Life is a correction

A student complained to his meditation teacher, "my meditation is horrible! I feel so distracted. My legs ache. And I am constantly falling asleep".

"It will pass", the teacher replied.

A week later, same student came back to his teacher."My meditation is wonderful! I feel so aware, so peaceful, so alive! It is just wonderful!", he said.

"It will pass", the teacher replied.

Life is a journey, a process, a path. It is not to be achieved. It is to be lived. The everyday actions we choose are the small processes which altogether, at the end, show us the larger picture called life. To improve this final larger picture, we regularly make decisions and action plans. For example new year resolutions, birthday promises, anniversary vows, etc. Then we make schedules to implement those actions, if we are disciplined enough. During this course, sometimes we succeed and sometimes we do not. Ever wondered why?

Same reason! Because it is a process. Every activity you do is a process. And every process stands for correction. Look at the share market scripts, success or failure graph of any celebrity or a company. You will find a rise and then fall so that the position reached stands corrected.

Let us take simpler example. Let us look at ourselves. We have maximum energy when we get up in the morning. But it does not stay that way for rest of the day. Afterwards we are at moderate energy level for 12 to 15 hours. Body corrects that energy level.

Look at the new habit pattern. Initially, you do it consistently. Gradually the drive for keeping up the new habit recedes. You even refine the frequency of doing that activity. If you have enough discipline, determination, dedication and the right reasons, habit stays and becomes routine or rather a lifestyle. Process corrects itself.

Similarly, a feeling of depression is a process; only a negative one. Initially, one feels there is no hope and nothing can be done about it. But gradually, one comes out of it, provided he/she takes support of himself or loved ones and works on improving the thoughts and thought patterns. Then there is a ray of hope to a better life.

Please note that process evolves continuously. It doesn't know in which direction it is going. Therefore, you have to take control of it. With every parameter you change in it, the effect changes. It is in your hands to select the parameter and decide the extent of its change. Use it for betterment of people around you.

Most people don't use this power after a certain stage of their life. Look around you. Can you think of people who have stopped or reduced the scale of learning after a certain years of experience or certain age. Then they complaint about mundane life and slow promotions in their career. Opportunities are waiting for you if you are ready to work on yourself. Of course there are organizations where right talent is not utilized optimally, but you get my point. Right? You have the power to change it. Choose the direction of change.

Do you want to want to change the process? In which direction? Upward or downward? Well, it depends on the type of process you select. For example, for smoking habit, you want it to move in downward direction and for exercise, you want it to go in upward direction.

Here are the steps to achieve it which should help you achieve your goals:

1. Identify - which parameters you should change.

2. Know - which habits require positive or negative changes

3. Prepare a schedule and start working on it

4. Either it will work nicely or it won't work at all. But now you know why it happens.

Some processes require more potential energy to kick start whereas in some, you already have the potential so it starts out smooth. Trick is to keep the potential at the level where you can provide the energy to the process, sufficient enough to get to the next step.

5. Keep trying - process will correct itself. You will see the change. And then, that too shall pass.

6. Explore - the variety of ways to achieve your milestones.

7. Never stop. Continue to raise your potential.

I hope you work on your processes and potential and improve your life phenomenally. I pray that, one day, when you look back, you could happily say to yourself, "I am glad I shifted the right parameters".

Keep sharing your experiences.

Save the world.

Bear maximum one child per couple for at least 3 generations.

Hang In There

One fine day, a man was walking down a path when he spotted a butterfly cocoon that was about to open. As he watched, a small opening appeared in the cocoon. So he sat and watched butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through the little hole.

Suddenly it seemed to stop making progress. It appeared as if he had gotten as far as it could and could not go any further.

So the man decide to help the butterfly. He took something and opened the cocoon. The butterfly then emerged easily but it had a tiny withered body and its wings were shriveled.

The man continued to watch because he expected that at any moment the wings would open and expand, and be able to support the butterfly's body. To his disappointment neither happened. In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with a withered body and shriveled wings. It was never be able to take flight.

What the man did not understand is that a restrictive cocoon and the struggle required for the butterfly to get through the tiny opening were nature's way of forcing strength  from the butterfly's body into its wings, so that it would be  ready for the flight once it freed itself from the cocoon.
Also, are not we becoming such parents to our children? Better we give people strength of knowledge, skill and paradigm shift instead of easing their challenges. Right?

'Today is brutal. Tomorrow is more brutal. But, the day after tomorrow is beautiful. However, the majority of people will die tomorrow night.' - Jack Ma

Struggles are exactly what we need in our lives. It is for those obstacles and challenges, we could or would fly. Challenges and struggles and bring fears of failure and doubts. You are never not afraid. But, hang in there. 'Hang' or 'to suspend' has a word 'Shankate' in Sanskrit, meaning 'is in doubt' or 'hesitates' and in Latin, 'Delay'. Hang in until  you are ready to string up your fears from the neck. Don't let yourself lose yourself. Live life without fear, confront all obstacles and know that you can overcome them.

It will come - success. There are many steps to reach there. One needs to pass through rejections, adversities, ignorance of others, personal failures, criticism, doubts, sacrifices, courage, discipline, competition, struggles, late nights of hard work, huge risks, disappointments and persistence, before reaching to the summit of success. So just hang in there. You will reach at your destination.

'Obsessed' is just a word the lazy people use to describe the dedicated.' - Russel Warren

Unless one looks inward, he cannot look upward.

Enjoy the process of your search. Keep throwing darts at the dart-board of life. Remember that it's possible that not everyone may like you. But it is okay. Don't listen to the critics as long as you continue to learn how to live.

Stay busy in your actions.

PS: To the people of Sulawesi Island, hang in there. May God be with you.

An inspiring story from Indonesia:

Respected Late Mr. Anthonius Gunawan Agung, a 21 year-old air traffic controller, died while staying back alone to guide a passenger plane in taking off as earthquake destroyed an airport's terminal in Indonesia. Following the take off, Agung jumped from the fourth floor. He was hospitalized due to internal injuries but died before a helicopter could shift hiim to a speciality hospital. He may have saved hundreds of lives with his decision.
Salute!