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Thursday, October 21, 2010

Moving Out of Our Comfort Zone to Achieve Success by Priya Deelchand

Moving Out of Our Comfort Zone to Achieve Success

By Priya Deelchand


We all want to be successful in life, yet today, very few people can truly say that they have achieved the success that they always desired. One of the main reasons why most of the successful people in the world achieved extraordinary success is because they were able to think differently, take risks and move out of their comfort zones. Most people remain unsuccessful and stay in their comfort zones because of fears, limiting beliefs, habits or simply because of laziness. In fact, our comfort zone is a place in which we feel safe and secure and where there is no sense of risk. It is made up of the known, the accepted and the expected and it can be physical, emotional, intellectual or financial.

For most people, moving out of the comfort zone can be very frightening and embarrassing. But it is certainly the single most important step we can make towards achieving peak performance in anything we do. We must take actions we have not previously taken if we expect to achieve different results than what we have been getting. Tony Robbins once said "If you do what you've always done, you'll get what you've always gotten."

One of the best ways to move out of our comfort zone is to face our fears and do the things we fear most. In fact, most of our fears are unnecessary and counter productive. We frighten ourselves unnecessarily about things that will never happen. Franklin D Roosevelt was right when he said "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." We should face our fears and see them for what they really are. Once we face our fears, the death of fear is certain. What are fears anyway? According to psychologists, F.E.A.R is just "False Evidence Appearing Real". We should make it a habit to do something that frightens us every day. The more we push ourselves out of our comfort zone and do the things that scare us, the easier it becomes.

We can also get out of our comfort zone and achieve success by breaking our habits. Our habits determine our outcomes and our negative habits always create negative consequences that prevent us from getting the success we want. In order to become more successful, we can start by replacing our bad habits with more productive ones. Research shows that it takes only 21 days to develop a habit. According to Paul Getty, the individual who wants to reach the top in business must appreciate the might and force of habit. He must be quick to break those habits that can break him and hasten to adopt those practices that will become the habits that help him achieve the success he desires.

Another great way to get out of our comfort zone is to get rid of our self-limiting beliefs. These limiting beliefs are things we believe about ourselves that place limits on our aptitudes. Examples of self-limiting beliefs are when we think that we are not good enough to do certain things or we are not intelligent enough to succeed in life. Most of these beliefs are not true, but they make us stay in our comfort zones and play small in life. We can eliminate our limiting beliefs by becoming aware of them, identifying them and replacing them with more positive beliefs.

In order to succeed in anything, we have to break free of our comfort zone, and step into the unknown. Getting out of our comfort zone is not always easy and often requires lots of hard work, discipline and persistence. Brian Tracy once said, "Ninety to ninety-five percent of people will withdraw to the comfort zone when what they try doesn't work. Only that small percentage, five or ten percent, will continually improve themselves; they will continually push themselves out into the zone of discomfort, and these are always the highest performers in every field." We must make a commitment with ourselves to do all that it takes to overcome our fears, eliminate our limiting belief and break our bad habits to get the success that peak performers achieve.

Priya Deelchand is a Corporate Trainer and Motivational Speaker and Founder of Success Strategies Consultants Ltd. She coaches and helps people worldwide in both English and French using Law of Attraction, EFT and other powerful techniques. If you want to become more successful in your personal and professional life, please visit us at http://successstrategiesconsultants.com or http://priyadeelchand.blogspot.com/


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Priya_Deelchand


http://EzineArticles.com/?Moving-Out-of-Our-Comfort-Zone-to-Achieve-Success&id=5212725




Living a Life of Purpose – The Real Key to Happiness and Success

Living a Life of Purpose – The Real Key to Happiness and Success


Author: Priya Deelchand


We all want to be happy and successful in life and the only way to achieve lasting happiness and success is by living a life of purpose. We are all unique and were put on this earth to do something extraordinary. Each one of us is born with a unique life purpose and our mission is to discover the key role we are meant to fill. Plato once said, "There is a place that you are to fill and no one else can fill, something you are to do, which no one else can do." We can achieve greater success and happiness and have deeper fulfillment by finding and living our true purpose.


Most people today do not know their purpose and they wander aimlessly and accomplish very little in life. They spend their entire life doing things that they do not enjoy and they work only to earn a living and to pay their bills at the end of the month. As Thoreau rightly said "The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation," These people achieve only temporary success and happiness because they set and achieve only short-term goals. Once these goals are achieved, they still feel that something is missing in their lives and they feel unfulfilled. Most high achievers in life think and act differently. They believe in a mission which goes far beyond a simple goal. These people are committed to follow their purpose and do only those things that they enjoy most and which give meaning to their lives.


In order to find our purpose, we need to understand ourselves better and know exactly what we enjoy doing the most in life. We can ask ourselves questions like:


- What activities are most important to us?


- What do we have the most fun doing?


- What do we do where we lose track of time?


- What would we do if we had no limitations?


- What would we do if we knew we could not fail?


- What are our natural talents and aptitudes?


- What are the things we do best in life?


- What would we do for free for the rest of our life if we had all the money we needed?


- What do others look to us for?


- What do the people closest to us say our passions are?


We must dare to take risks and go against the norm if we really want to discover and fulfill our life purpose. We must be willing to do what our hearts desire and follow our bliss rather than follow what other people want us to do. Following our heart rather than following the crowd gives us much more chance to find happiness and fulfillment, but it takes courage and guts. Many people are afraid of being different, of not being accepted by those around them, and of standing out rather than blending in. We must always listen to the wise words of Friedrich Nietzsche who once said, "The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself.


When we live our life on purpose, we become so passionate with what we are doing and become so involved in our task that we just lose track of time. For us, work becomes play because we enjoy every moment and spend our time doing exactly what we love and what we were meant to do. Confucius was right when he said "Find a job you love and you'll never work a day in your life."


Furthermore, when we live our purpose, things will just seem to fall into place. The people, opportunities and resources we need come to us easily and effortlessly. Joseph Campbell once said "If you follow your bliss you put yourself on a kind of track that has been there all the while, waiting for you, and the life that you ought to be living is the one you are living. When you can see that, you begin to meet people who are in your field of bliss, and they open doors to you. I say, follow your bliss and don't be afraid, and doors will open where you didn't know they were going to be." The whole world will also benefit because when we are in alignment with our true calling, all our actions will automatically serve others and we will be making a real difference in the lives of others by giving real value to them far beyond what we could have imagined.


A purpose driven life is a life that we must all seek to live. Identifying and honoring our purpose is the key to success and happiness in life. We are all capable of become everything we want to become and living a life of purpose and fulfilling our highest natural potential is the greatest and most precious gift we can give to ourselves and to the world.


Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/motivational-articles/living-a-life-of-purpose-the-real-key-to-happiness-and-success-3497515.html



About the Author

Priya Deelchand is a Corporate Trainer and Motivational Speaker and Founder of Success Strategies Consultants Ltd. She coaches and helps people worldwide in both English and French using Law of Attraction, EFT and other powerful techniques. If you want to live a happier and more fulfilled life, please visit us at http://www.successstrategiesconsultants.com

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Abundance Is Your Birthright! Use The Law Of Attraction To Manifest More Abundance In Your Life!


Abundance Is Your Birthright! Use The Law Of Attraction To Manifest More Abundance In Your Life!

Author: Priya Deelchand


You live in an abundant Universe and there is more than enough for all of you. Most people think of abundance in terms of material wealth only. They measure abundance in terms of the amount of money they have in their bank accounts, the cars they own, the properties they have and other material items they possess. Material wealth is only one component of abundance. In fact, abundance also includes love, joy, happiness, good health, peace, fulfilling relationships, etc.


When you look around you, you can see that we are surrounded by abundance and love, joy, happiness, money, peace and health is readily available to everyone willing to accept them. Many people, however, think in terms of scarcity. We think that there is not enough and as a result, we find it very difficult to manifest abundance and prosperity our lives. If there is any lack in your life it is not because there is not enough, but rather, because you are blocking abundance from coming to you because of your negative thoughts and limiting beliefs about prosperity. These negative vibrations that you send out in the Universe stop the flow of abundance from coming to you.


You can use the Law of Attraction to attract more abundance into your life. The Law of Attraction is one of the most powerful laws in the Universe and it states that you attract into your life whatever you give your energy, attention and focus to, whether wanted or unwanted. If, for example, you want to attract more money into your life, you have to first of all become very clear about what you desire. Once you are clear about what you want, you must raise your vibration and become a vibrational match to what you want to attract.


You must then allow the amount of money you want attract to come into your life and eliminate all the doubts and fears that you have about abundance and prosperity. If, for example, you want to attract a certain amount of money, say five hundred thousand dollars, you must keep your mind focused on the thought that you already have this sum and how you would feel when you use that money to buy the things you want. When you have doubts, you must immediately shift your thoughts to the result that you want and be grateful for it and feel happy.


One of the most important factors to living in abundance is to be in a constant state of gratitude. Staying in a state of gratitude will give you more things to be grateful for. An attitude of gratitude is an attractor for more of what you are grateful for. If you want more financial abundance in your life, you must be grateful for what you already have in your life. For example, you must be grateful for the money you have in your bank account, for the car you possess, for the house you own, etc. Giving thanks for everything that you have is a step forward toward achieving something bigger and better than your current situation. In fact, the feelings of gratitude and happiness will raise your vibration and make you attract more situations and circumstances to be even more grateful and happy.


Sarah Ban Breathnach was right when she said “You simply will not be the same person two months from now after consciously giving thanks each day for the abundance that exists in your life. And you will have set in motion an ancient spiritual law: the more you have and are grateful for, the more will be given you.”


Your life is meant to be abundant and you all deserve the very best in all areas of life. You are all children of the Universe and you all have an equal right to the infinite abundance that is available to all. Abundance is your birthright! You just have to claim it now and live the awesome life you desire and deserve!



Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/law-of-attraction-articles/abundance-is-your-birthright-use-the-law-of-attraction-to-manifest-more-abundance-in-your-life-1834566.html



About the Author

Priya Deelchand is a Life and Business Coach and Founder of Success Strategies Consultants Ltd. She coaches and helps people worldwide in both English and French using Law of Attraction, EFT and other powerful techniques. If you want to live a happier and more fulfilled life, please visit us at http://www.successstrategiesconsultants.com


Turbocharge Your Life With Life Coaching

Turbocharge Your Life With Life Coaching

By Priya Deelchand


We all dream of a better life, a happier tomorrow, a brighter future. Today we live in a world which is in a chaotic state. Everyday in the news, we hear only of calamities, bad news, etc which are happening all around our planet. Hearing these sorts of things now appears normal to us but in reality, it is not! Even our lives are confused. We are no longer living, we are simply existing. That is not the way life should be and we human beings are not meant to live such lives. We deserve better, happier and more fulfilling lives. This is our birthright and this is what we are here for. For most of us, this seems impossible. We are so used to live our lives by default that having it all in life seems too good to be true. Yet, this is possible through appropriate life coaching and right application of the law of attraction. We all deserve and are meant to live our best possible life. We can and we must all become actors of our lives instead of being mere spectators.

In all parts of the world, people have become very well off on the material level. We can afford most of the things that we want but we no longer know how to live and how to enjoy simple pleasures of life. Our educational system has provided us with all appropriate knowledge, academic qualifications and skills that enable us to earn a living but they do not provide us with the most important thing of all: "How to really live". That's where life coaching becomes very important today. It shows us how to become masters of our lives and provides us with all the appropriate guidance and tools to make our lives a masterpiece.

Life coaching is for any of us who wants to get back on track in any area of life. We all have problems and we all want to eliminate these problems and live happier and more fulfilled lives. Law of attraction coaching is the right tool which will allow us to get from where we are to where we want to be. However, it is not a magic formula. Your life coach acts as a "way shower" and is here to guide you step by step, but the real work lies on you. You need to have a real determination to change and a very strong will power.

Wonderful outcomes are normally achieved most of the time with life coaching and many people experience life changing results. Whether you are finding it difficult to attract the right partner, the right career, more abundance and prosperity, more peace of mind, more success or want to achieve the right balance between personal and professional life, your life coach has all the tools at hand to help you achieve your goal.

Some of us find it very difficult to manifest the things that we want because of our limiting beliefs which are most of the time self-imposed or imposed on us by our family, our friends, the environment we live in, etc and these limiting beliefs are stuck in our subconscious minds. The aim of life coaching is to detect your limiting beliefs through right questioning and other powerful techniques and then help you eliminate them and replace them by more positive ones. Once the blocks are eliminated, you can start attracting the things that you really want and live your life by design.

We all want to live in a better and happier world and we all dream of a better future for ourselves and our children. It is high time for all of us to really take charge of our lives and live the best possible life we are designed to. In this way, we will be able to positively impact on our family, our environment and on the world at large. The change must begin with each one of us and the right time to change is NOW. As Mahatma Gandhi rightly said "Be the change you want to see in the world."

Priya Deelchand is a Life and Business Coach and founder of Success Strategies Consultants Ltd. She coaches and helps people worldwide using Law of Attraction, EFT and other powerful techniques. If you want to live a happier and more fulfilled life, please visit us at http://www.successstrategiesconsultants.com













Think Your Way To Success With Positive Affirmations

Think Your Way To Success With Positive Affirmations


Author: Priya Deelchand


Affirmations are statements that you think or say to yourself or others and they are based on your beliefs. These affirmations can be either positive or negative and have the ability to greatly influence your life and create your reality. In fact, affirmation is something that you are doing all the time. Every thought you think and every word you say is an affirmation. All of your inner dialogues are affirmations. You are continually affirming subconsciously with your words and thoughts and this flow of affirmations is creating your life experience in every moment.



You can achieve the success you desire by programming your mind with positive affirmations. In fact, most of the successful people in the world are not much different from you. The main difference between a successful person and an unsuccessful one is that most successful people have a success mindset. Their inner dialogue is one of success and accomplishment and they always focus on the positive rather than on the negative.



You can use positive affirmations to achieve the success you desire and through the regular use of this powerful technique, you will begin to see wonderful changes in your life you never imagined possible. With positive affirmations, you can conquer your limiting beliefs and negative thoughts and make success a reality for you. Ralph Marston once said, "There is a thought in your mind right now. The longer you hold on to it, the more you dwell upon it, the more life you give to that thought. Give it enough life, and it will become real. So make sure the thought is indeed a great one."



In order to achieve success, it is very important for you to develop a conscious and focused affirmation process. You must become aware of exactly what you are affirming through your thoughts and consciously and purposefully focus those affirmations on positive and empowering statements. These positive affirmations will reprogram your subconscious mind and allow you to become more and more successful. By developing the habit of using positive affirmations regularly and consistently your subconscious will adapt to the new information it is being provided with. As Claude M. Bristol rightly said "It's the repetition of affirmations that leads to belief. And once that belief becomes a deep conviction, things begin to happen."



For your affirmations to be effective, it is important that you create your own affirmations based on your specific conditions and circumstances. It is very important to remember that your affirmations are only going to be efficient if you can feel what you are affirming. It is the emotions that your affirmations create that will attract the success that you desire to you. The most effective positive affirmations are phrases that are in alignment with you, empower you and allow you to feel a shift in your emotions as you repeat them.



You can repeat the following affirmations to become more successful or you can create your own affirmations.



1. I am very successful now.


2. Success and achievement are natural outcomes for me.


3. I attract success and prosperity with all of my ideas.


4. Success comes very easily and effortlessly to me.


5. Everything I do turns into success.


6. My success is contagious, other people like it, seek it and respect it.


7. All of my thoughts and ideas lead me straight to success.


8. Prosperity and success is my natural state of mind.


9. I am a success magnet.


10. I am the example of success and triumph.



You can all become as successful as you desire by using positive affirmations regularly and consistently. Remember that success is a state of mind and if you want success, start thinking of yourself as a success. As John Addison rightly said, "You've got to win in your mind before you win in your life."




Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/motivational-articles/think-your-way-to-success-with-positive-affirmations-3465876.html



About the Author

Priya Deelchand is a Corporate Trainer, Business Coach and Motivational Speaker and Founder of Success Strategies Consultants Ltd. She coaches and helps people worldwide in both English and French using Law of Attraction, EFT and other powerful techniques. If you want to live a happier and more fulfilled life, please visit us at http://www.successstrategiesconsultants.com



Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Bend But Don't Break! (Posted by Priya Deelchand)

My dearest friends,

Hope you are all doing great!

Here is a story that was sent to me a whileback and that I would like to share with you now.

Here it goes.

One of my fondest memories as a child is going by the river and sitting idly on the bank. There I would enjoy the peace and quiet, watch the water rush downstream, and listen to the chirps of birds and the rustling of leaves in the trees. I would also watch the bamboo trees bend under pressure from the wind and watch them return gracefully to their upright or original position after the wind had died down.

When I think about the bamboo tree's ability to bounce back or return to it's original position, the word resilience comes to mind. When used in reference to a person this word means the ability to readily recover from shock, depression or any other situation that stretches the limits of a person's emotions.

Have you ever felt like you are about to snap? Have you ever felt like you are at your breaking point? Thankfully, you have survived the experience to live to talk about it.

During the experience you probably felt a mix of emotions that threatened your health. You felt emotionally drained, mentally exhausted and you most likely endured unpleasant physical symptoms.

Life is a mixture of good times and bad times, happy moments and unhappy moments. The next time you are experiencing one of those bad times or unhappy moments that take you close to your breaking point, bend but don't break. Try your best not to let the situation get the best of you.

A measure of hope will take you through the unpleasant ordeal. With hope for a better tomorrow or a better situation, things may not be as bad as they seem to be. The unpleasant ordeal may be easier to deal with if the end result is worth having.

If the going gets tough and you are at your breaking point, show resilience. Like the bamboo tree, bend, but don't break!

Have an awesome Sunday!

Much love,
Priya:))
Posted by Priya Deelchand

Make the Most of Where You Are! (posted by Priya Deelchand)

My dearest friends,

Hope you are all doing great.

Here is a poem that I would like to share with you. The author is unknown.

Wherever you are, be there fully.
For where you are is where you can most effectively act and live.

If you're constantly wishing that you were somewhere else, you diminish the opportunities for where you are now.
When your thoughts are in another place or time, your actions lose much of their effectiveness.

It's great to dream, to plan, to aspire, to reach for new and improved circumstances.
And yet the way to successfully do that is by being the best you can be in the place where you now find yourself.

It's great to keep yourself focused on an ambitious goal.
And that focus is the most effective when it is crafted from the perspective of where you are now.

To successfully travel the path from here to there, you must start with being fully here.
The more you give your attention and energy to making the most of where you are, the more quickly you'll move along that path.

There is much to be accomplished, much to be lived in every place and in every moment.
Be there fully for all of them, and life will be rich indeed.

So dearest friends, make the most of your day!

Much Love,

Priya:))

Posted by Priya Deelchand

http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=339996970296&topic=16353&ref=nf

My Daily Creed (posted by Priya Deelchand)

Let me be a little kinder,
Let me be a little blinder
To the faults of those about me;

Let me praise a little more;
Let me be, when I am weary,

Just a little bit more cheery;
Let me serve a little better

Those that I am striving for.
Let me be a little braver

When temptation bids me waver;
Let me strive a little harder

To be all that I should be;
Let me be a little meeker

With the brother that is weaker;
Let me think more of my neighbor
And a little less of me.

Author unknown - shared by Priya Deelchand
http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=339996970296&topic=16353&ref=nf

Bad luck, good luck... who can say? (posted by Priya Deelchand)

There once was very poor man living in a village who had a
very fine horse. So fine, in fact, that the lord of the castle
wanted to buy it. But the old man always refused.

"To me this horse is not merely an animal. He's a friend.
How could I sell you my friend?"

One morning he went to the stable and found his horse gone.

All the villagers said, "We told you! You should have sold
your horse. Now he's been stolen instead. What terrible luck."

"Bad luck or good luck," the old man said. "Who can say?"

Everyone laughed at him. But 15 days later the horse returned,
followed by a whole herd of wild horses. He had escaped from the
stable, courted a young mare, and returned with the rest of
the herd following behind!

"What luck!" the villagers cried.

The old man and his son began training the wild horses. But
a week later the man's son broke his leg trying to train one of
the horses.

"Bad luck," said his friends. "What are you going to do now
without your son to help you? You who are already so poor."

"Bad luck, good luck, who can say?" the old man replied.

A few days later an army belonging to the lord of the land
passed through the village and forced all the young men to become
soldiers. All... except the old man's son, because of his broken
leg.

"How lucky you are," the villagers cried. "All our children
are gone to war, but you've been able to keep your son. Our sons
will probably be killed..."

The old man replied, "Bad luck, good luck... who can say?"

The future comes to us in bits and pieces. We never know what
lies in store for us. But if you always maintain a positive
attitude the doors of chance remain open, and you will be a
happier person.

Author unknown
Posted by Priya Deelchand

Try starting from the top (posted by Priya Deelchand)

Jean left the office exhausted because the boss
asked him to solve a personnel problem; and he didn't
know how to deal with it.

The boss said " I don't care how you go about it.
You are the HR director,right?"

For weeks the working atmosphere was awful. Wages
were frozen and the subcontractors were under the
watchful eye of management.

Jean was lost in thoughts on the sofa of the living
room but his wife hadn't returned. He heard the
familiar noise of the broom, so he knew the cleaning
lady had arrived.

He hardly noticed her when she came to ask him for
her wages. Marie said to Jean "I've got food in the
oven so that you'll have something to eat in case
Madame doesn't return"

Jean replied "Thank you Marie. It's very nice of you."
Marie said "You look tired Jean."

Jean replied "Not really Marie. Just a little worn out
because of some worries at work. I have to take some
unpleasant measures. I might have to fire some of the
employees. I hate doing it but it has to be done"

Marie replied "Try starting from the top. That's how I
do my best work"

Jean didn't wait for the weekend to present his reform
plan to management. "Excessive turnover is occurring
because of the old fashioned attitude of management.
"We must lead by example!" said Jean.

The boss congratulated Jean for his good work.

"Rank confers neither privilege nor power,
but imposes responsibility."
Louis Armstrong.

Author unknown
Posted by Priya Deelchand

You are Unique (posted by Priya Deelchand)

Did you know that scientist still haven't been
able to figure out the number of possible combinations
of DNA molecules? The best they've been able to do
is provide an estimate: 2.4 billion to the power of 10!

That's an incredible number when you consider that
the possible combinations of all particles in the
universe amount to only 76 to the power of 10!

As you can see, that is vastly less than the possible
combinations DNA, which form your identity.

So scientifically speaking, you are unique! There's no
chance of ever finding another person exactly like you
on the planet.

And you can also be sure that there never has been
- and never will be - two identical human beings in the
entire universe.

So why waste time and energy trying to fit into a mould?
To be like someone else? You are unique, and thus radically
different, no matter what you think and no matter what you do.

Author unknown
Posted by Priya Deelchand

Wounds caused by words (posted by Priya Deelchand)

There once was a boy with a very bad character. His father
gave him a box of spikes and told him to hammer one into the
garden fence every time he lost his patience and got into an
argument with someone.

The first day the boy hammered 37 spikes into the fence.
Over the next few weeks he began learning to control himself,
and the number of spikes he had to hammer diminished day by
day. He had discovered that exercising self control was a
lot easier than hammering spikes.

Finally the day arrived when the boy didn't hammer any spikes
into the fence.

He went to see his father and told him that he hadn't had to
nail any spikes that day at all.

His father told him to pull a spike out of the fence every
day he didn't lose temper.

Days passed, and finally the boy was able to inform his father
that all the spikes had been removed. The father walked with his
son over to the fence and said: "My son, you have done well,
but look at all the holes in the fence. It will never be the
same as it was before.

"When you fight with someone and say terrible things, you
create wounds just like these holes. You can stick a knife into
someone and then pull it out, but the scar will always be there.
No matter how many times you say you're sorry, the scar will
remain."

A wound caused by words is as bad as a physical wound. Friends
are like precious jewels, they make you smile, they encourage you,
they're there to help you and listen to you when you're in need.
They offer you support, and open their hearts to you.

- Author unknown-
Posted by Priya Deelchand

Listen to your heart (posted by Priya Deelchand)

Every year Father Cornillo opened the
vestry of his little country church and
received visits from the young people
of neighbouring villages.

They came from far to receive advice
and to learn about what to meditate on.

One day, a young girl from a good
family knelt at the feet of the priest.
"Father," she said, "I want to become a
saint. What should I do?"

"Follow your heart, and never deviate
from what it tells you," Father
Cornillo replied.

The girl was pleased with the advice.
'How easy it is to become a saint,' she
thought. 'All I have to do is listen to
what my heart says.'

But before she could get up and leave
the church, the priest added, "To
follow you heart you will have to be
very strong, and your life will be full
of sacrifice."
_______________

Father Cornillo was perfectly right:
listening to your heart requires
tremendous willpower.

It is not a question of living
according to what you feel like doing
day by day. On the contrary, you have
to seek out the wisdom of your heart,
and never give up. You cannot be
satisfied with little victories, and
you must not fall prey to self
satisfaction.

Listening to your heart means being
hard on yourself, and never trying to
circumvent its moral requirements.


Author Unknown
Posted by Priya Deelchand

Know Thyself (Posted by Priya Deelchand)

A Tibetan student was practicing
meditation in his cell when a spider
descended from the ceiling and hung
suspended in front of him.

It slowly spun around, attached to
the end of its web, until the novice
tried to catch it, at which point it
raced back up to the ceiling in a
second.

Every day for a week the student's
meditation was disturbed by the spider.
It even seemed that it was getting
bigger, that it was becoming more
adventurous, and sometimes tried to
swing back and forth in front of him,
with all its legs spread wide.

"This spider is bothering me,"
thought the novice, "and making fun of
me. I'll catch it one day, I know will!"

He became so upset that he went to
ask the advice of his Spiritual Master.

"I hid a knife in my sleeve while I
was meditating," he said. "I wanted to
kill the spider when it came down, but
I didn't succeed. It disappeared the
moment I thought about catching it."

"Replace your knife with a piece of
chalk," the Master replied, "and make a
cross on the spider's back each time it
disturbs your meditation. Come back and
see me in a week."

A week later the novice returned to
his Master's cell and knelt down before
him, his head lowered.

"Lift your robe and look at
yourself," the Master instructed.

To his great surprise, the novice saw
a big X drawn on his own chest.
_________________

This short parable may seem absurd,
and yet it contains a profound truth.

The spider that disturbed the novice
during his meditation was his own bad
conscience, which always surfaces when
we are most relaxed. And what do we do?
We accuse it of trying to harm us, we
say that it is someone else, we seek a
threatening monster to fight with. But
the monster, the spider, is our own
self.

We have to be able to look at
ourselves objectively in order to
overcome our worries, before they
assume a form that we have not chosen.

"
Know thyself!"

This phrase is attributed to
Socrates, but it also appears on the
facade of the Temple of Delphi. 2500
years later it is still relevant, and
will always remain so!

Author unknown
Posted by Priya Deelchand