“The best of men is he who blushes when you praise him and remains silent when you defame him.”

- Kahlil Gibran

Criticism can actually be a good thing.

Often times it means you’re marching to the beat of your own drum, and in the process you’re reminding others of their own mediocrity. Criticism is their defense mechanism, and by lashing out at you they’re attempting to bring you down to their level so they can feel better about themselves and the decisions they’ve made.

Other times, criticism is directed your way by people you love dearly. Usually well intentioned, it’s often because these people are worried about you or concerned about your future.

Regardless of the source of criticism, we allow people’s attacks to affect the balance of our mind. We get angry, lash back at others, and lose faith in who we are and what we’re trying to accomplish.

Whenever you decide to go against the grain and strive to reach some of your loftier goals, you can bet you’re going to come up against a considerable amount of criticism. For you to succeed in reaching these goals, you must learn to deal with this criticism in a healthy and positive way.

Indian Family + Dropping Out of School = Guaranteed Criticism

When I decided to drop out of school, I had a vague idea of what I was getting myself into.

I mentally prepared for what was sure to be a barrage of criticism in the form of phone calls, e-mails, and personal visits. I determined I was going to tell as few people as possible about my decision, and ignore everyone that tried to force their “wisdom” upon me.

When people called, I didn’t answer. When people e-mailed, I never replied. And when people took the time to visit me at home, I dreaded the prospect of sitting down and chatting with them about my future.

This is how I dealt with the criticism in my life, and let me tell you, running away from it only made things worse. I’ve hurt the people who love me most, and have alienated myself from them in the process. People no longer bother telling me what they think because they know any attempts at conversation will always end up ignored or in an argument.

I’ve closed the door on a potential source of constructive criticism and positive energy in my life, and it’s because I’ve been too immature to learn how to deal with criticism in a healthy way.

15 Months Later

It’s been 15 months since I made the decision to withdraw from school, and the amount of criticism I’ve been subjected to has gone way past even my most extreme expectations.

My mom takes every opportunity she gets to criticize me for not being in school. She tells me I’m lazy. She calls me useless. She makes fun of me in front of her friends. Whenever I tell her a story about one of my friends, she always ends the conversation with, “Well, at least he’s in school Rahul!”

This can be awfully frustrating. At times I find myself engaged in an argument with my mother about my beliefs, or out of anger I’m ignoring her, or in my defense I’m criticizing her for the way she leads her life.

Is this any way to handle criticism? To fight with the person who loves me more than anyone else in the world?

Here I am trying to improve the quality of my life by reading tons of personal development books and attending courses like Vipassana, but for some reason I can’t even do something as simple as leading a proper relationship with my loved ones.

Healthy Ways to Deal with Criticism

As you can tell from my story, criticism can be a terribly negative force if you don’t learn how to deal with it properly. Thankfully, along my journey I’ve learned quite a few healthy ways to handle criticism. I’m nowhere near the expert I strive to be, but I do know that the path I’m on now will eventually get me there. That’s what’s important.

Here are a few techniques and perspectives I’ve learned over the past 15 months that help me deal with criticism in a positive, healthy way. Apply them to your life and I’m confident they’ll do the same for you.

1. Defenselessness - Notice how you always feel the need to defend yourself against the criticism of others. The most important thing you must learn is how to relinquish this need to defend yourself all the time. As long as you defend yourself, criticism always wins the battle over your attempts to maintain a balanced state of mind. This is also the best way to ensure a life of isolation, anger, and broken relationships.

2. Understand the source of peoples’ criticism – Each person will have their own reasons for criticizing you. If you care about the person, it’s your responsibility to figure out the source of their criticism to make sure it doesn’t get in the way of your relationship. Understanding this source will help you lower your guard, because you’ll usually find the person is well intentioned. For example, I’ve come to understand that my mother’s source of criticism is her perceived duty of letting me know when I’m making a mistake. She views my decision to drop out of school as a huge mistake, and she lets me know that whenever she gets a chance. I’m finding it harder and harder to get angry with her as I understand this truth more deeply. Seek to understand others, and you’ll find that the need to defend yourself against criticism will slowly dissolve.

3. Extract the value from others’ perspectives – Once you’ve come to understand the source of a person’s criticism, investigate whether or not his or her perspective has any applicability to your life. Many times you’ll find there is value in what others are trying to tell you, and you’ll be able to mesh their ideas with your own, creating a better approach to reaching your goals altogether. It takes a wise person to set his or her ego aside, and quietly listen to the harsh words of others. It takes an even wiser person to learn a valuable lesson from these harsh words.

4. Believe in yourself – One of the best ways to deal with criticism is to firmly believe in yourself. Believe in your ideas, perspectives, the path you’ve chosen, and the decisions you’ve made. Peoples’ negative comments and criticisms will bounce off of you if you have a tremendous amount of self-confidence. Observe how you react to criticism, and many times you’ll find that whenever you defend your ideas, perspectives, or the decisions you’ve made, it’s because you don’t believe in them wholeheartedly in the first place. If you did, you wouldn’t feel the need to defend them from the attacks of others. Self-confidence is the path to defenselessness.

5. Stop seeking approval – This one has been huge for me. For the longest time I’ve wanted my father’s and mother’s approval, so I would do everything in my power to get it. When they criticized me I would argue persistently, trying to get them to see my point of view. I wanted them to say they believed in me. I wanted them to agree with me so I could feel like I was doing the right thing. I craved their validation. As I’ve progressively relinquished my need for their approval, I’ve noticed I’m not as reactive to their criticism as I was before. Whether or not they believe in me, I realize I have to believe in myself. This is the only way I’ll be able to create the life of my dreams. Who’s approval do you seek? In what way? Why?

Putting it in Perspective

The kind of criticism that hurts the most is from the people who matter most to you in your life. Understand that a majority of the time this stinging criticism originates from a place of love in the critic’s heart. Kindly listen to their words, extract any value these words may provide, and then go back to doing things the way you’ve been doing them.

There’s no need to argue.

There’s no need to defend your ideas, perspectives, and the decisions you’ve made.

There’s no need to prove anything to anyone.

Believe in who you are, the path you’ve chosen, and the decisions you’ve made, and you’ll soon find that criticism no longer stings like it once did.

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Today I have a special treat for all of you.

I’m going to share a resource that will allow you to take a deeper look into your personality, and will provide a tremendous amount of clarity on your identity.

Sound like something you might be interested in?

Behold, the MBTI test!

I won’t bore you with an in-depth explanation of the mechanics of the test and how it works. If you’re interested, please click on the Wikipedia link above for a detailed description of all that fun stuff.

Instead, let’s dive right in and get our hands dirty!

Taking and Interpreting the MBTI Test

To take the test, please click here. Answer each question as honestly as you possibly can. Choose the answers that best describe you as you are right now, not the answers that describe who you’d like to be in the future. The more accurate your answers are, the more accurate your results will be.

Once you’ve finished the test and received your results, click here to read a detailed description about your personality type. If you answered all the questions on the test to the best of your abilities, the accuracy of this description may blow your mind. I freaked out because mine was spot on.

The Personality Page also has in-depth personal development tips for each of the types. After reading the general description of your type, click here (scroll down) for a better explanation of your strengths and weaknesses and how to work on them.

One last cool thing the site explains is how your personality type influences your relationships and the way you treat others. It provides a tremendous amount of clarity on why you act the way you do towards your friends, family, lovers, and children. Please click here (scroll down) if you’d like to read further on this subject.

My Personality Type

I’ve taken the MBTI multiple times over the past 2 years, and my result has only changed once during that time. The first time I took the test my result was ESTP, but every time I’ve taken the test after that my result has been ENTP. The first result was inaccurate because I didn’t take the test seriously, and I failed to put the required thought into my answers. When I read the personality type description of ESTP it didn’t sound very accurate, and I unfairly decided the test was a terrible indicator of my personality type.

Six months later I decided to give the test another try, just for fun. This time my result was ENTP, and after reading the detailed description of my type I was amazed at how accurately it described my personality.

Since then I’ve been taking the test every 6 months, and my result hasn’t changed at all. Given the amount of growth I’ve experienced over the past two years, I think that’s pretty incredible. To read more about my type, you can click here.

Making the Most of Your Type

I’m writing this section under the assumption that you’ve already taken the test and read the detailed description of your type. If you haven’t done either and want to keep reading, be my guest. But be warned, some of this terminology may seem a bit cooky to you!

I’ve found that the understanding of my dominant, auxiliary, tertiary, and inferior functions has given me a substantial amount of clarity on where I need to direct my future self-improvement efforts.

For example, my dominant function is Extraverted Intuition. This means my primary mode of living is directed by using my intuition to interpret the information I take in from my external environment. I’m exceptionally good at doing this, and often times I’ll see connections and patterns in my environment that many of the other personality types miss.

Sounds like a wonderful superpower to have, right? Wrong!

This strength is a double-edged sword because of its dominant nature. Unchecked, it could turn into a personal development block by taking over my entire personality. As a result, my auxiliary function of Introverted Thinking and tertiary function of Extraverted Feeling would be overshadowed, creating an imbalance in my personality.

Such an imbalance would lead me to act on my intuitions without thoroughly thinking them through first. This could cause me to put myself in tough situations with problems I would have foreseen had I taken the time to think through my intuitions.

This imbalance would also prevent me from properly weighing other people’s feelings, and I could come across as cold and insensitive to the people who matter most to me in my life. In the worst-case scenario, I may be perceived as so inconsiderate and hurtful by my loved ones that they leave me altogether.

Totally NOT cool.

I’ve spent a great deal of time strengthening my Introverted Thinking function, and I feel like I’ve finally gotten it down. I used to jump from “brilliant” idea to “brilliant” idea without giving the consequences of my choices much thought. However, these days I’ve settled down, and I now think through potential ideas and their consequences much more thoroughly.

The strengthening of my Introverted Thinking function is actually the reason I came to the realization that sharing my personal development insights with others is the right career path for me. Without developing this function I would have never come to such a realization, and I would still be jumping around between potential career paths.

I’m now shifting my self-improvement efforts towards developing my Extraverted Feeling function. I am aware that I am extremely weak in this area, and I’ve started to use my newly developed Introverted Thinking function to help me understand the way my actions affect the feelings of those around me. It’s definitely a work in progress, and I’m confident that in time I will acquire the required amount of understanding necessary to make this shift possible.

Until that time, please forgive me if I’m unnecessarily cold or inconsiderate towards your feelings!

Develop Your Subordinate Functions

Choosing to develop your auxiliary and tertiary functions is one of the most important undertakings you can commit to on your personal development quest. By doing so, you’ll become a more balanced individual, and will gain control over your rampant dominant function. You’ll gain the ability to strengthen your weaknesses, and further strengthen your strengths. Your auxiliary and tertiary functions will begin to shine, and you’ll unlock access to abilities you never knew you had before.

The MBTI test, coupled with the information on The Personality Page, will give you all of the tips, suggestions, and clarity you’ll need to make this happen.

I love to see the look on people’s faces after they complete the test and read the detailed description of their results. It’s always a look of amazement and satisfaction. Since I can’t see your pretty mug through my computer screen, I would love if you share what you think of the test and your results in the comments section below!

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Mental energy is such a precious resource.

It can be used intelligently, and devoted to the process of creating the life of your dreams. Or it can leak away and be wasted while your mind secretly dwells on the demons of your past.

The problem is that until you dispel the demons of your past, a substantial portion of your mental energy will be allocated to them. As a result, you may only have access to only 50 percent of your usable mental energy, instead of the full 100 percent.

Wouldn’t you rather allocate your mental energy as you please, and use it towards completing more important tasks such as, oh I don’t know, writing that book you’ve wanted to get started for the past few years, acing that class you’ve been struggling with the entire semester, or tackling <insert daunting and spectacular project here>?

Answered yes? Keep reading.

My Biggest Demon

In the second grade, about 15 years ago, I decided one Monday that I didn’t feel like being in class for the remainder of the day, so I would devise an intricate plan to get my mom to come and pick me up from school. I told my teacher that I was feeling sick and asked her if I could go to the restroom with the most authentic “sick” face I could possibly muster up. She graciously granted my request.

When I finally got to the restroom, I waited around for a few minutes, washed my hands, and returned explaining to my teacher that I had just spent the last five minutes puking my guts out, and that I had to go home. To top it off, I figured I would be extra tricky and tell her I had been throwing up the last few days at home also, just so she felt extra sorry for me and so that my lie made even more sense.

My mom was there in no time to pick me up, and had a look of confusion on her face when she arrived. In front of my teacher, she asked me how I was perfectly fine that morning, and how I managed to start throwing up just a few hours later. My teacher interjected and asked my mom about me being sick the past few days. My mom told her that she had no idea what I was talking about, and that there must have been a misunderstanding.

There was no misunderstanding. I had definitely lied through my teeth no more than 20 minutes ago.

I walked out of the classroom holding my mom’s hand while looking back at my teacher, and make no mistake about it, she was glaring at me. I flashed a devious smile her way, and was mentally preparing to celebrate my victory over a fun game of Super Mario Brothers.

Round 1 goes to Rahul!

Little did I know, my teacher was determined to win Round 2 and the rest of the subsequent rounds the very next day. I should’ve known better than to get involved in a battle of wits with such a vindictive woman. I would soon find out she didn’t care if I was a 3 foot tall second grader, or a 6 foot tall teacher like her. She would have the final say on this matter.

When I arrived at class the next day sporting an “I’m all better now” look on my face, everything went like it always did; nothing was out of the ordinary. However, as soon as the class settled down, something strange happened. My teacher exclaimed that she had an announcement to make. She called me up to the front of the class.

She wouldn’t dare!

Standing right next to me, she put her hand on my shoulder and announced to the class that I was a liar, and that I shouldn’t be trusted because of what I did the day before. Immediately everyone started chanting LIAR, LIAR! I busted into tears, searching for sympathy and consolation from my classmates. There was none to be had.

It was the most humiliating moment of my entire life, and at the time I felt incredibly angry and embarrassed. I was wondering how a woman as old as her could do something like this to a kid as young as me. I thought adults were supposed to be compassionate and mature, not vindictive and retaliatory. What was she trying to prove by humiliating me in front of the whole class?

For the rest of the year my nickname was “The Liar”, and none of my friends ever really trusted me again. Fortunately for me, my family moved the next year and I transferred to a new school.

Everyone Has Their Share of Demons

This experience hardly seems like a “demon” to me now, but when it actually happened 15 years ago it was a huge deal to me. Rather than facing and dealing with this experience emotionally when I was 7 years old, my mind has slowly absorbed and filed away the pain associated with it over time. This doesn’t mean the memory ceases to exist in my mind, and it doesn’t mean the negative energy associated with it has dissipated on its own as I’ve grown older.

We all have disagreeable things happen to us at all stages of our lives, and many times we are unprepared to deal with the wave of emotions we feel when these things happen. The mind has developed a coping mechanism to deal with such experiences to ensure mental and emotional stability in the future.

Given this truth, everyone should give the exercise outlined in this article a fair chance. Empty your mind of any preconceived notions or beliefs you may have for a short amount of time while you give the exercise a try.  Don’t attempt to intellectualize the process, just dive right in and see if it works for you.

Objectify Your Demons

Disclaimer: If you decide to complete the exercise outlined below, take note that it can be a highly emotional process.  If you do plan on completing the exercise, please make sure you are in the appropriate state of mind to deal with the “demons” of your past. If you find that you aren’t in the right state of mind, come back later and do the exercise when you feel more prepared to do so. If necessary, seek the help of a trained mental health professional or spiritual guru to guide you along with the process. This is a very serious process and it should be treated as such.

As long as the demons of your past stay filed away in the depths of your subconscious mind they will continue to wreak havoc on your supply of mental energy. You must learn to objectify your demons, and bring them to the surface of your consciousness. Once you’ve managed to do this, you must befriend these demons, neutralize their parasitic effect on your mind, and then neatly file them away in your mind’s database of memories.

Here’s how you do it.

Exercise: A Trip Down Memory Lane

Lie down or sit somewhere you can get comfortable and relax your entire body. Close your eyes and allow your mind to wander for a minute or so.

Now, rewind through your memory, and pull up the most painful memory in your past that you can find into your mental movie theater. Preferably, it should be an element of your past you haven’t come to terms with yet. If you don’t have the courage to face such a painful memory just yet, choose one that isn’t quite as painful for now.

Once you’ve pulled the memory up, attempt to relive it to the best of your ability. Absorb yourself in the memory; let it play out exactly as it did when it actually happened. If you can’t remember all of the small details, remember whatever you can and stay focused on reliving the memory as accurately as possible.

Notice anything peculiar? Are you feeling some of the emotions and sensations you experienced when the actual event took place? Maybe you’re feeling an equally powerful sensation or emotion as you did when the original event took place. Allow yourself to fully experience this emotional feedback. Decide that you’re not going to run away from it any longer. Understand that as long as you run from this memory, it will have power over you and will continue to sap you of your precious mental energy.

The emotions and sensations you are experiencing are in reality a tied up supply of mental energy. The stronger the emotional feedback, the more tied up mental energy the memory contains. The key to regaining this mental energy is to negate the emotional charge associated with the painful memory. The way to do this is by repeatedly exposing yourself to it.

Now that you’ve run through the memory once, run through it again. And then run through it again and again and again. What you’ll start to find is that the charge associated with the memory slowly begins to diminish, until it eventually disappears entirely.

Relief

When I relived my most painful memory for the first time, it stung almost as painfully as when it actually happened 15 years ago. Feelings of anger, embarrassment, and humiliation immediately resurfaced. It was fascinating to observe how something that happened so long ago still had such a deep effect on me.

After neutralizing the charge of the memory by running through it many times, I felt incredibly relieved. It was like a huge burden had been lifted off my shoulders, and I was free to move around again as I pleased. I quickly figured out that if I were to continue applying this process to all of the memories in my past with a charge, no matter how small the charge, I would free up a considerable amount of mental energy in no time.

I’ve been using this process for over a year now, and let me tell you, it’s made a HUGE difference in my life. I now have more mental energy at my disposal to delegate to important tasks. Emotionally, I’m more stable. My focus has enhanced considerably. I’m more productive and things get done faster and more efficiently than ever before.

Don’t Just Sit There, Give It a Try

Regaining conscious control over the allocation of your mental energy is not the easiest of processes, but trust me, it’s definitely one of the most rewarding processes you can commit to. There will be a night and day difference between your productive capacities before and after going through this much needed tune-up.

Afterwards, you’ll notice life flows better than it used to, because you will be able to concentrate a larger portion of your mental energy towards your most important tasks. For example, these words simply flow out of my fingers without much conscious thought, while prior to going through the tune-up process myself, these articles were much more tedious for me to write (which was half of the reason I gave up a year ago).

Of course, after completing the process numerous times you’ll occasionally identify a demon of your past you happened to overlook the first few times around. But when that time comes you’ll be prepared to deal with the demon consciously and come to terms with it, no longer allowing it eat up your precious mental energy. It’s an ongoing purification process, and as you face and neutralize more and more demons of your past, you’ll gain greater access to your usable mental energy. You’ll finally have the ability to allocate it as you see fit.

Sounds amazing, doesn’t it? Now get in that movie theater, and start watching some of your old personal faves and make it happen! :)

Please do share your experiences after completing the exercise outlined above. I’m very interested to see how it may have helped you, and what benefits you experienced after freeing up some of your mental energy. Plus, others will get to see that I’m not the only quack this process has worked for.

Stay tuned for Part 2, which I will post in the near future. The article will be on how to free up mental energy by addressing areas of stress in your life. While this article deals with demons of the past, the next article will focus on the demons of the present and how to identify and face them courageously.

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A formal school education can be a powerful tool if used properly. If its purpose is not kept in perspective, however, the time and energy you invest in your school education will almost certainly go to waste.

Go to waste? What the hell do you mean Rahul by go to waste? You’ll walk out of university with a degree regardless of if you make the most of your education or not, so the time and energy you invested won’t be a complete waste, right? At least you’ve got that piece of paper and you’ll be able to get a job somewhere, no?

What happens when you walk out of school and suddenly realize the education you just completed has nothing to do with what you’re really interested in, and now you have to get a job doing something you don’t give a damn about?

I’m Wasting My Time!

Uh oh… you’ve actually spent the last 4 years in school digging a hole for yourself, and now you’re buried. I guess that energy and time you invested didn’t go to waste after all!

Hello 9 to 5 job doing work that means nothing to you!

Greetings feelings of boredom, purposelessness, stress, anxiety, and despair!

Aloha life of misery and thoughts of suicide!

Okay, maybe I went a bit too far on that last one. But you get my point.

Mindlessly coasting through your education without paying proper respect to the importance it plays in determining your future is a recipe for certain disaster.

All of this could have been avoided if you had taken the time to do some future planning. By understanding how your school education fits into the grand scheme of the contribution you want to make for the rest of your life, you gain the ability to make the most out of your education and save yourself from the disaster situation described above.

How exactly do you reach this level of understanding?

School is a Feeder System

First, let’s take a moment to dispel any confusion there may be about what the schooling system is designed to accomplish. By doing this, we shed light on how the process actually works, and are able to use this new found clarity to our advantage. To do that, we’ll have to begin by working backwards; starting with the demands of the society we live in.

The schooling system is in place to endow students with the skills necessary to answer a number of society’s specific demands. People need doctors, so the subject of medicine is taught in medical schools. People demand the latest technology, so engineering is taught at universities around the world. People demand legal assistance, so there are law schools set up to teach students how to interpret the law.

Understanding this concept, you must ask yourself, “Which of society’s demands do I wish to address and fulfill?” Rather than swinging in the dark and guessing randomly at what your answer to this question may be, I suggest you take the approach of beginning with the end in mind instead. Meaning, you have to know where you’re going before you can decide how you’re going to get there.

Time for an exercise!

Exercise #1: Begin with the End in Mind

Open a blank word document or take out a blank sheet of paper, and on the top of the page write “What do I want to have?” Write down everything you want to have, including material, emotional, spiritual, and mental possessions. For example, on my list I have financial freedom as one of the things I’d like to have, and then the very next item on my list is a Porsche Carerra GT (I love cars). Don’t be shy, dream as big as you’d like!

Next, write “What do I have to do to have what I want to have?” This one’s pretty self explanatory. On my list I have provide a significant amount of value to society and create a product or service that makes life easier for people. I figure by providing a significant amount of value to society I will be rewarded financially, amongst many other things, and goals like financial freedom or a Porsche Carerra GT won’t be too hard to obtain. And by creating a product or service that makes life easier for people, I should be able to provide a significant amount of value to society. What’s on your list? Get as specific as you possibly can.

Finally, write “Who do I have to be to do what I want to do?” This one’s a bit trickier because we’re dealing with aspects of personality and character, and they’re harder to connect with tangibles like things we want to do or have. Buckle down and really focus on identifying all of the characteristics you will have to develop to actually accomplish what you want to do. Try not to leave anything out. On my list I have unconditionally loving and service oriented as two of the characteristics I will have to constantly work on and develop to make possible what I want to do.

Assuming you committed to answering the questions in this exercise to the best of your abilities, you should have a pretty clear idea of the direction you want to take your life simply by looking over your list. You now know all of the things that have personal value to you. Whether or not anyone else values the same things you do is irrelevant, all that matters is that you value what’s on your list.

The key is being able to find the area overlap between your personal values and society’s values. This way you’re leading your life in the direction you want to take it, while also providing something of significant value to society. The next exercise is designed to help you find this area overlap.

Exercise #2: The Critical Four

Yes, I know this is a lot of work, but I assure you the amount of effort required is justified when you see the results. Open a new blank word document, or pull out a clean sheet of paper, and type/write these four questions:

• What must I do? (things you must do to address your needs)
• What can I do? (things you are capable of doing given your mental abilities, physical abilities, etc)
• What do I want to do? (things you love to do)
• What should I do? (things your conscience or moral compass tell you to do, things which serve the greater good)

Write down as many answers as you possibly can to these four questions, then go back and highlight any answers that showed up in all four areas simultaneously (it doesn’t have to be the exact same answer word for word, but it should be pretty darn similar). This is the answer that fulfills your needs, makes use of your talents and gifts, stirs your soul with excitement, and makes a meaningful contribution to society.

If at first you don’t have an answer that appears in all four areas, work harder to find one that does. Don’t give up, because once you find the answer that meets all four of the criteria you will gain immense clarity on what you should be doing with your life.

Evaluating your Situation

Now that we’ve completed both exercises, you should have a new found clarity about which direction you want to take your life because you’re beginning with the end in mind, and what you want to be doing with your life because you’ve found the overlapping answer to the four questions listed above. As a result, you’re finally ready to ask yourself the two most important questions yet, the ones that tie this whole shebang together.

• Does my school education contribute to the overall direction I wish to take my life?
• Is my school education preparing me to do something that fulfills my needs, makes use of my talents and gifts, stirs my soul with excitement, and makes a meaningful contribution to society?

If the answer to both questions is a resounding yes, then you know you’re on the right path and that you’re using your school education as the tool it’s meant to be. Consequently, you have the answer to which of society’s demands you want to address and fulfill.

If the answer to either question is even the slightest no, then you’re approaching school with the wrong perspective, and you need to make some changes. Perhaps you’re only using school as a tool to help address your needs, while ignoring the other three criteria. Maybe you’re in an area of concentration that doesn’t contribute to who you want to be or what you want to do later on. Remember, this is your future we’re discussing here, and settling even in the slightest bit when it comes to getting the most out of your school education is enough to guarantee dissatisfaction later in life. Refuse to settle for anything less than a resounding yes to both questions.

If you’ve found after all of this work and introspection that school may not be for you, and that you’re only going through the motions because your parents told you to do so, or because society told you to do so, don’t worry. I have a ton of experience in that area considering I realized the same thing a year ago! An upcoming article will address what you can do when you come to the conclusion that school isn’t for you, and how to blaze your own trail while also addressing some of the less mainstream demands of society.

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I didn’t realize this when the course had completed because there was so much information floating around in my head, but now that most of that has quieted down I can view the experience objectively. This post may be a bit long because it’s meant to serve as a review of the course. Please bear with me!

Some Background Information

Not only did I learn a wonderful technique over the course of 10 days. I learned Dhamma, the art of living, as taught by the Buddha. Although Vipassana is a technique developed by the Buddha, it is completely non-sectarian, non-religious, and universal. Anyone can utilize the practical application of the technique, and anyone can expect to obtain the same universal benefits.

At my course there was an array of blacks, whites, asians, indians, Christians, Hindus, Muslims, etc. The purpose of Vipassana is to transmit experiential knowledge of Truth by giving you the opportunity to directly experience Truth within the framework of your body. As you can imagine, this is powerful stuff that can change lives.

The course is taught with a series of audio and video cassette tapes of S.N. Goenka, the primary teacher of the materials. Along with Goenka, there is one male and one female assistant teacher assigned to the course. They are there to clarify any confusion students may have, and to guide the progress of the course.

Arrival

When I first arrived at the course, I was nervous and didn’t know what to expect. Were the people going to be friendly, loving, and compassionate as I expected them to be? Was it going to be a cult-like gathering with a bunch of people wearing loin cloths and sporting thick unkempt beards?

I was pleasantly surprised when I walked into a registration room full of normal looking people, and was greeted by a nice lady. I filled out a “New Student Form,” was given a room number, and was asked to go and settle into my room. This is also when I gave the lady all of my valuable personal belongings, such as my phone, wallet, and car keys (so I couldn’t escape later).

I proceeded to my room, and there was already a gathering of students in the hallway. I got a chance to meet most of them, and I noticed that these weren’t ordinary people. These were exceptional people. They were very open minded, and many of them had done some really cool things (running marathons, traveling the world, attending personal development seminars, etc). I was savoring my right to talk, because this was the last talking I would be doing for the next 10 days.

After our hour long chat session, we made our way to the male dining hall where the course orientation was being held. At the orientation we were told the rules of the facility, and the rules of the program in general. There were certain course boundaries we were not supposed to cross for our own protection (this place was in the middle of nowhere and there was known to be dangerous wildlife abound). Also, there were male and female boundaries to prevent us from interacting with the opposite sex. This made sense because that sort of interaction would create a huge distraction in our meditation endeavors. At this time we were also informed of the daily timetable, and were told that if we wanted to get the maximum benefit out of the course we were to adhere to the timetable strictly.

Daily Timetable

Wake up bell: 4:00am
Meditate in the hall or in your room: 4:30-6:30am
Final group meditation in the hall: 8:15-9:00pm
Breakfast and rest: 6:30-8:00am
Group meditation in the hall: 8:00-9:00am
Meditate in the hall or in your room: 9:00-11:00am
Lunch and rest: 11:00-1:00pm
Meditate in the hall or in your room: 1:00-2:30pm
Group meditation in the hall: 2:30-3:30pm
Meditate in the hall or in your room: 3:30-5:00pm
Tea break: 5:00-6:00pm
Group meditation in the hall: 6:00-7:00pm
Evening discourse: 7:00-8:15pm
Final group meditation: 8:15-9:00pm
Lights out: 9:30pm

As you can see, there’s a TON of meditation and not much time for anything else. I was already aware of the schedule before arriving, so I wasn’t surprised. But some of the other students had a look of “what the hell have I gotten myself into?” on their face. After all of the instructions were given, we made our way to the meditation hall, and as soon as we stepped inside, the silence for the course began.

Meditation instructions were given at this first meditation. I remember sitting and thinking, “easy enough!” Since the orientation took up so much time, our evening meditation only lasted for about 30 minutes. After this we were dismissed and had 30 minutes to get ready for bed. I wasn’t used to going to bed at 9:30, so I didn’t fall asleep until about midnight. Almost as soon as I fell asleep, I was abruptly woken up by the morning bell at 4:00am. I thought to myself, “oh %&#$, this is going to be terrible!”

My Daily Experience

The first day was extremely intense. No one is used to meditating for 11 hours a day (unless you’re a monk, then it’s a breeze), so my body was constantly having to make adjustments. My body wasn’t too happy with the adjustments it was having to make, so it gave me a hard time. As the days passed it became more cooperative, and I was able to obtain some incredible results by the end of the course.

I followed the daily timetable scrupulously, observed all of the rules to the tee, and made full use of the theoretical information transmitted in the daily evening discourse. If you plan on attending the course, make sure you do the same so you can obtain the best results possible in the short 10 day period.

The only time I broke silence was to talk with an assistant teacher. At noon, students are allowed to set up an interview, and are permitted to quietly as the teacher any questions they have about the teachings. This was highly beneficial for me, because there were many theoretical aspects of the technique I didn’t understand and I wanted to clear some things up. The teacher was very knowledgeable, as he had been practicing Vipassana for 35 years! I found that understanding why everything works the way it does helped me obtain better results from the practical application of the technique. In the end I realized how wonderful the system really is.

The Verdict

I won’t go into details about the technique because I’m nowhere near qualified enough to teach it, and i don’t want to give anyone the wrong idea. I will, however, comment on the quality of the teaching and the effectiveness of the program design.

Over the years, hundreds of thousands of people have attended a Vipassana meditation camp, just like me. And over those years the people who designed the program have constantly worked to perfect it so that students can obtain even better results. My experience was nearly flawless, and everything I was told I would obtain by the end of the course I obtained.

I have to give the Vipassana Academy credit for creating such a fine tuned, effective method to alleviate the human race of its pains and miseries. I can confidently say that every student who signs up for a 10 day program will obtain tangible results at the end of the course if they give the technique a fair trial by observing all the rules and recommendations.

Here are some of the benefits I received by attending the course:

• Freedom from pain and misery, and the ability to prevent myself from causing any future pain or misery in my life
• The ability to maintain a balanced mind in ANY situation, regardless of how great or how bad it may be
• Strong compassion for my fellow beings, human or otherwise. So much so that I’m now a vegetarian (and I was a hardcore meat eater before the course began)
• Stopped drinking alcohol
• The ability to apply an intense focus to any task I wish to accomplish
• The discipline to follow through with any task I wish to accomplish
• A better understanding of Truth as it applies to the nature of our reality, and the nature of our being
• The confidence one gains when he/she accomplishes something momentous (it feels like I just finished climbing Everest)

In the short period of 10 days I somehow managed to acquire all of these benefits, and many of the other students are able to say the same (I know because I talked to them after the course.) I strongly recommend that everyone take a course because I know it will be life-changing for any individual.

If you do decide to go, make the commitment to yourself to stay for the entire 10 days no matter what. A few students left in the middle of the course, and I’m sure they all regret it now. If you ever find yourself questioning some of the practices during the middle of the course, be patient. I assure you by the end you will understand exactly why everything is set up the way it is.

All in all, I can’t recommend the course strongly enough. I believe every human being should give it a try and see for himself/herself how much this technique can improve his/her life. If you’re closed minded to the idea of taking a chance with a 10 day course, remember, it’s only 10 days. After that you’re your own master once again, but now with a new experience under your belt.

Also, Vipassana meditation is non-sectarian, non-religious, and universal. No one will try to convert you, and you won’t be subjected to any sort of sequestration or indoctrination. With that in mind, give it a try! See for yourself what all the buzz is about. I assure you in the end you’ll be glad you gave Vipassana a chance.

If you have any specific questions at all regarding the course, don’t hesitate to contact me. Also, if you’re interested in learning more about the course, please check out http://www.dhamma.org

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One month ago, on a random Sunday, I was sitting at my desk as usual writing an article for this site. That night I wasn’t thinking clearly, and words weren’t coming to me easily.

This frustrated me.

Somewhere in the midst of my frustration, I got up, threw on a sweater and walked out of my apartment. I didn’t know where I was headed, but I knew I was going for a nice, long walk.

Prior to this Sunday, I had never taken a random walk like this before. Acting on my impulse turned out to be one of the greatest decisions I’ve ever made in my life. I’ve since found a place of refuge in nature that I can access simply by stopping what I’m doing, and heading out the door.

If you’ve never taken a walk before, you’re missing out on something great. But before you decide to walk out of your door right now, here are a few tips to help you get the most out of your walks.

Absorb Yourself in Nature

In order for your walks to be truly beneficial, you must allow the wonder of nature to work for you. Allow yourself to get fully absorbed in the present moment as you take your walk. Many people take walks, and then completely ignore the nature around them because they are so caught up with the thoughts running around in their heads.

That makes perfect sense…

I’ll admit, I was one of these people when I first started taking walks. On my first night, I figured I would go outside, think about what I needed to write about, and the walk would have served its purpose. Instead, I found this to be as frustrating and stressful as sitting in my room, staring at my computer screen. I might as well have stayed at home.

The value of a walk is proportionate to our ability to allow ourselves to become fully absorbed in the wonder of nature around us. While you’re walking, drift into the present moment by focusing on everything in your environment. I love to listen to the trees rustle in the wind, and look up at the stars. I also love taking walks at night. There’s something about the dark that makes nature much more enchanting. No matter what your personal preference, the most important thing is to let yourself get lost in nature while you take your walks.

The Benefits

For each person, the benefits of taking a walk will be different. Some people may experience peace and serenity while they walk, while others may have an invigorating experience. Walking may become your refuge from the stresses of daily life, or it could become your source of creative brilliance.

No matter what the specific benefits, taking a walk will help you become a more grateful individual. As you take notice of the beauty that surrounds you, you will develop a deeper sense of appreciation for the gift of nature. This is one of the best ways to make gratitude a permanent state of your being.

The Next Step

The next time you’re feeling frustrated or stressed out, take a walk. While you’re on your walk, allow yourself to become fully absorbed in the present moment. Observe the grandeur of the nature that surrounds you. At first you may experience some difficulty ridding your mind of thought, but over time it will become easier to maintain your focus. As you become more accustomed to this process, you will develop a deeper appreciation for the gift of nature. Continue down this path, and gratitude is sure to become your permanent state of being.

Have any additional tips, comments or suggestions? Please leave them in the comments section below. I’m interested in hearing what you have to say!

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“There is only one success – to be able to spend your life in your own way.”

- Christopher Morle

As a citizen of the United States, you’re expected to know all about freedom. It is the term that defines this nation. It is what sets us apart from all of the rest. We are taught America is the land of opportunity. If we have a dream, America is the place to make it happen.

While we may have access to more opportunity living in the USA than anywhere else in the world, we still don’t experience our freedom completely.

Why not?

Because as a society, we are taught to seek comfort and security. For example:

• We are taught the only realistic way to financially support our families is to get a job, be a good employee, and climb the corporate ladder to higher paygrades
• We are expected to go to school in hopes of one day being able to find a good job, and make a lot of money
• We are told that we need to invest in retirement funds, just in case we are unproductive in our old age, and require support
• We are constantly reminded by staggering poverty numbers that success is not guaranteed

How are we supposed to spend our life in our own way if we are taught to adhere to the notions above?

We won’t be able to.

Instead, we will constantly seek security and comfort so we can financially support ourselves and our families, just so we don’t end up homeless and broke on the street. In making this choice, we are choosing to give up all of the freedom life has to offer.

Freedom Is a Choice

I read an interesting article my father sent me via e-mail today. It was about a 33 year old millionaire, and how he made his millions at such a young age. He attributes his financial success to his search for freedom. He claims that all of the most successful people today seek freedom above anything else. By putting their freedom first, they are consciously choosing a life of freedom. These people are willing to do whatever it takes to live the life of their dreams, and will stop at nothing. If this means taking substantial risks that could ultimately end in embarrassing failure, so be it. It’s worth the price.

These freedom seekers would rather live a life with an empty stomach, than with an empty heart.

In order to experience true freedom, you must unsubscribe from the societal mindset. You must choose to detach yourself from the nonsense fears of society. You don’t need a job, and you don’t need to invest your money today to secure yourself for the future. You’ve been programmed to think this way, and it’s time to let go of this way of thinking.

When you choose a life of freedom, you are consequently choosing a life of passion for what you do. Without passion, you are a lifeless being, condemned to living a sub-optimal life at the mercy of your external environment.  Steve Jobs once said that the only way to feel truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work, and the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you’re constantly seeking security, finding it often comes with the price tag of sacrificing any chance of pursuing your passions.

Everything Else is Secondary

I’ve made the choice to live a life of freedom, and will continue to do so for the rest of my life, regardless of my financial situation. Everything else is secondary. I don’t believe life is worth living if you’re wasting your time doing things you don’t love to do. I have chosen to spend my life in my own way, and I will do whatever it takes to maintain this freedom.

My decision to drop out of school was fueled by this desire for freedom. The few hours per day I spent in class, and the hours I spent studying for tests were a waste of my time. I was spinning my wheels focusing on something that had no value to me. School was constricting my freedom. The decision to drop out was actually quite easy to make once I accepted my school situation for what it was.

Exercise: Where Are You Choosing Security Over Freedom?

Let’s do an exercise. Take a few moments to examine your own life.

Open a word document, and start writing down all of the areas of your life in which you are sacrificing your freedom for security. If the security seems necessary (working a job you hate to support your family), write it down anyway.

Once you’re finished, look at your list. You may be thinking, “There’s nothing I can do about these areas of my life. If I change any of these areas, I won’t be able to survive.” Understand that you are choosing to sacrifice your freedom for these illusions of security. You could easily say to yourself, “I’m quitting my job, regardless of the consequences, because my freedom is more important to me than anything else.”

The funny thing is that when you muster up the courage to confront these areas of your life and take action, things somehow always fall into place. When you quit the job you hate to start doing something you love you may be financially unstable for a while. But in the end you will find yourself to be more financially successful than you ever were or could have been working your job.

Uncertainty is All There is

In his book, The Seven Laws of Spiritual Success, Deepak Chopra explains that in the universe, uncertainty is all there is. Your job isn’t guaranteed. Your financial situation isn’t set in stone. Your health is always changing. Heck, you don’t even know if you’ll be alive tomorrow. Accept this as truth, and make the most of the life you DO have right now.

By choosing to accept that uncertainty is all there is, we will experience joy by stepping into the field of all possibilities. In this field we are able to live our life with complete and total freedom, experiencing everything and anything life has to offer. We go with the flow of life, and we detach ourselves from the need for certain outcomes, because we know certain outcomes never truly exist.

Security does not exist in nature. The longer we search for it, the longer we bar ourselves from truly experiencing life. Why waste your time searching for something that doesn’t exist? Understand that at any moment, everything you’ve worked so hard to create in your life could be taken away. A family member may pass away, you may get laid off from your job, or you may be critically injured in a car accident. Attempting to protect yourself from these things by creating a false security net to lie in is ultimately futile.

The next time you’re considering giving up your freedom for a security, remember this quote by Helen Keller.

“Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.”

What You Can Do

Decide, right now, that you are going to live the life of your dreams. Understand that there is nothing more rewarding than being able to spend your life in your own way. When you make this choice, you will discover that the “safety” net you were previously working so hard to create and maintain wasn’t contributing to your safety at all. Instead, this net served as a wall preventing you from experiencing all of the freedom life has to offer. Security was merely an illusion.

Giving up what we already have for freedom may seem like a huge sacrifice initially. We may end up broke, or society may ostracize us for what we are trying to do. What these people don’t understand, however, is that unless you’re living a life of total freedom, you’ve really got nothing at all.

Courageously seek freedom, and you will surely find it. And in your search for freedom, you will be consciously choosing a life of excitement, fulfillment, and abundance each step along the way.

Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing. Choose to seek freedom, not security.

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“Most of our energy goes into upholding our importance… If we were capable of losing some of that importance, two extraordinary things would happen to us. One, we would free our energy from trying to maintain the illusory idea of our grandeur; and two, we would provide ourselves enough energy to… catch a glimpse of the actual grandeur of the universe.”

- Don Juan in the Art of Dreaming

Have you ever experienced THAT “draining” feeling?

You know the one I’m talking about.

The one where you feel like all of your mental energy is being sucked out of you and you can’t seem to figure out why.

I’ve experienced this feeling many times, and I always feel powerless when it starts to happen.  How are we supposed to rid ourselves of this parasitic force if we don’t even know what causes it to happen?

Don’t lose all hope just yet. There is a solution I’ve managed to stumble upon.

The Law of Least Effort

Over the past couple of months, I’ve been heavily involved in spiritual study. One of the tenets of spirituality is “The Law of Least Effort.” What this law states is that the people who prosper in life are those who can extend beyond their ego, accept the present moment for what it is, and accept responsibility for what they’ve created. By doing so, they conserve the massive amount of energy tied to maintaining the ego, fighting the present moment, and blaming their circumstances on other people and things in their environment.

Understanding this, I found the cure for that familiar “draining” feeling we discussed before.

• I realized how much mental energy I was wasting trying to “uphold my importance,” as Don Juan stated in his quote above.
• I realized how much mental energy I was wasting trying to fight the present moment, and not accepting it for what it really was.
• I realized how much mental energy I was wasting by not accepting responsibility for the circumstances in my life.

Refrain from engaging in these draining practices, and the end result is more mental energy at your disposal that can be put to good use.

Three Ways to Regain Your Mental Energy

1. Accept the present moment for what it is: The present is simply a reflection of all of our past thoughts, choices, and actions. There is nothing we can do right now to change the present moment; however there is something we can do right now to change the next moment in our future. In my article Leave the Past Behind, I explain how to release yourself from the burden of your past, and how to gain acceptance for the present moment as it is.
2. Accept responsibility for your circumstances: As long as we choose to blame the circumstances in our life on people and things in our external environment, we remain powerless to change these circumstances. We become the victims of our external environment, and in the process expend a tremendous amount of mental energy complaining about the lack of control over our lives. Only by understanding that the circumstances in your life are your responsibility will you be able to regain control over your life. You can then be proactive, and consciously improve the quality of your life by acting responsibly in the present.
3. Defenselessness: People waste so much energy defending their point of view. Why waste time doing this? What’s the point? While you are trying to uphold your importance in other people’s eyes and in your own, you’re wasting precious mental energy. By releasing yourself from the need to defend your point of view, you regain lost mental energy.

Where Do You Stand?

Take a deep look at yourself. Are you struggling against the present moment? Do you accept responsibility for the circumstances in your life? Do you constantly defend your point of view, and try to uphold your sense of importance?

If so, decide to adopt the mental practices listed above and feel the heavy weight lift off of your shoulders. That familiar draining feeling we talked about will soon be a thing of the past, and you will have access to an enormous amount of mental energy you’ve never had before.

What you do with this mental energy hereafter is up to you. I recommend that you put it to good use, and dedicate it towards a worthy cause, something that makes a significant contribution to this world.

This article was inspired by The Seven Laws of Spiritual Success by Deepak Chopra.

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“What you need to know about the past is that no matter what has happened, it has all worked together to bring you to this very moment. And this is the moment you can choose to make everything new. Right now.”

- Anonymous

Take a look around. What do you see?

Here’s a hint. You’re looking at the past.

The past creates this present moment. You’ve arrived here as a result of your past choices, thoughts, feelings, and actions. When you accept this as truth you gain the ability to move forward, and can make calculated choices in the present to improve your life in the future.

Isn’t this common sense? Apparently not.

For some reason there are STILL tons of people who carry with them the pains and shortcomings of yesterday. I must admit, I sometimes find it difficult to leave yesterday’s baggage behind. However, each time this tendency rears its head, I remind myself that if I look to the past to determine what I should do today, I will only create more of the same in the future.

That’s not exactly what I’m looking for out of my life.

I’m looking to constantly grow, and improve the quality of my life, and I’m assuming you are too, otherwise you wouldn’t be reading this site. To escape the endless cycle of recreating your past you must make different choices today than you did yesterday. By living in the moment, while being conscious of where you want to be in the future, you gain the ability to make empowering decisions right now that free you from the prison of your past.

Easier said than done, right? Not if we make a few simple shifts in mindset.

Acceptance is the First Step

Accept yourself as you are.

As long as you condemn yourself for your situations, actions, and results in the past, you will never be free to consciously improve the quality of your life today or in the future. Realize that no matter what has happened in your past, that yesterday’s results do not dictate today’s or tomorrow’s results.

Understand that no matter how dire your situation is, there is someone somewhere in the world that has it worse than you do. Your problems aren’t so bad after all, now are they? Accept what you’ve been given in life, and make the most of what you’ve been given.

Ask yourself the questions below, and be completely honest with yourself when answering them. Knowing your answers to these questions is essential in accepting the present moment for what it is.

• How am I letting the situations, choices, and results in my past influence the quality of my situations, choices, and results in the present?
• How am I using the past as an excuse to justify my inaction in the present?

Once you answer these questions, choose to accept your life for what it is, and realize that today is a new day. Choose to no longer hide behind the past as an excuse to justify your lack of results in the present. Choose to be grateful for the fact that at any moment you can move towards creating the life of your dreams, regardless of your results in the past.

The Power of Conscious Choice

In this moment you have an infinite number of choices at your disposal. Each choice will somehow affect your life in the future, whether it’s 10 seconds from now, or 10 years from now. Stop deciding which choice to make by referencing your past. So what if you were a student yesterday? You can dropout today if you were so inclined.

In this moment, you can make a choice that is completely out of line with what you identify with and temporarily become someone else.

Just because you were a fearful, insecure human being yesterday doesn’t mean you have to be one today. You can choose to be a courageous, comfortable person in this moment by making a choice in line with that mindset. And you can continue to make that choice 30 seconds from now, 20 minutes from now, 1 week from now, and 1 year from now. It’s simply a choice you make.

Here’s a formula to illustrate the power of conscious choice:

Past results + past choices + past actions = past results over and over again

Or

Past results + new choices + new actions = new results over and over again

You ultimately decide where you are going to get the information necessary to make your decisions in the present. Are you going to look to your past, and create more of the same? Or are you going to execute around your vision, and create the life of your dreams?

Your Past Got You Here

When you look at where you are right now in your life, you are essentially looking into the past. When I first learned this concept, it had a profound impact on me. I realized I was constantly observing myself in each moment, and deciding that was who I was going to be tomorrow, the day after, and the day after that. As we discussed earlier in this article, doing this will ultimately lead to creating the same results in your life over and over again.

Acknowledge that the way you look, the way you think, your financial status, the quality of your relationships, and what you are doing with your life are all a mirror of your past decisions, thoughts, and actions. Who you are today is yesterday’s business. You can change everything in your life at any moment because every single day is a new beginning!

You may be thinking it’s impossible to refrain from observing yourself in the present moment. How can you run away from who you are right now? To do so would require some sort of self-deception, right?

That depends on how you view the present moment.

Each Moment as an Animation

If you view this moment as a still image of your life, then yes, it would be impossible to stop observing yourself all the time. But what if you saw the present moment as an animation, a picture in motion, if you will? If this were the case, what would happen to the way you see yourself?

You would be free from looking into the past whenever you observe who you are in the present moment.

Confused yet? This example should clear up any confusion.

Let’s say you look down at your body, and you see an overweight and unattractive person. Noticing this, you feel depressed, and you continue to make the choices that landed you where you are now in the first place. You recreate your past each day, and you remain overweight and unattractive. This perception of yourself is based on the belief that each moment is a still image.

What if you looked at this moment as an animation instead?

You would look down at your body, and see an overweight and unattractive person. Noticing this, you understand that where you are today is a result of your past choices and actions. You feel powerful in knowing that you can choose to change your results right now, and see your current situation as an animation. You see yourself as the overweight and unattractive person you are right now, while also see yourself getting thinner and more attractive in your mind’s eye. Therefore, your perception of your physical appearance is now an animation. It’s a direction you are moving. It’s a moment in motion.

I view the present in this way, and let me tell you; it’s a much more empowering mindset. Regardless of where I am today, I know I am getting better and better in each moment because my animation is moving in a positive direction. By adopting this mindset, I’ve noticed the results in my life are improving rapidly. My relationships are getting stronger, my physical appearance is improving, I feel much more content, and I’m forging a stronger spiritual connection.

Try this frame of mind out for a few weeks, and you’ll be amazed at how quickly the results in your life will change.

Become a Conscious Creator

By realizing you have the power to change your results in life simply by making different choices today than you did yesterday, you become a conscious creator of your reality. You develop the power to create the life of your dreams, and ultimately liberate yourself from the confines of your past.

You’ll no longer feel as though you’re a helpless product of fate and misfortune. Instead, you will have faith and confidence in knowing that your life is silently improving while you continue to look to the future and execute around your vision.

As Emile Coué once said, “Every day, in every way, I’m getting better and better.”

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“Dreams come true; without that possibility, nature would not incite us to have them.”

- John Updike

Close your eyes and imagine the life of your dreams.

Actually see it through your own eyes. Touch it. Hear it. Smell it. Taste it.

How do you feel? How would you describe your character? Where are you living? What kind of car are you driving? How would you describe your relationships with your loved ones? Are you spiritual? Are you famous? Rich? Content? Perhaps you’re a great philanthropist, or an internationally acclaimed author and speaker. Maybe you’re a rock star, or a professional athlete.

You may be thinking, “Rahul, these are just dreams. Everyone dreams big, but their dreams hardly ever come true.” I’ll let you in on a little secret. Dreams do come true if you believe you have the power to make them come true. The very fact that you have them means you have the ability to make them real. The catch is you’ll have to do a few things on a daily basis to make this happen.

My Vision

My ultimate vision is to create a new education system that fosters growth of character and helps students realize their true potential. I know this is a lofty goal. It won’t be easy to introduce a new education system into a society so deeply invested in its current system. However, I’m confident I will make this vision a reality as long as I focus on it every day.

Each night before I go to bed, I close my eyes and I see myself interacting with thousands of eager students at one of my schools. I hear the students typing notes on their laptops. I see them listening to my instruction intently. I observe the beautiful auditorium I’m lecturing in. I notice I feel amazing because I am changing people’s lives for the better. I feel gracious for the opportunity to make a difference.

Keep in mind; I’m seeing and feeling all of this through my own eyes. I am living in my vision.

What I’ve found is that by simply holding my vision in my mind on a daily basis, the results in my life are changing. I’m finding myself being able to reach out to more people. I’m beginning to generate income off of this blog. My character is beginning to change for the better. My connection with my loved ones is becoming stronger. I feel more gracious for being alive. Slowly but surely, my vision is becoming my reality. I know it’s only a matter of time before all of the other pieces of my vision fall into place.

Exercise: Creating Your Vision

Let’s start with an exercise. Please make sure you actually do this exercise. It’s critical to your understanding of the rest of the article.

Write down your vision. Make three lists. Write down what you want to be, what you want to do, and what you want to have. Next, organize each item on your lists in order of importance. If you’re having trouble doing this, ask yourself, “If I could only be, have, or do one thing on my list, what would it be?” Ask yourself this question each step along the way.

Once you’re done, look at your list. What you’re staring at are the most critical elements of your dream that you wish to make real, in order of importance.

Live Your Vision

The great thing about a vision is that it can be pulled up in your mental movie theater at any time. You can live it while at the gym on the treadmill, or while in your car waiting at a stoplight. You can live it while you’re lying in bed, or while you’re cooking dinner. It makes no difference where you are; all you have to do is allow yourself to be absorbed in your vision for a few moments.

The primary times you will want to “live” your vision are at night before you go to sleep and in the morning right when you wake up. These are the times when your mind is most receptive to conscious influence. Close your eyes and visualize the life of your dreams. Imagine yourself being, having, and doing all of the things you wrote down on your three lists.

Actually live your vision through your own eyes. Take note of how you feel when you’re driving your dream car. Get absorbed in the feeling of knowing you’re making a profound impact on the world. Hear the sounds of birds chirping while you sit on the patio of your dream home. Feel the jubilation of sharing close connections with your loved ones.

The key is to fall in love with your vision. The easiest way to do this is to constantly add more detail to your vision. What decorative artifacts do you have around your house? What kind of outfits do you have in your closet? When you look down at your body, what do you see? What’s the weather like where you live? Pay attention to the smallest of details.

It’s only a matter of time before you make this highly detailed vision your reality.

Why It Works

How do you explain this phenomenon?

The answer is the subconscious mind.

Your subconscious mind influences the feelings and thoughts you have throughout your day. These feelings and thoughts then influence the actions you take, which in turn creates your habits; thereby forging your character and destiny.

When you choose to visualize on a regular basis, you are choosing to directly influence your subconscious mind. The subconscious cannot distinguish between what is real, and what is not real. That’s the job of your conscious mind. If you’re consciously visualizing in vivid detail, the subconscious mind will accept your vision as real the deal, and will immediately begin influencing your thoughts and feelings to act in line with this “reality”.

These thoughts and feelings will inspire you to take the action necessary to create your vision in the physical universe. Hard to believe? Take a look around, and you’ll notice many of the most successful people in our world today use the power of vision to create the life of their dreams.

Martin Luther King, Jr. was invigorated by his vision of an American society based in equality.  I don’t have to explain how this one became real, do I? Steve Jobs envisioned a life of passion, contribution, and love for his work. Apple and Pixar were the result. Gandhi’s idea of a free India began as a vision in his mind. India is free today, and has been for the last 50 years.

Highly successful athletes use visualization on a regular basis to enhance the quality of their performance. Olympic gymnasts are taught to lie on their tumbling mats prior to performance, and visualize themselves in the middle of an incredible performance. Peyton Manning visualizes composure in tense situations, and sees himself winning every game before he sets foot on the field. Tiger Woods visualizes each and every golf swing before he hits the ball.

It’s no wonder these people are so successful at what they do.

Make Your Vision Work For You

Make the commitment to visualize the life of your dreams at least once a day, preferably in the morning when you wake up, or at night before you go to sleep. Imagine it in vivid detail, and make it as real as you possibly can. Fall in love with it. Visualize every small detail just how you want it to be.

If you can, pull your vision into your mental movie theater more often. Live a portion of your vision while waiting at the doctor’s office, or while waiting in the elevator. Remember to see it through your own eyes. Use every opportunity you can to fire yourself up with your vision. Take it with you every where you go.

If you’re willing to make the commitment to visualize the life of your dreams each day, and do this for the rest of your life, you will begin to see profound results. Your reality will look more and more like your vision over time. One day you’ll look back and see that the actions and decisions you made in the past created the life of your dreams in the present moment. You’ll understand, just as the most successful people in history understood, that the power of vision has worked for you.

I’m excited to hear about your vision, and how the power of vision has worked for you. Please share your experiences by posting a comment below or by contacting me.

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