All posts by Manu

Quotes - 2009

Living right…

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There is no real excellence in all this world which can be separated from right living. – David Starr Jordan

Right Living:

Right Living can mean so many things. Are you living right if you’re living your life purpose? If you create happiness and live in happiness are you living right? What does right living have to do with you and with society at large?

Unified Personality:

A unified personality might be the answer. One that is developing equally mentally, physically, spiritually and is balanced in its life approach. An approach that combines the Mind, Body and Soul.

You need all three to enable effective service to others which might be the highest goal for any human, and which leads directly to God.

Recommendation: The Essence of the Bhagavad Gita

The Essence of the Bhagavad Gita, 2nd Edition: Explained By Paramhansa Yogananda, As Remembered By His Disciple, Swami Kriyananda

Quotes - 2009

Exhale, inhale, repeat….

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Our breath is the bridge from our body to our mind. – Thich Nhat Hanh

Become more self-aware:

If all you did is watch and become aware of your breathing, one or more times daily then you’d be on your way to a more self-aware you! Find ways to remind yourself to do that, you’ll be very happy you did.

Key to peace:

You’ll calm down when you do that; realize what’s going on in your mind and body; and will be better able to leverage the power and peace that reside within you!

Mindful breathing is the key to peace and provides the hook that will keep you grounded.

Recommendation: Thich Nhat Hanh: Essential Writings

Thich Nhat Hanh: Essential Writings (Modern Spiritual Masters Series)

Articles, Quotes - 2009, Stillness

We create our own unhappiness…

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Hell has three gates: lust, anger, and greed. – The Bhagavad Gita

We create it:

All these three negativities skew our thoughts. All 3 are a result of our thoughts. We create the train of thoughts that leads us in any negative direction. The opposite is also true.

Anything that rattles our minds, throws us off kilter is counter-productive. There’s actually a 4th gate to hell and it’s called Fear!

Seek equanimity:

Equanimity is what we should seek. With a steady, still and reflective mind we’re better equipped to live fully. I suggest 2 techniques in that pursuit:

  1. Free Journaling: Spend 10 minutes daily journaling your thoughts. You just type or write away without judging what comes out. You just throw out any thoughts, emotions, feelings, plans or ideas, put it down on paper or online. Do this daily. It will help you clarify your mind and help it calm down. You’ll garner many creative ideas as well.
  2. Stillness Practice: Practice what will work for you. Just sit and be. Learn to be still, peaceful and calm, look here.

Recommendation: The Essential Laws of Fearless Living by Guy Finley

The Essential Laws of Fearless Living: Find the Power to Never Feel Powerless Again

Quotes - 2009

The bell tolls for thee…

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Never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee. – John Donne

John Donne wrote this in the 17th century probably referring to the church bells that tolled during a funeral. We can make a lot of this beautiful quote.

Life is passing us by:

Don’t lose another moment to indecision, hate, callousness or despair. You never know when the bells might toll for you. Wake up, realize the power that resides inside you, claim it, smile and march into the day, you can take it on like a true child of the universe. Nothing holds you back, except you yourself.

The meaning in life:

The meaning we find in life is our own work; it involves our unique interpretation of what’s going on. When anything happens it’s up to us what we make of it. Watch yourself as you create your inner universe, be aware of how you paint an event or happenstance. You create your life each moment. When the bells toll; you decide what that means to you.

Recommendation: The Wisdom Way of Knowing

The Wisdom Way of Knowing: Reclaiming An Ancient Tradition to Awaken the Heart

Quotes - 2009

God’s thoughts for us…

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I want to know how God created this world. I am not interested in this or that phenomenon, in the spectrum of this or that element. I want to know His thoughts; the rest are details. – Albert Einstein

What does God think of us?

What does he think for us? If God created all reality; he is the very source of all that is. It would be rather cool if we knew his thoughts; her purpose for all that’s going on!

Our purpose:

I believe that at least at the individual level it’s quite possible for us to know of God’s plans. I also believe that it’s part of our purpose, maybe even the purpose for us to find our place in God’s universe, our relationship with the Godhead.

Your thoughts? How do we go about this quest?

Recommendation: Passionate Presence

Passionate Presence: Experiencing the Seven Qualities of Awakened Awareness

Articles, Quotes - 2009

Creativity through flexibility…

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Be clear about your goal but be flexible about the process of achieving it. – Brian Tracy

We must know where we want to go. With our selves, family, our work and even our being. Why with our being? Because doing goals are different from being goals. A doing goal is like: I want to be able to do 50 pushups daily within 3 months. A being goal example is: I want to not get irritated every time my kids want my attention.

With our goals defined; we ought to stay flexible about the process, the how! Why you ask? For 2 reasons:

  1. By staying flexible, you stay open minded to other interesting ways to get to your goal. You are more likely to notice signals that Life sends your way!
  2. You allow the Universe to play its role in helping you achieve your goals. If you define the specific steps for your success the Universal Mind may not be able help because your plans don’t match with the grander plans afoot.

Your job is to create. Create in your mind first, stay flexible, notice the signs, take action, presto!

Recommendation: The Secret

The Secret

Articles, Quotes - 2009

Thinking straight…

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One cannot think crooked and walk straight. – Anonymous

How do we set our inside right? That has to be the first order of business, in the business of life.

I believe it must happen on 3 levels. I call it the MBS System, the Mind, Body and Soul System.

Soul: We ought to discover our Life Purpose. The path to which is led by self-knowledge. This can be a great basis for our whole being.

Mind: Our thoughts must be congruent with our highest desires i.e. our Life Purpose. We can’t expect to think thoughts that don’t support our mental, spiritual or physical well-being and expect to be happy campers.

Body: To live a Soul purpose and be of a sound mind, our body must be in good shape.

So you see our whole being must move in tandem for us to be fulfilled. All this can be quite over-whelming because hardly anyone is living in this wholesome fashion. The secret is to take small tri-pronged steps, daily and watch your life unfold!

Recommendation: Beyond the Summit

Beyond the Summit: Setting and Surpassing Extraordinary Business Goals

Also see: www.effectiveyou.com