faith. But we have seen and experienced shifts in our faiths and other’s faiths. It is not uncommon to read or hear about conversions. So possibility of change in one’s faith indicates it is not something innate or the very existence or identity of the person. Hence religion is not dharma.

Someone may question here that why are we denying the authority of dictionary here over the meaning of word Dharma. But there is a need to understand the significance of authority. When a Micro-biology researcher faces an obstacle in field work, who does he approach? One may approach an high-school biology teacher or even a college Zoology or Botany professor. But we see in real life one will take the most obvious choice of approaching the Subject Matter Expert on micro-Biology. Why? Because the SME is an authority in the chosen field. The high-school teacher or college professor may be able to give some pointers, but they would be as generic as the content taught in those levels. Similarly to seek out Dharma we should go to the authority on this subject, and that is Shastra - Scriptures. This Dictionary may give a meaning but it would be vague at best.

That Dharma is the innate nature or intrinsic quality of one’s very existence means it is transcendental to all situations. Since we are the soul which is eternal, it’s dharma is also eternal. Sanatana Dharma! – Dharma that is existing since time immemorial. The body, the external covering of soul is temporary; hence the dharma of body is also temporary. Therefore religion may be attributed to the body, because body is born in a particular family practicing one faith. but soul is transcendental to all such circumstances, hence it’s dharma is also transcendental.

What that dharma is? (To be continued…)

Cast system cast out

There are many classes of men in society—some men are engineers, some are medical practitioners, some are chemists, tradesmen, businessmen, and so on. These varieties of classes are not to be determined by birth, however, but by quality. No such thing as the caste-by-birth system is sanctioned by the Vedic literature, nor do we accept it. 

The ultimate goal is to educate people in how to love God. Caitanya Mahaprabhu approves the conclusion that the highest perfection of human life is to learn how to love God. The Krishna consciousness movement has nothing to do with the Hindu religion or any system of religion. No Christian gentleman will be interested in changing his faith from Christian to Hindu. Similarly, no Hindu gentleman of culture will be ready to change to the Christian faith. Such changing is for men who have no particular social status. But everyone will be interested in understanding the philosophy and science of God and taking it seriously. One should clearly understand that the Krishna consciousness movement is not preaching the so-called Hindu religion. We are giving a spiritual culture that can solve all the problems of life, and therefore it is being accepted all over the world.

Be grateful when your mood is high and graceful when it is low

Moods are one of those unavoidable, mysterious parts of life that must be dealt with by everyone. Our understanding of moods greatly affects not only our wisdom and perspective but our overall level of satisfaction as well. Generally speaking, when our mood is high, our spirits are up. When our mood is low, our spirits are down. Moods are like the weather, constantly changing.

When we are in low mood, we think of our dissatisfactions more than when we feel good. We worry!

The fascinating thing about moods is that, to a large degree, we only believe these negative, fearful, and self-defeating thoughts when our mood is low. When our mood is high, we think very differently. We don’t worry as much.

The trick is to be grateful when your mood is high and graceful when it is low. Try to keep in mind the effect your mood is having on the way you are thinking and feeling. Your understanding of moods allows you to keep your perspective and not take so seriously the thoughts you are having when you are low. Rather than believing in your negative and fearful perceptions, you can dismiss them as being mood related.

When you are in a low mood, don’t make important life decisions. Your thinking and wisdom are not as sound as they will be in a higher state of mind. 

Characteristics of an intelligent man

A small child walking with his father goes on inquiring constantly. He asks his father so many odd things, and the father has to satisfy him with proper answers. When I was a young father in my householder life, I was over flooded with hundreds of questions from my second son, who was my constant companion. One day it so happened that a bridegroom's party was passing our tramcar, and the four-year-old boy, as usual, inquired what the big procession was. He was given all possible answers to his thousand and one questions regarding the marriage party, and finally he asked whether his own father was married! This question gave rise to loud laughter from all the elderly gentlemen present, although the boy was perplexed as to why we were laughing. Anyway, the boy was somehow satisfied by his married father.

The lesson from this incident is that since a human being is a rational animal, he is born to make inquiries. The greater the number of questions, the greater the advancement of knowledge and science. The whole of material civilization is based on this originally large volume of questions put by young men to their elders. When elderly persons give the proper answers to the questions of the youngsters, civilization makes progress, one step after another. The less intelligent make lesser inquiries, but the questions of those who are more intelligent go higher and still higher. The most intelligent man, however, inquires about what happens after death. 

Be worry-free!

When we are happy and worry-free, we not only enjoy our lives more, but we are also more competent, creative, wise, and productive. We bring out the best in others and in ourselves. Without the internal distractions of stress, anger, frustration, and worry, our relationships flourish, stress is diminished, new doors are opened, and our lives run smoothly.

We worry about all sorts of things; some obvious, others more subtle. We worry, for example, about making or repeating mistakes or looking foolish. We worry about what others will think if we ask for help or ask for a raise. We worry about speaking to groups, about our future, and about the past. 

What well does worry really do us? Some would argue that it’s “wise” to worry, that it somehow proves that you’re able to anticipate problems. Yet while being able to anticipate problems is certainly useful, I disagree that doing so requires worry.
    
Worry is actually a dream-snatcher. It takes an enormous toll on your spirits and on your emotions. Worry adversely affects your decisions and your judgment, keeping you on-edge, uptight, and heavyhearted. 

If you know successful people in any field, you’ll find a thread of consistency that runs through virtually everyone – they don’t worry much. Interestingly enough, however, the lack of worry preceded their success and was not a by-product of it. Successful people share an inner unshakable confidence that is free from excessive worry.

Part of overcoming worry is to see it as a distraction rather than as a necessity. As worries enter your mind, try to give them less significance and less of your attention. 

Father Sense

We know that there is something which distinguishes a dead body from a living body. That we can understand. Suppose your father dies. You will lament, "Oh, my father is no more! He has gone away." But where has he gone? Your father is lying on the bed. Why do you say that your father has gone away? "No, he is dead and gone." This shows you understand that the body lying on the bed is not your real father.

So, actually, you have no eyes to see your real father. During the lifetime of your father you did not know who he was. Therefore, when the actual father goes away, you cry, "My father is gone!" The actual father is the spiritual soul within the body. And when the soul goes away from the body, that is known as death.

At the present moment everyone is acting according to the bodily conception of life. But we are not the body. So we are acting for something that we are not. Therefore, we are in maya, or illusion. Our whole existence is a phantasmagoria. And because we are working for something that we are not, we are confused and unhappy. We work day and night for the body, and still we are not happy. We are trying to satisfy the senses (body means "senses"), repeating the same activities again and again, but we are finding no happiness. We cannot find happiness by trying to satisfy the material body, because we are not the material body. We are spiritual souls. So if we are serious, if we actually want to be happy, we must take to the cultivation of spiritual understanding, an understanding of Krishna consciousness.

Becoming a better listener!

People love to be listened to. So much so, that they will pay therapists enormous fees to listen to their stories and complaints. Consumers love to be listened to as well. They will happily pay good amount for those people who are smart enough to understand that this is what they want – and what they demand. 

Unfortunately, only a tiny percentage of persons do understand, or are willing to implement, this important understanding.

When you listen in this manner, you may be shocked at the positive response. When people feel that they are listened to, they also feel appreciated and valued. Feeling listened to is such a rare experience that when someone does feel listened to, they tend to tell others about it. 

Listening is like a magic formula that turns ordinary people into loyal, happy customers. 

One final tip: If you want a closer relationship with your friends or colleagues, the best place to start is by becoming a better listener!

Learn the magic of nonattachment

Being attached to an outcome, holding on, takes an enormous amount of energy, not only during an effort but often after an effort is complete, after you’ve failed, or been let down, or were dealt a bad hand. Being nonattached, however, creates emotional freedom. It suggests trying hard, really caring, but at the same time being completely willing to let go of the outcome.

Attachment creates fear that gets in your way: what if I lose? What if the deal doesn’t go through? What if I’m rejected? What if, what if, what if … your belief that everything must work out exactly as you want it to with no glitches creates enormous pressure! 

Nonattachment, on the other hand, works like magic. It allows you to have fun in your efforts, to enjoy the process. It helps you succeed at whatever you are doing by giving you the confidence you need. It takes the pressures off. You win regardless of the outcome. The act of not worrying helps you focus and stay on purpose. It helps you stay out of your own way. 

You know in your heart that, even if things don’t work out the way you hope they will, everything will be all right. You’ll be okay. You’ll learn from the experience. You’ll do better next time. This attitude of acceptance helps you move on to the next step in your path. Rather than being lost or immobilized in disappointment or regret, you simply move on – with confidence and joy. 

Surround yourself with experts

Many people surround themselves with “successful” people and “experts”. Many are frightened that people who are more successful won’t be willing to spend time or share their ideas with us. Nothing could be farther from the truth. The reality is, accomplished people love it when someone takes an interest in their success; they love to share their wisdom, good ideas, or business secrets. It makes them feel wanted and needed.

I’ve worked on projects with some very famous, successful people. When people ask me, “How in the world did you convince them to participate,” they are often shocked at the simplicity of my answer. I respond honestly by saying, “I just asked them.” You’ll be amazed at the number of people who are more than willing to help, whether it’s the owner of a successful grocery store, a top-producing insurance salesperson, a well known author, a physician, a lawyer, or an excellent teacher. 

Most want and are willing to offer advice. In fact, asking someone you admire and respect for their feedback and ideas is the greatest compliment you can offer them. Not all, but most highly successful people (in any field) are available to help others. Usually, it’s the people fighting to climb to the top who are the most frightened, insecure, or unwilling to offer guidance. 

If you do ask for help or advice and are turned down, you can bet that the next person you ask will be more than willing. If you want great advice and you want to avoid big mistakes, seek help. Surround yourself with winners. 

Value of Finger

A screw that is connected with a machine is valuable because it is working with the whole machine. And if the screw is taken away from the machine, or if it is faulty, it is worthless. My finger is worth millions of dollars as long as it is attached to this body and is serving the body. And if it is cut off from this body, then what is its worth? Nothing. Similarly, our relationship is that we are very small particles of God; therefore our duty is to dovetail our energies with Him and cooperate with Him. That is our relationship. Otherwise we are worthless. We are cut off. When the finger becomes useless the doctor says, "Oh, amputate this finger. Otherwise the body will be poisoned." Similarly, when we become godless we are cut off from our relationship with God and suffer in this material world. If we try to join again with the Supreme Lord, then our relationship is revived.

We cannot have anything that is not in God. That is not possible. Therefore in the Vedanta-sutra it is said that everything that we have is also found in God. It is emanating from God. So our relationship is that because we are small, because we are minute, we are the eternal servitors of God. In this material world also, in ordinary behavior, we see that a man goes to serve another man because the other man is greater than he and can pay him a nice salary. So naturally the conclusion is that if we are small, our duty is to serve God. We have no other business. We are all different parts and parcels of the original entity.

Conscious Understanding

Undoubtedly the soul is present in the heart of the living entity, and it is the source of all the energies for maintaining the body. The energy of the soul is spread all over the body, and this is known as consciousness. Since this consciousness spreads the energy of the soul all over the body, one can feel pains and pleasures in any part of the body. The soul is individual, and he is transmigrating from one body to another, just as a person transmigrates from babyhood to childhood, from childhood to boyhood, from boyhood to youth, and then to advanced old age. Then the change called death takes place when we change to a new body, just as we change our old dress to a new dress. This is called transmigration of the soul.

When a soul wants to enjoy this material world, forgetting his real home in the spiritual world, he takes this life of hard struggle for existence. This unnatural life of repeated birth, death, disease, and old age can be stopped when his consciousness is dovetailed with the supreme consciousness of God.

Implications of thinking big!

The implications of thinking big are widespread and impressive. Thinking big is a magic door opener that broadens your perspective and allows you to see new opportunities. Thinking big makes life easier and a lot more fun. 

I’ve been repeatedly reminded by successful people in virtually every field that thinking big is one of the keys to success. Let’s consider a few examples. Successful insurance salespersons insist that it takes the identical amount of time to speak to someone about a million-dollar policy as it does a one-thousand-dollar policy. 
    
The bigger your visions, the larger your potential for success. If you’re trying to sell homes for a living, as an agent, it takes the same amount of energy to ask a wealthy person for their listing as it does a low-end homeowner. You can think small, or you can think big.
    
As usual, the primary reason many people think too small is fear. Thoughts like, “I can’t speak to a room full of people,” “I can’t risk taking on a larger project,” and “I couldn’t ask the boss to have lunch with me” fill the mind and are taken too seriously. When fearful thoughts enter the mind, try to banish them. The fear you are experiencing is almost always self-created and usually unnecessary.
    
Could you be thinking in larger terms? In most cases, the answer is yes! There may be ways that you can reach more people with the same amount of effort. Regardless of the business you are in, the first step is to eliminate any fear or worry that is getting in your way. As your worrisome thoughts gradually disappear and become less appealing, new ideas and insights will begin to emerge. 

Life produces chemicals

The so-called scientists say that life begins from chemicals. But the real question is, "Where have the chemicals come from?" The chemicals come from life. For example, an orange tree contains many oranges, and each orange contains chemicals—citric acid and others. So where have these chemicals come from? Obviously they have come from the life within the tree. The scientists are missing the origin of the chemicals. They have started their investigation from the chemicals, but they cannot identify the origin of the chemicals. Chemicals come from the supreme life—God. Just as the living body of a man produces many chemicals, the supreme life (the Supreme Lord) is producing all the chemicals found in the atmosphere, in the water, in humans, in animals, and in the earth. And that is called mystic power. Unless the mystic power of the Supreme Lord is accepted, there is no solution to the problem of the origin of life.

Build a large trust fund

Every one of us has a trust fund that really matters: the trust of other people. The only question is, how large is it? Many people, not knowing how important a trust fund is to their own success, are practically bankrupt in this critical account.

The way to build a large trust fund is simple and straightforward. It involves being accountable for your actions, however large or small, doing what you say you are going to do, delivering on your promises, being on time, and so forth. Anything and everything you do that reinforces your own trustworthiness is like money in the bank. Accountability is derived in both small and large doses. For example, if you tell someone you are going to call them at three ‘o’clock, or pick them up at the railway station, and you do so on time, as you say you are going to do, you earn small credits toward your trust fund. 

Likewise, if you tell someone that you’ll send them a copy of a book you’ve been discussing, and you actually do it, you earn credibility with that person. If you don’t do exactly what you say you’re going to do, while any individual action or inaction may not seem like a very big deal, it decreases your credibility and reduces the size of your trust fund. 

Obviously, no one is perfect. We all make mistakes, show up late, and occasionally forget appointments. It’s far easier and wiser to avoid making commitments that we can’t keep than it is to make promises, however small, that may eventually reduce the size of our trust fund.

Starting today, speak and behave with your trust fund in mind. Before you say you are going to do something that someone else is going to depend on, check in with yourself. Ask yourself, will I be able to keep this commitment? Remember, the size of your trust fund depends on it. 

Attitude!

How we react, what we do or say, all depends on our attitude. It determines whether we'll be happy or sad. Attitude can help, or hinder us in all areas of our lives. 

If your thoughts are constantly of doom and gloom, you will receive the same in return. 

Your thoughts and your perception of the world influences all that you do, and all that you are, and all that you can be. 

Changing your attitude is really changing the way you see things. To begin the change, you must start looking for the good in every situation, rather than the negative. 

So, you see the choice is yours. If we compare attitude to swimming, which are you doing? 

Are you swimming - even against the currents and the waves, you keep going, you see your destination and you are taking action to reach it. 

Are you floating - just allowing the waves to carry you, you end up where ever the water takes you. 

Are you drowning - you see the waves and the currents as difficulties you cannot overcome. 

The law of the seed

Take a look at an apple tree. There might be five hundred apples on the tree, each with ten seeds. That's a lot of seeds!

We might ask, "Why would you need so many seeds to grow just a few more trees?"

Nature has something to teach us here. It's telling us: "Most seeds never grow. So if you really want to make something happen, you better try more than once."

This might mean:

You'll attend twenty interviews to get one job.

You'll interview forty people to find one good employee.

You'll talk to fifty people to sell one house, car, vacuum cleaner, insurance policy, idea...

And you might meet a hundred acquaintances to find one special friend.

When we understand the "Law of the Seed", we don't get so disappointed.

We stop feeling like victims. Laws of nature are not things to take personally.

We just need to understand them - and work with them. 

Path of Perfection

At the present moment our consciousness is designated. Someone is thinking, "I am an Englishman," and another is thinking, "I am an American." Actually,we do not belong to any of these designations. We are all part and parcel of God; that is our real identity. If everyone simply comes to that consciousness, all the problems of the world will be solved. Then we shall come to know that we are one— the same quality of spirit soul. The same quality of spirit soul is within everyone, although it may be in a different dress. This is the explanation given in the Bhagavad-Gita.

Krishna consciousness is actually a purificatory process. Its purpose is to make people free from all designations. When our consciousness becomes purified of all designations, the activities we carry out with our purified senses make us perfect. Eventually, we reach the ideal perfection of human life. Krishna consciousness is also a very simple process. It is not necessary to become a great philosopher, scientist, or whatever. We need only chant the holy name of the Lord, understanding that His personality, His name, and His qualities are all absolute.

Krishna consciousness is a great science. Unfortunately, in the universities there is no department for this science. Therefore we invite all serious men who are interested in the welfare of human society to understand this great movement and, if possible, take part in it and cooperate with us. The problems of the world will be solved.

Don’t draw conclusions until you know all the facts!

One old man was sitting with his 25 year old son in the train. Train is about to leave the station. All passengers are settling down their seat. As train started, young man was filled with lot of joy and curiosity.

He was sitting on the window side. He put out one hand and feeling the passing air, he shouted, "Papa see all trees are going behind".

Old man smiled and admired son’s feelings. Beside the young man one couple was sitting and listening to all the conversation between father and son.

They were little awkward with the attitude of 25 years old man behaving like a small child. Suddenly the young man again shouted, "Papa see the pond and animals. Clouds are moving with train". Couple was watching the young man in embarrassment. Now it starts raining and some of water drops touch the young man's hand.

He is filled with joy and he closed the eyes. He shouted again, "Papa it's raining, water is touching me, see papa".

Couple couldn't help themselves and ask the old man.

"Why don't you visit the Doctor and get treatment for your son."

Old man said, “Yes, We are coming from the hospital as today my son got his eye sight for first time in his life".

Moral: Don’t draw conclusions until you know all the facts!