The Power of Concentration - Part Two - Concentration Exercises

Sharpening the needle of concentration requires practice, as everything else in life. Do you go to the gym? If you do, how many times during the week and for how long? Do you study a foreign language? If you do, how much time do you devote to it? Developing concentration is not different; training is required. Even ten minutes a day of concentration exercises will do you good.

The mind does not like discipline and will resist your efforts to discipline it. It loves its freedom more than anything else, and will try to stand in your way to master it, in any way it can. It will cause you to forget to do the exercises, tempt you to postpone performing them or make you feel too lazy. It will find many tricks to stop and disturb you, but you can and must be stronger.

You will find below, some simple concentration exercises to perform. Always remember that the choice is yours, to be a slave to the mind and its whims, or to be its master. By practicing mental exercises, it is possible to train the mind and master it, and put it in its proper place, as your servant, and not as your boss and master.

You are not the mind nor the thoughts that pass through it. Though it might be hard to accept this idea, the mind is not you, the real you, but only a tool that you use. It is an instrument, which has great value, but it has to be taught to obey you.

Most people believe that they are the mind, and erroneously believe that controlling the mind means holding themselves back and denying their freedom. They feel that controlling their mind is not natural, and that it is some sort of repression. These beliefs are not correct.

The proof that we are not the mind comes with training. Accept the idea in theory, and in time, as your control over your thoughts grows, you will know it as a fact. In reality, you, the real you, is the one mastering the mind. It is not the mind mastering itself.

Advice for Practicing The Concentration Exercises

Find a place where you can be alone and undisturbed. You can sit crossed legged on the floor if you can, or on a chair. Sit with your spine erect. Take a few calm deep breaths and then relax your body. Direct the attention to your body, and relax each muscle and part of it.

I will now give you some exercises to practice. Sit down to practice for about 10 minutes, and after a few weeks of training, lengthen the time to 15 minutes.

Start with the first exercise, practicing it daily, until you are able to do it without any distractions or forgetfullness, and without thinking about anything else, for at least three minutes. Every time you get distracted, start again, until the 10 or 15 minutes pass away. You have to be honest with yourself, and proceed to the next one, only after you are convinced that you have practiced it correctly and with full concentration.

No timetable can be given, as this may be frustrating. If for example, I tell you that a certain exercise has to completed in a week, two things may happen. You may get disappointed, if you cannot get the desired concentration within a week, or you may move on without practicing the exercise correctly. Mastering the exercises successfully might take days, weeks, months and sometimes even more.

Put your whole attention into the exercises, and do not think about anything else. Be careful not to fall asleep, daydream or think about other matters. The moment you find yourself thinking about something else, stop the exercise and start again. After you become proficient, lengthen the time, and if possible, include another session in the afternoon.

Do not attempt too much at the beginning, and don't try to perform them all at once. Go slowly, without overdoing them or tensing your brain.

If you find it too difficult, or thoughts distract you and make you think about other matters, don't despair. Everyone encounters difficulties along the way. If you persevere and never give up, in spite of difficulties and disturbances, success will crown your efforts. Remember, even those with powerful concentration had to exercise their minds.

It does not matter if your concentration is weak now, it can be developed and strengthened like any other ability, through training and investing the necessary time, energy and earnestness.

In time, you will find out that you can concentrate anywhere, anytime, no matter where you are. You will be able to focus your mind, think and function under the most trying circumstances, while remaining calm, relaxed and collected. The reward is worth the effort a thousand fold.

Now to the exercises. Some of them may be familiar to you, and some may seem too easy to perform. Some were taken from various sources, and others were created by me.

For full benefit, it is advisable that you practice each exercise for one additional week, after you are convinced that you are practicing it correctly and with full attention.

Concentration exercises

Exercise 1
Take a book and count the words in any one paragraph. Count them again to be sure that you have counted them correctly. Start with one paragraph and when it becomes easier, count the words in a whole page. Perform the counting mentally and only with your eyes, without pointing you finger at each word.

Exercise 2
Count backwards in your mind, from one hundred to one.

Exercise 3
Count in your mind from one hundred to one, skipping each three numbers, that is 100, 97, 94, etc.

Exercise 4
Choose an inspiring word, or just a simple sound, and repeat it silently in your mind for five minutes. When your mind can concentrate more easily, try to reach ten minutes of uninterrupted concentration.

Exercise 5
Take a fruit, an apple for example, and look at it from all sides. Concentrate your attention on it and examine it from all sides. Devote the whole session to concentrating on it. Do not be carried away by irrelevant thoughts that arise. Stay with the apple. It could be any other fruit. Look at it and do not think about the shop were you bought it, about the way it is grown, its nutritive value etc, only about the object in front of you. Just look at it, see it, smell it and touch it.

Exercise 6
This is the same as exercise number 5, only that this time you visualize the fruit with your eyes closed. Start by performing again exercise number 5 for five minutes, and then do this one. Try to see, feel, taste, smell the fruit in you imagination. Try to see a clear and well defined image. If difficulties arise open your eyes, look at the fruit, close them again and continue the exercise.

Exercise 7
Take a small simple object such as a spoon, a fork, or a glass. Concentrate on one of these objects. Watch the object from all sides without any verbalization, that is, with no words in your mind. Just watch the object without thinking with words about it.

Exercise 8
After becoming proficient in the above exercises, you can come to this exercise. Draw a small geometrical figure, about three inches in size, such as a triangle, a rectangular or a circle, paint it with any color you wish, and concentrate on it. You should see only the figure, nothing else. Only the figure exists for you now, with no unrelated thoughts or any distractions. Try not to think with words during the exercise. Watch the figure in front of you and that's it. Try not to strain your eyes.

Exercise 9
The same as number 8, only this time visualize the figure with the eyes closed. As before, if you forget how the figure looks like, open your eyes for a few seconds and watch the figure and then close your eyes and continue with the exercise.

Exercise 10
The same as above in number 9 but the eyes open.

Exercise 11
Try for at least five minutes, to stay without thoughts. This exercise is to be attempted only after all the previous ones have been performed successfully. The previous exercises, if practiced correctly, will endow you with the ability to impose silence on your thoughts. In time it will become easier and easier.
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The secret of success is constant practice. The more time you devote to the exercises the faster your success arrives. Go on gradually; ten minutes at the start and in time as you gain the ability to concentrate, give it more time. When you see that you are successful, you will begin to love the exercises, and in time they will become a habit. You will be able to concentrate your attention easily and effortlessly upon anything you want to concentrate on.

Are you jogging, exercising at the gym or studying a foreign language? How difficult it was in the start? How many times you wanted to quit? Yet, after a while you started to like what you were doing. It became a habit, needing no effort to perform. So it is with developing the power of concentration.

After some of time you will start to feel differently. It will be easier to concentrate. Your mind will be calm and relaxed, and you will radiate peace into your surroundings. Things, circumstances and events that used to agitate and anger you, will not influence your inner calmness. You will experience happiness, content and satisfaction, self-confidence and inner strength. You will be able to cope more easily and efficiently with the outer world.

You will feel a new form of consciousness growing in you, bringing you peace of mind. It may come every now and then for a brief moment, but in time it will grow and fill you completely. You will be able to make the mind work for you when you need its services, in a most efficient way. You will be able to silence it when its services are not needed.

I assure you, from personal experience, that the attitude to life and the reactions to events change after starting to practice concentration. It is some kind of automatic and gradual process. You come to know many things about the mind and how it functions, and you learn to deal with it efficiently.

The Power of Concentration - Part One

When I was a child, I saw how a magnifying glass could burn a piece of paper, when the rays of the sun were focused through it. The fire could start only when the sun's rays were concentrated to a small point. When the magnifying glass was moved too far away or too close to the paper, the rays were not focused enough and nothing happened. This experience describes vividly the power of concentration.

This power can be described as focused attention. It is the ability to direct the attention to one single thought or subject, to the exclusion of everything else.

When our mind is focused, our energies are not dissipated on irrelevant activities or thoughts. This is why developing concentration is essential to anyone who aspires to take charge of his or her life. This skill is essential for every kind of success. Without it, our efforts get scattered, but with it, we can accomplish great things.

Concentration has many uses and benefits. It assists in studying and understanding faster, improves the memory, and helps in focusing on any task, job, activity or goal, and achieving it more easily and efficiently. It is also required for developing psychic powers, and is a powerful tool for the efficient use of creative visualization.

When this ability is developed, the mind obeys us more readily and does not engage in futile, negative thoughts or worries. We gain mental mastery and we experience true peace of mind.

This ability also plays an important role in meditataion. Without it, the mind just jumps restlessly from one thought to another, not allowing us to meditate properly.

Do you now realize, why it is very important and worthwhile to develop and improve the ability to concentrate?

To develop this power you need to train and exercise it. Forget all your excuses about not having the time or being too busy. Do not say that the circumstances are not appropriate or that you cannot find a quiet place to exercise. With a little planning, desire and motivation you can always find the time to exercise each day, no matter how busy you are.

The Restless Mind

Thoughts claim our attention incessantly, and waste our time and energy on unimportant and useless matters. They actually rule our life. We have become so used to this slavery, that we take it for granted, and have become unconscious of this habit, except on certain occasions.

While breathing, we do not need to pay attention to each inhalation and exhalation. We become conscious of the process of breathing, only when we have some difficulty with breathing, such as when our nose is clogged, due to a cold, or when we are in an unventilated room.

It is the same with thinking. We become conscious of the constant onslaught of our thoughts, and of our inability to calm them down, only when we need to concentrate, solve a problem or study. We are also acutely aware of them when we have worries or fears.

Look at the following familiar situation. You need to study something for your job or for an exam. You sit comfortably on the sofa with the book in your hands and start reading. After a while you feel hungry and go to the kitchen to eat something.

You return to read, and then hear you people talking outside. You listen to them for several moments and then bring your attention back to the book.

After a while you feel restless and switch on the radio to listen to some music. You continue to read for a little while, and then remember something that happened yesterday, and you start thinking about it.

When you look at your watch, you are amazed to find out that one complete hour has passed and you have hardly read anything.

This is what happens when one lacks concentration. Imagine what you could have accomplished, if you could control your attention and focus your mind!

Work that requires physical strength, such as carrying heavy loads for example, develops physical strength. Yet, it is not as exercising daily to the gym in a systematic manner. It is the same with concentration. Reading, studying and trying to pay attention to what we do, develop some of this ability, but practicing exercises diligently each day is something else, it is like training in a gym.

Inner resistance to developing concentration

In order to develop this ability we have to train our minds. Most people think that concentration is a strenuous and tiring activity, and that it involves exertion and tension, which are difficult and unpleasant.

This belief starts at an early age. Parents and teachers expect children to study, do their homework and get good grades. This brings up in the children a feeling of being coerced and forced to do something they don't like doing. When they are too often told that they are not concentrating good enough, they develop a loathing for concentration, and often for studying too. These become associated with coercion, lack of freedom, doing something they do not like to do, and which is against their will. When they grow up, it is no wonder that their powers of concentration are weak, and they have no desire to strain their minds.

Though most people acknowledge the fact that good concentration is a great asset, yet most of them do nothing to strengthen it, mostly because they don't know how. Reading and thinking about its benefits, and about the reasons why it should be cultivated, can help to change the attitude toward it.

Concentration can be fun if approached in the right way. It should be practiced with joy, fun, optimism, and understanding of its great possibilities. It has to be approached in a positive manner and then success dawns.

The benefits of developing concentration

Sometimes you can find strong powers of concentration in yourself. When you really and earnestly want to excel in your studies, pass an important exam or solve a problem, this power becomes available to you. In such cases, it appears because of some need or desire, but developing it in a systematic way brings it under your control, and grants you the ability to use it intentionally, whenever you need it. To do so, you need to practice special exercises on a daily basis.
Here is what you can gain by developing this power:
-Control of your thoughts.
-The ability to focus your mind.
-Peace of mind.
-Freedom from futile and annoying thoughts.
-The ability to choose your thoughts.
-Better memory.
-Self-confidence.
-Inner strength.
-Will power.
-Decisiveness.
-The ability to study and comprehend more quickly.
-Inner happiness.
-Enhanced capability to develop psychic abilities.
-More powerful and efficient use of creative visualization.
-Enhanced ability to meditate.
-And much more...

Seems too good to be true? Develop the power of concentration and find out for yourself!

So what about starting to develop concentration power today?

In part two of this article you will find advice and exercises for developing and strengthening this ability.
The Power of Concentration Part Two

Willpower Versus Making Resolutions

Willpower Versus Making Resolutions

Real willpower has nothing to do with making emotional resolutions. These are two completely different things. There is a common misunderstanding of what willpower means, and it is often confused with doings things emotionally.

Sometimes, in response to certain situations or events, we suddenly desire to follow a certain activity, goal or desire, and we enthusiastically and emotionally start doing something about it. The problem is that after a while the emotions calms down, and we quit what we have started, since there is lack of enough inner power and strength.

We often make resolutions and promises to do something, behave in a particular way, study, look for a job or a partner and so on, and we might even start acting according to our resolutions, but this goes on only for a short while. We start with much noise, but end in silence. We make resolutions enthusiastically and optimistically, but after a short while we lose our enthusiasm and stop doing what we promised ourselves to do.

This kind of behavior weakens the power of the will, and makes us lose faith in our ability to use willpower. Then we might even start believing that willpower is just a myth, an unreal thing. This is an erroneous idea, because no real willpower was involved here.

As said earlier most of the resolutions that people make are triggered by emotions. They make them in response to some strong emotion or thought, and rarely because of common sense and reasonable, balanced thinking. The driving powers behind these resolutions are feelings and emotions, but feelings and emotions are not stable and not constant. One moment you may feel you can conquer the world, and a moment later you may feel weak and incompetent, and everything seems so impossible to do.

A resolution made on the spur of the moment is usually useless. The emotion that triggered it might disappear a short while later, and there will be no desire left to carry on the resolution. Another important point to mention is that subconscious habits are stronger than any resolution, and they usually overcome any decision and desire for change.

All this leads people to believe that they lack willpower, and to regard it as unreal, as an illusion, but this is not so. No willpower has been involved in such resolutions, just temporary emotions and desires. Real willpower is something utterly different. It is not gained in a day, but requires training over a period of time. You cannot expect a physically weak person to lift heavy weight, but if he trains himself regularly, he will get stronger. It is the same with the strengthening of the power of the will.

Real willpower is not dependent on feelings, emotions, temporary enthusiasm or optimism. It is an ability that is developed over a period of time and can turn into a habit. After developing it, you will be able to use it whenever and wherever required.

Training of the will also develops self-discipline, as both abilities are interconnected. Such training also develops concentration, perseverance, assertiveness, self-confidence and the inner strength to make decisions with a balanced, calm mental attitude, and carry them out until their successful fulfillment. You become conscious of a wonderful inner power, which is an inseparable part of you.

Constant training of the power of the will results in a real power, which is always available. It is not the same as programming the mind to do one particular action, and then, when you need to do something else, you start again programming the mind for that other action. Real willpower is like a master key, once present, it can be applied to any sort of action or decision.

Anyone who is willing and ready to devote some time to develop and strengthen his willpower will be highly rewarded. Real training proceeds gradually, and when the inner power gets stronger, you will be able to undertake some more difficult exercises. How far you will go in developing this important ability depends on how much time, effort and earnestness you are willing to invest.

Developing Your Inner Strength

Developing Your Inner Strength

How many times have you wished you had more inner strength, willpower or self discipline?

How many times you lacked enough persistence and inner stamina to follow your decisions and plans?

Do you admire and respect strong individuals, who have overcome obstacles and difficulties and reached far, because of the inner strength they possessed?

Most people are not are not born with inner strength, but it can be developed like any other skill.

Inner strength consists of willpower, self discipline, self control, persistence, detachment, the ability to concentrate and peace of mind. In this article we will focus on two of the ingredients, willpower and self discipline. These skills are important and essential tools for success in all areas of life. They can be learned and developed like any other skill, yet, in spite of this, only few take any steps to develop and strengthen them in a systematic way.

Willpower is the inner strength to make decisions, take action, and handle and execute any aim or task, regardless of inner and outer resistance, discomfort or difficulties. It manifests as the ability to overcomes laziness, temptations and negative habits, and to carry out actions, even if they require effort, are unpleasant and tedious or are contrary to one's habits.

Self discipline is the ability to reject instant gratification or pleasure in favor of something better or a higher goal. It manifests as the inner strength to stick to actions or plans in spite of obstacles, difficulties or unpleasantness. It is one of the pillars of success, and bestows the inner strength to direct your energy and attention to your goal, and persevere until it is accomplished.

Both of these skills are required for the efficient handling of all activities and decisions. They are required for doing a good job, for success in business, for studying, losing weight, exercising, maintaining good relationships, changing habits, self improvement, meditation, spiritual growth, keeping promises and for almost everything else.

There are simple and effective methods for developing these powers and attaining inner strength:

1. Refusing to satisfy unimportant or unhealthy desires.
2. Doing things that are useful, but which you resist doing.

By overcoming inner resistance you develop inner power and strength.

By refusing and rejecting useless, harmful or unnecessary desires and actions, and sometimes intentionally acting contrary to your habits, you sharpen and strengthen your inner strength. You get stronger through constant practice, just like exercising your muscles at a gym makes your muscles stronger. In both cases, when you need inner power or physical strength, they are available and are at your disposal.

Here are a few exercises to strengthen your inner powers that use ordinary day-to-day activities:

• Don't read the newspaper for a few days.
• Now and then drink your coffee or tea without sugar.
• Climb up the stairs instead of taking the lift.
• Park you car a little farther away from you destination, so that you have to walk.
• Now and then choose not to watch one of your favorite TV programs.
• Read a book that is useful and informative, but which you find boring.
• Curb your desire to criticize people.
• Delay your desire to retort angrily.
• Try to get out of bed quickly on a cold day.

These are only a few examples to show you how you can develop your inner strength. By practicing these or similar exercises you gain inner power, which you can use when you are in need of it. By practicing them you develop your inner muscles, just like lifting barbells develops your physical muscles.

Willpower - Your Inner Strength

Willpower - Your Inner Strength

Willpower is the inner strength and the inner engine that propels towards success and achievement. It is the power that pushes into action in every area of life. Willpower is one of the most important and desirable inner powers, and its lack or presence determines whether you will fail or accomplish your desires and ambitions and attain success.

Willpower is erroneously considered as a quality belonging only to highly successful people, who depend on strength and force to achieve their goals. The truth is that it can be developed by everyone, and it is important, useful and desirable in the small affairs of life, as it is in the achievement of major goals.

If you usually feel too lazy, developing your inner strength will help you to overcome this laziness. If you usually procrastinate, possess low self-esteem, feel weak and vulnerable or lack self-control, strengthening this power will help you too.

Willpower, which is inner strength, manifests as the ability to control unnecessary and harmful impulses. It also manifests as the ability to decide, abide by this decision, and follow it with perseverance until its successful accomplishment. This ability gives you the courage and strength to endure and overcome inner and outer resistance and opposition, difficulties and hardships.

There are many who lack the inner strength to say "no". Others find it difficult to follow and assert their ideas and beliefs. Some are afraid to take action and make changes or they lack resolution and the persistence to go on with their plans to the end. A strong power of the will can change all this.

It is the right and privilege of everyone to develop this ability. Everyone can develop it to a greater or smaller extent, depending on the desire, earnestness, ambition and time devoted to developing and strengthening this inner power.

In many of my other articles, and in the book "Will power and self discipline", I have emphasized the importance of developing this ability, and showed how to do that. You do not require super ordinary powers to develop it. You do not need to sleep on a bed of nails, fast or stand on one foot for days, as fakirs do. The concept that the development of willpower requires you to undergo suffering and physical mutilation is not true.

Developing willpower and inner strength is a gradual process that anyone can undertake. Some will be able to reach higher levels of power, while others will reach different degrees of development, but the way is open to all.

You will have to give up some unnecessary and harmful pleasures and change some unhealthy habits, but this is for a higher good. You give up something harmful or useless, in order to gain strength and power that will help you in every area of your life. In fact, the whole process can be turned into an absorbing, enjoyable and interesting challenge.

Training and exercising your willpower will fill you with strength, courage, and assertiveness. As your power grows, it will be easier for you to get rid of habits and attitudes that stand in your way to a better life. You will gain inner strength that will help you at your job and at home, in your relationships, with carrying on your tasks and with accomplishing your ambitions.

Will Power and Self-Discipline

Will Power and Self-Discipline

Sometimes, you wish to go for a walk, knowing how good it is for your health and how wonderful you feel afterwards, yet, you feel too lazy, and prefer to watch TV instead. You might be aware of the fact that you need to change your eating habits or stop smoking, yet, you don't have the inner power and persistence to change these habits.

Does this sound familiar? How many times have you told yourself, "I wish I had will power and self discipline"? How many times have you started to do something, only to quit after a short while? We all have had experiences like these.

Everyone possesses some addictions or habits they wish they could overcome, such as smoking, excessive eating, laziness, procrastination or lack of assertiveness. To overcome these habits or addictions, one needs to have will power and self discipline. They make a great difference in everyone's life, and bring inner strength, self mastery and decisiveness.

Definitions of Will Power and Self Discipline?

Will power is the ability to control unnecessary and harmful impulses. It is the ability to overcome laziness and procrastination. It is the ability to arrive to a decision and follow it with perseverance until its successful accomplishment. It is the inner power that overcomes the desire to indulge in unnecessary and useless habits, and the inner strength that overcomes inner emotional and mental resistance for taking action. It is one of the corner stones of success, both spiritual and material.

Self-discipline is the companion of will power. It endows the stamina to persevere in whatever one does. It bestows the ability to withstand hardships and difficulties, whether physical, emotional or mental. It grants the ability to reject immediate satisfaction for something better.

The human being is full of inner unconscious, or partly conscious, impulses. People sometimes say or do things they later regret saying or doing. On many occasions people do not think before they talk or act.

By developing these two powers, one becomes conscious of the inner subconscious impulses, and gains the ability to reject them when they are not for his/her own good.

Will power and self-discipline help us to choose our behavior and reactions instead of being their slaves. Don't think that life will become dull and dry in this way. On the contrary, you will feel more powerful, in charge of yourself and your surrounding, and consequently much more happy and satisfied.

How many times have you felt too weak, lazy or shy to do something you wanted to do? You can gain inner strength, initiative and the ability to make decisions and follow them. Believe me, it is not difficult to develop these two powers. If you are earnest and are willing to become stronger, you will certainly succeed.

In this article you will find some exercises and techniques for developing these abilities. These simple, but effective exercises, can be performed everywhere and at any time. Go slowly and gradually, and you will see how you get stronger and your life start improving.

There is a misconception in the public mind regarding will power. It is erroneously thought to be something strenuous and difficult, and that one has to exert and tense the body and mind when expressing it. It is a completely wrong concept. This is one of the reasons why people avoid using it, though they are conscious of its benefits. They acknowledge the fact that the employment of will power in their life and affairs will greatly help them, and that they need to strengthen it, yet they do nothing about it.

Will power gets stronger by holding back and not allowing the expression of unimportant, unnecessary and unhealthy thoughts, feelings, actions and reactions. If this saved energy is not allowed expression, it is stored inside you like a battery, and it becomes available at the time of need. By practicing appropriate exercises, you develop your powers the same way, as a person who trains the muscles in order to strengthen them.

Developing Will Power and Self Discipline

An effective method for developing and improving these abilities is to perform certain actions or activities, which you would rather avoid doing due to laziness, procrastination, weakeness, shyness, etc. By doing something that you do not like doing or are too lazy to do, you overcome your subconscious resistance, train your mind to obey you, strengthen your inner powers and gain inner strength. Muscles get stronger by resisting the power of the barbells. Inner strength is attained by overcoming inner resistance.

Remember, strengthening one of these abilities, automatically strengthens the other one.

Here are a few exercises:

1) You are sitting in a bus or train and an old man or woman, or a pregnant lady walks in. Stand up and give up your seat even if you prefer to stay seated. Do this not just because it is polite, but because you are doing something that you are reluctant to do. In this way you are overcoming the resistance of your body, mind and feelings.

2) There are dishes in the sink that need washing, and you postpone washing them for later. Get up and wash them now. Do not let your laziness overcome you. When you know that in this way you are developing your will power, and if you are convinced of the importance of will power in your life, it will be easier for you to do whatever you have to do.

3) You come home tired from work and sit in front of the T.V. because you feel too lazy and tired to go and wash yourself. Do not obey the desire to just sit, but go and have a shower

4) You may know your body needs some physical exercise, but instead you keep on sitting doing nothing or watching a movie. Get up and walk, run or do some other physical exercise.

5) Do you like your coffee with sugar? Then for a whole week decide to drink it without sugar. You like to drink three cups of coffee each day? For a week drink only two.

6) Overcome your laziness. Convince yourself of the importance of what is to be done. Convince your mind that you gain inner strength when you act and do things, in spite of laziness, reluctancy or senseless inner resistance.

7) Sometimes, when you want to say something that is not important, decide not to say it.

8) Don't read some unimportant gossip in the newspaper, even if you want to.

9) You have a desire to eat something not too healthy. Refuse the desire.

10) If you find yourself thinking unimportant, unnecessary, negative thoughts, try to develop lack of interest in them, by thinking about their futility.

Never say that you cannot follow the above exercises, because you certainly can. Be persistent no matter what. Motivate yourself by thinking about of the importance of performing the exercises, and the inner power and strength you will gain.

Trying to attempt too many exercises when you are still a beginner, might end in disappointment. It is better to start training yourself through easier exercises at first, and gradually increase the number and difficulty of the exercises. Practice will improve and increase your power, giving you a lot of satisfaction.

Most of these exercises can be practiced anywhere, anytime. You do not have to devote special times for them. Believe me, they are very effective. Practicing them enables you to be strong and exercise will power and self-discipline in everything you do. This power becomes available whenever needed.

If you practice weight lifting, running or doing aerobics you strengthen your body. When you need to move something heavy, you have the strength for it. By studying French each day, you will be able to talk French when you travel to France. The same thing happens with will power and self-discipline. By strengthening them, they become available whenever they are needed.

It is important to remember not to choose exercises that might affect adversely your body or health. Deny and give up what is not necessary, futile or is harmful, but not what is vital for your well being. Always use your reason and common sense, so that you do no damage to yourself.

If for the sake of an exercise, you stop doing something that you usually do, and overcome the inner resistance concerning it, you may resume doing it, if it is not harmful. For example, if you love drinking orange juice, and for the sake of an exercise you switch to drinking apple juice, after doing so for some time and after it makes no great difference for you, you may go back to drinking orange juice, if you still like it. The point here is to develop inner strength, not make life difficult for you and continue doing things you don't like to do.

Advantages of Possessing Strong Will Power and Self Discipline

You need both of them in order to rule your thoughts and to be the boss of your mind. The stronger they are, the more control you have over your thoughts, and consequently your powers of concentration get stronger.

When you are the master of your mind you enjoy inner peace and happiness. Outer events do not sway you, and circumstances have no power over your peace of mind. This might sound too unreal for you, but experience will prove to you that all the above is true.

These abilities are essential for self growth, spiritual growth and meditation. They give you control over your daily life, help you improve your habits and behavior, and they are the keys to every success.

The Swamis and the Mysterious Light

A long time ago, there were two swamis who lived in two neighboring caves. They spent most of their time in deep meditation, except the time they ate or were visited by devotees. The people who came to visit them revered the two swamis, and enjoyed listening to them and being in their proximity. They sought their company, since they always felt more peaceful and happy when near them, and also for a long time after they went away.

One cave was dark, as caves usually are, but in the other one there was sometimes a peculiar golden light illuminating the cave. It was not strong, but enough to be noticed and to mildly illuminate the cave. The phenomenon of the light bewildered the visitors, but they could not come to an agreement about the causes of the light. Both swamis were rather silent most of the time, and did not want to discuss the phenomenon of the light.

The company of the swamis aroused calmness and peace in the visitors. Their minds slowed their incessant chatter, and they experienced a pleasant inner peace and inner happiness. The visitors admired both swamis, but believed that the one living in the illuminated cave possessed supernatural powers and was more advanced. He certainly appeared to them as a mysterious person.

One day a great sage was passing by a near village, and being recognized by the villagers, one of them approached him and said:
"Great master, we have a question to ask. There is a mystery which you might solve for us."
"I will be glad to help you, if I can", answered the sage.

"There are two swamis living here on the hill...", the villager started to recount.
"Yes, I know", answered the sage, "and you inquire about the light in the cave."

"Yes, great master, that is true. It is something that has been a riddle for us. Can you please tell us also, if the swami in the lighted cave is more advanced, and if he really possess supernatural powers?"

"Pay attention to your inner self and not to outer phenomena. The outside world always changes, but inner self is constant. When in the presence of a teacher, listen to what he says and be aware of the influence of his words on you. Watch yourself, and see whether under his influence you become calmer and more peaceful, and your thoughts, at least for a while, slow down their mad race."

"Yes most revered master", said one of the devotees, "but please enlightens us on the mysterious light."

The sage sat down, and started to explain: "Sometimes, when one works intensively on the spiritual path, and concentrates and meditates a lot, various phenomena may occur around him, such as lights, sounds or visions. This is not supernatural. The mind has a creative power, and when concentrated, can produce various phenomena even unintentionally."

"It does not mean that one is more advanced than the other. Not all minds produce these things. Some do, and some don't."

"Some of the people who produce these lights may be aware of the light, and some may not. It depends on their psychic sensitivity. So it is also with the people who watch them. Not all see this light. In any case, it has nothing to do with whether one swami is more advanced or less advanced than the other one."

"Thank you great master, you have solved for us this great mystery", exclaimed the devotees of the swamis, who were standing by, deeply relieved and happy to understand the mystery that has been troubling them for a long time.

The Mind and the Stormy Ocean

Swamiananda and his disciple Ranga were strolling on the beach by the ocean. It was a cold day and the wind was blowing strongly over the ocean, raising very high waves.

After walking for some time, Swamiananda stopped, looked at his disciple and asked:
"What does the choppy ocean remind you?"

"It reminds me of my mind. Of my rushing and restless thoughts", answered Ranga.

"Yes, the stormy ocean is like the mind, and the waves are the thoughts. The mind is neutral like the water. It is neither good, nor bad. The wind is causing the waves, as desires and fears produce thoughts", said Swamiananda.

"I wouldn't want to be on a boat, in the middle of the ocean, in a storm like this", said Ranga.

"You are there all the time." Responded Swamiananda and continued, "Most people are on a rudderless boat in the middle of a choppy ocean, even if they do not realize it. The mind of most people is very restless. Thoughts of all kinds come and go incessantly, agitating the mind like the ocean's waves."

"Yes", Ranga interrupted him, "You don't have to tell me. This is the reason I am with you. I want to calm down the waves of my mind."

Swamiananda looked at Ranga for a while, smiled and said:
"You don't calm the ocean by holding the water and not letting it move. What is necessary is to stop the wind. The wind is made of your thoughts, desires and fears. Don't let them rule your life. Learn to control them by controlling your attention, and then the ocean of your mind becomes calm."

"And how do I do that?"

"Suppose it is possible for the ocean to disregard the wind, what would happen then?" asked Swamiananda.

"The waves would cease. But no one can stop the wind."

Swamiananda looked at him with a mysterious smile and said:
"Why not? The wind, the ocean, and thoughts are all within the mind. When you can control the mind, you can control everything within it. But first you have to control your mind, which means you have to control your attention."

"Yes master", said Ranga, " this is what I am trying to do. You say whoever controls his mind can also control the wind. Can you do that?"

"First learn to calm down the ocean of your mind, and then find out if you can calm down the ocean. It is better to learn to control the mind, than enjoying mental tricks. When you calm your mind, you can calm down everything."

The Elephant and the Fly

A disciple and his teacher were walking through the forest. The disciple was disturbed by the fact that his mind was in constant unrest.

He asked his teacher: "Why most people's minds are restless, and only a few possess a calm mind? What can one do to still the mind?"

The teacher looked at the disciple, smiled and said:
"I will tell you a story. An elephant was standing and picking leaves from a tree. A small fly came, flying and buzzing near his ear. The elephant waved it away with his long ears. Then the fly came again, and the elephant waved it away once more".

This was repeated several times. Then the elephant asked the fly:
"Why are you so restless and noisy? Why can't you stay for a while in one place?"

The fly answered: "I am attracted to whatever I see, hear or smell. My five senses pull me constantly in all directions and I cannot resist them. What is your secret? How can you stay so calm and still?"

The elephant stopped eating and said:
"My five senses do not rule my attention. Whatever I do, I get immersed in it. Now that I am eating, I am completely immersed in eating. In this way I can enjoy my food and chew it better. I rule and control my attention, and not the other way around."

Upon hearing these words, the disciple's eyes opened wide and a smile appeared on his face. He looked at his teacher and said:
"I understand! If my five senses are in control of my mind and attention, then my mind is in constant unrest. If I am in charge of my five senses and attention, then my mind becomes calm".

"Yes, that's right", answered the teacher, " The mind is restless and goes wherever the attention is. Control your attention, and you control your mind".

The Power of Thoughts

One day, a yogi and his disciple arrived to the big city. They had no money with them, but they needed food and a place to stay. The disciple was sure that they were going to beg for their food, and sleep in the park at night.

"There is a big park not far from here. We can sleep there at night", said the disciple.
"In the open air?" Asked the yogi.
"Yes", responded the student.

The yogi smiled and said: "No, tonight we are going to sleep in a hotel and eat there too".

The student was amazed. "How?"
"Come and sit down", said the yogi.

They both sat down on the ground and the yogi said:
"When you focus your mind intently on any subject, it comes to pass."

The yogi closed his eyes and started to meditate with full concentration. After about ten minutes he got up and started to walk, with his disciple following him. They walked through several streets and alleys, until they arrived to a hotel.

"Come, let's enter inside", the yogi said to his disciple.

They just set foot in the entrance, when a well-dressed man approached them.

"I am the manager of this hotel. You look like traveling swamis and I believe you have no money. Would you like to work in the kitchen, and in return I'll give you food and a place to stay?"

"Fine", responded the yogi.

The disciple was perplexed and asked the yogi: "Did you use any magic? How did you do that?"

The yogi smiled and said, "I wanted to show you how the power of thoughts works. When you think with full and strong concentration about something that you want to happen, and your mind does not resist the subject of your thought, your thought materializes."

"The secret is concentrating, visualizing, seeing details, having faith and projecting mental and emotional energy into the mental scene. These are the general prerequisites. When your mind is empty from thoughts, and only one single thought is allowed to enter, it gains a very great power. One should be very careful with what he thinks. A concentrated thought is powerful, and exerts a very strong influence."

The disciple looked at his teacher and said: "I see that I have to sharpen my concentration in order to be able to use this power."

"Yes, this is the first step", responded the yogi.

The Villager and the Happy Man

In a small village in the valley, there lived a man who was always happy, kind, and well disposed to everyone he met. He always smiled and had a kind and encouraging word to say whenever necessary. Everyone who met him left feeling, better, happier and elated. People knew they could count on him, and regarded him as a great friend.

One of the village dwellers was curious to know what his secret was, how could he be always so kind and helpful? How is it that he held no grudge towards anyone and was always happy?

Once, upon meeting him in the street he asked him: "Most people are selfish and unsatisfied. They do not smile as often as you do; neither are they as helpful or kind as you are. How do you explain it?"

"When you make peace with yourself, then you can be in peace with the rest of the world. If you can recognize the spirit in yourself, you can recognize the spirit in everyone, and then you find it natural to be kind and well disposed to all. If your thoughts are under your control you become strong and firm. The outer mask of the personality is like a robot programmed to do certain tasks. Your habits and thoughts are the programs. Be free from these programming and then the inner good that resides in you will be revealed."

"But a lot of work is necessary. Good habits have to be developed. The ability to concentrate and to control the thoughts has to be strengthened. The work is difficult and endless. There are many walls that need to be to climbed. It is not an easy task." Lamented the villager.

"Do not think about the difficulties, otherwise that what you will see and experience. Just quieten your feelings and thoughts and try to stay in this peace. All the abilities and powers awaken spontaneously. You do not work on them directly. They are by-products of your peace of mind. Just try to be calm and do not let yourself be carried away by your thoughts."

"Is that all?" Asked the villager.

"Try to watch your thoughts and see how they come and go. Stay in the quietness that arises. The moments of peace will be brief at first, but in time they will get longer. This peace is also strength, power, kindness, and love. When you realize that you are one with the Universal Power, you begin to act from a different dimension, not from the selfish, small, limited ego."

"I will try to remember your words," said the villager and continued, "there is another thing that I am curious about. You do not seem to be influenced by the environment. You have a kind word to everyone and are helpful. Yet people do not exploit your goodness, and they treat you well."

"Goodness and being kind do not necessarily point to weakness. When you are good you can also be strong. People sense your strength and do not impose on you. When you are strong and calm inside, you help people because you can and you want to. You then act from strength and not from weakness. Goodness can also go with power and strength, it is not a sign of weakness as some people erroneously think."

"Thank you very much for your advice", said the villager and went away happy and satisfied.

The Tiger

A teacher and his student were walking from one village to another, when they suddenly heard a roar behind them. Turning their gaze in the direction of the roar they saw a big tiger following them. The first thing the student wanted to do was to run away, but as he has been studying and practicing self-discipline, he was able to halt himself, waiting to see what his teacher was going to do.

"What shall we do Master?" Asked the student.

The teacher looked at the student and answered in a calm voice:
"There are several options. We can fill our minds with paralyzing fear so that we cannot move, and let the tiger do with us whatever pleases it. We can faint. We can run away, but then it will run after us. We can fight with it, but physically it is stronger than us."

"We can pray to god to save us. We can choose to influence the tiger with the power of our mind, if our concentration is strong enough. We can send it love. We can also concentrate and meditate on our inner power, and on the fact that we are one with the entire universe, including the tiger, and in this way influence its soul."

"Which option do you choose?"

"You are the Master. You tell me what to do. We haven't much time", responded the student.

The master turned his gaze fearlessly towards the tiger, emptied his mind from all thoughts, and entered samadhi (a kind of trance). In his consciousness he embraced everything in the universe including the tiger. In this deep meditation the consciousness of the teacher became one with consciousness of the tiger.

Meanwhile the student started to shiver with fear, as the tiger was already quite close, ready to make a leap at them. He was amazed at how his teacher could stay so calm and detached in the face of danger.

Meanwhile the teacher continued to meditate without fear. After a little while, the tiger gradually lowered its head and tail and went away.

The student asked his teacher in astonishment, "What did you do?"

"Nothing. I just cleared all thoughts from my mind and united myself in spirit with the tiger. We became united in peace on the spiritual level. The tiger sensed the inner calmness, peace, and unity and felt no threat or need to express violence, and so walked away."

"When the mind is silent and calm, its peace is automatically transmitted to everything and everyone around, influencing them deeply", concluded the teacher.

Paramahansa Yogananda Quotes

Paramahansa Yogananda Words of Wisdom


Kindness is the light that dissolves all walls between souls, families, and nations.


The soul loves to meditate, for in contact with the Spirit lies its greatest joy. If, then you experience mental resistance during meditation, remember that reluctance to meditate comes from the ego; it doesn't belong to the soul.


Smiling away your troubles requires a clear conscience that harbor no insincerity.


Thinkers do not accept the inevitable; they turn their efforts toward changing it.


The soul loves to meditate, for in contact with the Spirit lies its greatest joy. If, then you experience mental resistance during meditation, remember that reluctance to meditate comes from the ego; it doesn't belong to the soul.


Faithfulness in the performance of small duties gives us strength to adhere to difficult determinations that life will someday force us to make.


Learn to be calm and you will always be happy.


The season of failure is the best time for sowing the seeds of success.


Let my soul smile through my heart and my heart smile through my eyes, that I may scatter rich smiles in sad hearts.


Never do anything that taints your mind. Wrong actions cause negative or evil mental vibrations that are reflected in your whole appearance and personality. Engage in those actions and thoughts that nurture the good qualities you want to have.


He who is persistent will realize God. So try your best to make meditation a regular experience in your life.


Most people consider the course of events as natural and inevitable. They little know what radical change are possible through prayer. Every morning I offer my body, my mind and any ability that I posses, to be used by Thee, O infinite creator, in whatever way Thou dost choose to express Thyself through me. I know that all work is Thy work, and that no task is too difficult or too menial when offered to Thee in loving service.


Many people excuse their own faults but judge other persons harshly. We should reverse this attitude by excusing others' shortcomings and by harshly examining our own.


Remain calm, serene, always in command of yourself. You will then find out how easy it is to get along.


Love is the light that dissolves all walls between souls, families and nations.


Paramahansa Yogananda Quotes

Buddha Quotes

If a man who enjoys a lesser happiness beholds a greater one, let him leave aside the lesser to gain the greater.


I reached in experience the nirvana which is unborn, unrivalled, secure from attachment, undecaying and unstained. This condition is indeed reached by me which is deep, difficult to see, difficult to understand, tranquil, excellent, beyond the reach of mere logic, subtle, and to be realized only by the wise.


It is better to conquer yourself than to win a thousand battles. Then the victory is yours. It cannot be taken from you, not by angels or by demons, heaven or hell.


There is nothing so disobedient as an undisciplined mind, and there is nothing so obedient as a disciplined mind.


What we are today comes from our thoughts of yesterday, and our present thoughts build our life of tomorrow: Our life is the creation of our mind.


Better than a thousand hollow words, is one word that brings peace.


He who experiences the unity of life sees his own Self in all beings, and all beings in his own Self, and looks on everything with an impartial eye.


In the sky, there is no distinction of east and west; people create distinctions out of their own minds and then believe them to be true.


Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.


The mind is the source of happiness and unhappiness.


As the fletcher whittles and makes straight his arrows, so the master directs his straying thoughts.


To enjoy good health, to bring true happiness to one's family, to bring peace to all, one must first discipline and control one's own mind. If a man can control his mind he can find the way to Enlightenment, and all wisdom and virtue will naturally come to him.


Whatever words we utter should be chosen with care for people will hear them and be influenced by them for good or ill.


The thought manifests as the word. The word manifests as the deed. The deed develops into habit. And the habit hardens into character. So watch the thought and its ways with care. And let it spring from love, born out of concern for all beings.


Meditation brings wisdom; lack of meditation leaves ignorance. Know well what leads you forward and what hold you back, and choose the path that leads to wisdom.


Meditate. Live purely. Be quiet. Do your work with mastery. Like the moon, come out from behind the clouds! Shine.


Look within, thou art the Buddha.


Words have the power to both destroy and heal. When words are both true and kind, they can change our world.


The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, or anticipate troubles but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.

Our life is shaped by our mind; we become what we think. Suffering follows an evil thought as the wheels of a cart follow the oxen that draws it.


Health is the greatest gift, contentment the greatest wealth, faithfulness the best relationship.


It is a man's own mind, not his enemy or foe, that lures him to evil ways.


Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.


He who experiences the unity of life sees his own Self in all beings, and all beings in his own Self, and looks on everything with an impartial eye.


Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.


The world, indeed, is like a dream and the treasures of the world are an alluring mirage! Like the apparent distances in a picture, things have no reality in themselves, but they are like heat haze.


Our theories of the eternal are as valuable as are those which a chick which has not broken its way through its shell might form of the outside world.


On life's journey faith is nourishment, virtuous deeds are a shelter, wisdom is the light by day and right mindfulness is the protection by night. If a man lives a pure life, nothing can destroy him.


All that we are is the result of what we have thought. If a man speaks or acts with an evil thought, pain follows him. If a man speaks or acts with a pure thought, happiness follows him, like a shadow that never leaves him.


Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it, no matter if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense.


We are formed and molded by our thoughts. Those whose minds are shaped by selfless thoughts give joy when they speak or act. Joy follows them like a shadow that never leaves them.


Work out your own salvation. Do not depend on others.


Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one getting burned.


As the fletcher whittles and makes straight his arrows, so the master directs his straying thoughts.

William Walker Atkinson - Quotes

One draws to himself thought waves corresponding in character with the nature of the prevailing thoughts in his own mind - his mental attitude. Then again he begins to set in motion the great Law of Attraction, whereby he draws to him others likely to help him, and is, in turn, attracted to others who can aid him.

Thought is a force - a manifestation of energy - having a magnet-like power of attraction.

The best way to overcome undesirable or negative thoughts and feelings is to cultivate the positive ones.

The presence of an active, energetic, successful man, or set of men, in a place, will permeate the place with positive vibrations that will stimulate all who abide there.

If you are not satisfied with what is coming to you, start to work and change your mental attitude and mental states, and you will see a change gradually setting in.

The best workmen, writers, inventors, composers, etc., are those who are able "to see the thing in the mind", and then reproduce it in materialized form.

The use of the Will as the projector of Mentative Currents is the real base of all Mental Magic.

Impressions upon brain cells become deepened by constant practice.

Many a person has changed his whole physical and mental conditin by a careful, persistent course of auto-suggestion.

The lives of all of us have been moulded largely by induction through suggestion.

The secret of visualization lies in the occult and psychological principle that "as is the mental matrix, so is the mental form; and as is the mental form, so is the physical materialization".

William Walker Atkinson Quotes

Bhagavad Gita Quotes

The Wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita


Better indeed is knowledge than mechanical practice. Better than knowledge is meditation. But better still is surrender of attachment to results, because there follows immediate peace.


Neither in this world nor elsewhere is there any happiness in store for him who always doubts.


Delusion arises from anger. The mind is bewildered by delusion. Reasoning is destroyed when the mind is bewildered. One falls down when reasoning is destroyed.


Man is made by his belief. As he believes, so he is.


The mind is restless and difficult to restrain, but it is subdued by practice.


There has never been a time when you and I have not existed, nor will there be a time when we will cease to exist. As the same person inhabits the body through childhood, youth, and old age, so too at the time of death he attains another body. The wise are not deluded by these changes.


Those who eat too much or eat too little, who sleep too much or sleep too little, will not succeed in meditation. But those who are temperate in eating and sleeping, work and recreation, will come to the end of sorrow through meditation.


Still your mind in me, still yourself in me, and without a doubt you shall be united with me, Lord of Love, dwelling in your heart.


The soul who meditates on the Self is content to serve the Self and rests satisfied within the Self; there remains nothing more for him to accomplish.


Fear Not. What is not real, never was and never will be. What is real, always was and cannot be destroyed.


Not by refraining from action does man attain freedom from action. Not by mere renunciation does he attain supreme perfection.


Action is greater than inaction. Perform therefore thy task in life. Even the life of the body could not be if there were no action.


When the sage climbs the heights of Yoga, he follows the path of work; but when he reaches the heights of Yoga, he is in the land of peace.


Whenever the mind unsteady and restless strays away from the spirit, let him ever and for ever lead it again to the spirit.


No work stains a man who is pure, who is in harmony, who is master of his life, whose soul is one with the soul of all.


Bhagavad Gita Quotes

Confucius Quotes

Confucius - transliterated Kong Fuzi or K'ung-fu-tzu, lit. "Master Kong", according to some sources lived between 551 - 479 BCE. He was a famous Chinese thinker and social philosopher, whose teachings and philosophy have deeply influenced East Asian life and thought.

The philosophy of Confucius emphasised personal and governmental morality, correctness of social relationships, justice and sincerity.

Confucius Quotes

Ask yourself constantly, "What is the right thing to do?"


Behave toward everyone as if receiving a great guest.


The more man meditates upon good thoughts, the better will be his world and the world at large.


It does not matter how slowly you go, as long as you do not stop.


The more man meditates upon good thoughts, the better will be his world and the world at large.


Silence is the true friend that never betrays.


Behave toward everyone as if receiving a great guest.


Everything has its beauty but not everyone sees it.


Respect yourself and others will respect you.


To see what is right and not to do it is want of courage.


When anger rises, think of the consequences.


By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest.


Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.


Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.


Success depends upon previous preparation, and without such preparation there is sure to be failure.


When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don't adjust the goals, adjust the action steps.


Those who are firm, enduring, simple and unpretentious are the nearest to virtue.


Forget injuries, never forget kindnesses.


The gem cannot be polished without friction, nor man perfected without trial.


The perfecting of one's self is the fundamental base of all progress and all moral development.


If one learns from others, but does not think, one will be bewildered. If, on the other hand, one thinks but does not learn from others, one will be in peril.


Learning without thought is labor lost. Thought without learning is perilous.


Do not impose on others what you yourself do not desire.


Review the old and deducing the new makes a teacher.


Do not be desirous of having things done quickly. Do not look at small advantages. Desire to have things done quickly prevents their being done thoroughly. Looking at small advantages prevents great affairs from being accomplished.


To put the world right in order, we must first put the nation in order; to put the nation in order, we must first put the family in order; to put the family in order, we must first cultivate our personal life; we must first set our hearts right.

Quotes on happiness and beign happy

Inspiring quotes and phrases are like vitamins to the soul.


Happiness is within you. When you stop the chatter of the mind and expel your worries and fears you find out that happiness surfaces from within you.


Happiness is not something far away and unattainable, and its manifestation does not depend on circumstances.


Happiness is one of the most important treasures. It is within your soul. All you have to do, is dig it out and enjoy it.


There is no need to search for happiness or to create it. There is no need to undergo all kinds of external experiences in order to enjoy it. It is always here, deep within your soul.


Happiness is always here, but covered by thoughts, desires and fears.


Happiness comes from within.


Your attitude decides whether you are happy or not. You can change your attitude.


Happiness is a state of mind. More correctly put, it is the state beyond the mind.


It is our attitude that makes us feel happy or unhappy.


Your thoughts and worries hide away your happiness.


If you smile while you talk, you make people happy.


A calm and detached mind is the gate to true happiness.


Happiness is experienced after a problem has been solved, a fear has disappeared or after realizing a desire. At this moment the mind is released from it fears, worries and desires and becomes quiet, letting the happiness emerge.


Look at the happy side of life, and you will develop the happiness habit.


Learn to laugh. This will make you feel better.


Focusing your mind on everything that you do, increases your control over your mind, which makes it easier for the inner joy to manifest.


Your inner nature is bliss and joy. Clean your mind of thoughts and worries and you will find this treasure within you.


When you wake up from deep sleep you feel happy. This is because the mind was quiet. If you are able to make your mind quiet during your waking hours, you will experience happiness.


Each day do something to make you feel happy, until this becomes a habit.


Cheerfulness is contagious. Choose cheerful people for your friends and you become cheerful too.


Sharing and accepting other people's happiness increases our own happiness.


Choose happiness, concentrate on happiness and you will find it everywhere.


Let the joy in your heart overflow and water everyone you meet.


Pleasure comes from the outside, happiness from the inside.


A good word to a friend or stranger can bring light into their day.


When you have a positive frame of mind, you broadcast positive thoughts and feelings to the world around you.

Quotes on Motivation and Getting Motivated

Motivation brings excitement, happiness, positive expectations and energy.


Motivation overcomes laziness, procrastination, fear and indecisiveness.


Motivation is the electrical power that activates the engine of success.


Getting motivated is like switching the engine of a car and starting to move.


Getting motivated is one of the most important steps toward getting what you want.


A persistent strong desire pushes your goal into manifestation.


Success requires that you have a motivating inner power to push you forward.


Motivation, backed by good planning and correct action leads to success.


It is important that you motivate yourself only towards worthy and positive goals that will benefit you and others.


Emotions, feelings and desires are the powers that push people to take action.


Both positive and negative emotions lead to action and fulfillment. Choose positive emotions and be wary of the negative ones.


The power of motivation is the power behind every achievement, big and small.


Laziness, indifference and lack of ambition are the results of lack of motivation.


Focusing your whole attention on your goal, moves you steadily toward achieving it.


Your inner focus, intent and faith lead you to the accomplishment your desire.


Reading inspiring and motivating stories awaken the desire to take action and do things.


Stories about people who have achieved their goals, material or spiritual, evoke the desire to do the same.


The moods and mental states of energetic, highly motivated people, are contagious. They can awaken in you the desire to be like them.


Association with energetic, highly motivated people, awaken dormant energies and powers in the people who associate with them.


Visualizing your desire as already accomplished and enjoying the feelings of accomplishment, awaken in you energies that drive you to do whatever it takes to make your desire come true.


Affirmations awaken the power of your subconscious mind into action.


First motivate yourself, and then it will be easier to motivate others.


Motivation gives the first push, but you need persistence and self discipline to get to the finish line

Success

When the mind thinks of success, the outside world mirrors these thoughts.


Success is the outcome of thinking, visualizing, planning and taking action.


Your mind is the generator of failure, and also the generator of success.


What you think today is what you live tomorrow.


Happy thoughts make your life happy. Miserable thoughts make your life miserable.


The image you have of yourself is responsible for the way people see and treat you.


Choose your thoughts carefully; they are the builders of your life.


Success manifests in small daily events, not only in the accomplishment of great ambitions.


The mental movie in your mind is the cause of everything that happens to you.


Nurturing a feeling of success attracts it into your life.


Nothing can stand in the way of absolute belief and confidence.


Your inner world controls your outer world. Learn to improve your inner world, and your outer world would be affected too.


The mental movie that you play in your mind is the life that you will live tomorrow.


When you rehearse failure in your mind, you meet failure.


When you rehearse success in your mind, you experience it in your life.


Thoughts fuelled by desire and motivation make things happen.


What you get is determined by the scope of your thoughts.


Rehearsing success in the mind, produces it in the material world.


Success is not only more money, promotion and social status. It is also more happiness, harmonious relationships and spiritual growth.


Change the mental movie that you keep viewing in your mind to one that you like. Keep playing in your mind, and before you know it the movie turns into reality. Do not undervalue the importance of success in small matters. It proves to you that with persistence, greater success is possible too.


Play a movie of success in the projection room of your mind, and soon this movie will turn into reality.


Your mental movies are the trailers of the future.


Your thoughts and mental images create your circumstances. Master your thoughts and mental images, and you gain power over your circumstances.


Attaining peace of mind, happiness, satisfaction, inner strength, spiritual enlightenment and realizing the inner self is spiritual success.


Attaining good health, love, good relationships, promotion, status, money and possessions, and realizing desires and ambitions is material success.


Your outer circumstances are the mirror of your inner world. Change your inner world, and you change your outer world.


Ambition is the fuel the feed your thoughts, visualization and actions.


Willpower, persistence, patience and work bring your desires into manifestation.


Visualize your goals clearly, add desire and faith, and you will surely achieve them.


Attaining peace of mind, happiness and good relationships also mean success.

Quotes of Mind and consiousness

The mind is like a machine that never shuts down. Does the engine of your car or your vacuum cleaner work incessantly, twenty four hours a day? Why does your mind work this way?


Learn to be aware and conscious of your consciousness, and you will find who you really are.


Concentration is the ability to focus the mind on one point.


There is consciousness of the ego and the world around you, and there is consciousness of the Real Self, the Real You.


Stop your agitated thoughts, and find out who it is that stops them.


Concentration and meditation lead to the ability to be without thoughts, but yet retain full consciousness.


In full calmness and peace you experience the unchanging, eternal pure being that you are.


You, the real you, are eternal, not the ego, body, feelings or thoughts, but the spirit beyond them.


You are the the consciousness and awareness beyond words and thoughts.


Upon Self-Realization, you will burst into laughter. You will be amazed how simple and different it is from what you have thought it is.


To realize your inner self is pure simplicity. You do not have to do anything; yet you have to work hard to get it. It may seem a paradox, but it is not.


Freedom is won by throwing away your mental illusions and attachments.


Thoughts are not a necessity; most of the time they are just distractions that obstruct your inner vision.


It is possible, through proper means, to teach the mind to think only when it is necessary, for the period of time you decide.


Without incessant thinking, you become more conscious and alive.


People's experience of the no-thinking state is limited to times of deep sleep or unconsciousness, as in a swoon or under anesthetics.


Being fully conscious, yet without thoughts, is like sleep, but yet being awake.


To understand what inner freedom means, imagine the state of the happiness, calmness, relaxation and peace of mind of deep sleep, but combined with full awakening and awareness.


The waves of the mind lose their power to diturb and distract you, when you still the mind and rise above its desires and whims.


To use the mind when needed, and to switch it off afterwards, is a great art and science.


Cleanse your mind with the soap of concentration, and wash it with the water of meditation.


Consciousness of your real nature dawns, as you start gaining the ability to still your mind.

Inspiring Quotes - Motivational and Inspirational Quotes

The difference between can and cannot are only three letters. Three letters that determine your life's direction.


Being positive or negative are habits of thoughts that have a very strong influence on life.


Positive and negative are directions. Which direction do you choose?


Positive thinking is expecting, talking and visualizing with certainty what you want to achieve, as an accomplished fact.


Riches, mediocrity and poverty begin in the mind.


Reality is the mirror of your thoughts. Choose well what you put in front of the mirror.


The mind is the decisive factor in your life, but who decides for the mind?


A positive attitude brings strength, energy and initiative.


To think negatively is like taking a weakening drug.


Positive thoughts are not enough. There have to be positive feelings and positive actions.


When you say, "I can't" and expect the worst, you become weak and unhappy.


When you say "I can", and expect success, you fill yourself with confidence and happiness.


Being resolute, decisive and courageous in small matters and in big ones is being positive.


You can close the windows and darken your room, and you can open the windows and let light in. It is a matter of choice. Your mind is your room. Do you darken it or do you fill it with light?


Positive thinking and negative thinking are attitudes. They are points of view, and show the way people handle their affairs.


Suppose you stand at a crossroads, one way leads to a desert and the other one to lush meadows, which way do you choose?


Clear thoughts produce produce clear results.


Positive thinking evokes more energy, more initiative and more happiness.


Train your mind to think in terms of 'possible' and 'can be done'.


When you have control over your thoughts, you have control over your life.


Happy thoughts attract happy people into your life.


Happy thoughts fill your life with happiness.


When you change your habitual thoughts, it is like changing the direction of a train.


Affirm the positive, visualize the positive and expect the positive, and your life will change accordingly.


When there are difficulties and you feel down, this is the time to visualize, think and expect the positive.


Do not let circumstances influence your thoughts and moods. By rising over them mentally, you will eventually rise over them materially.


Fill your mind with light, happiness, hope, feelings of security and strength, and soon your life will reflect these qualities.


Reading inspiring quotes uplifts the mind.


Repeating inspiring quotes during the day, helps to cope better with with every situation that arises.


The power of positive thinking is like a car with a powerful engine that can take you to the summit of a mountain.

Tips for Happiness in Daily Life

Daily life can be made happier. It is a matter of choice. It is our attitude that makes us feel happy or unhappy. It is true, we meet all kinds of situations during the day, and some of them may not be conductive to happiness. We can choose to keep thinking about the unhappy events, and we can choose to refuse to think about them, and instead, relish the happy moments. All of us constantly go through various situations and circumstances, but we do not have to let them influence our reactions and feelings.

If we let outer events influence our moods, we become their slaves. We lose our freedom. We let our happiness be determined by outer forces. On the other hand, we can free ourselves from outer influences. We can choose to be happy, and we can do a lot to add happiness to our lives.

What is happiness? It is a feeling of inner peace and satisfaction. It is usually experienced when there are no worries, fears or obsessing thoughts, and this usually happens, when we do something we love to do or when we get, win, gain or achieve something that we value. It seems to be the outcome of positive events, but it actually comes from the inside, triggered by outer events.

For most people happiness seems fleeting, because they let changing outer circumstances affect it. One of the best ways to keep it, is by gaining inner peace through daily meditation. As the mind becomes more peaceful, it becomes easier to choose the happiness habit.

Here are a few tips for increasing happiness in daily life:

1) Endeavor to change the way you look at things. Always look at the bright side. The mind may drag you to think about negativity and difficulties. Don't let it. Look at the good and positive side of every situation.

2) Think of solutions, not problems.

3) Listen to relaxing, uplifting music.

4) Watch funny comedies that make you laugh.

5) Each day, devote some time to reading a few pages of an inspiring book or article.

6) Watch your thoughts. Whenever you catch yourself thinking negative thoughts, start thinking of pleasant things.

7) Always look at what you have done and not at what you haven't.

Sometimes you may begin the day with the desire to accomplish several objectives. At the end of the day you might feel frustrated and unhappy, because you haven't been able to do all of those things.

Look at what you have done, not at what you have not been able to do. You may have accomplished a lot during the day, and yet you let yourself become frustrated, because of some small things that you did not accomplish. You have spent all day successfully carrying out many plans, and instead of feeling happy and satisfied, you look at what was not accomplished and feel unhappy. It is unfair toward yourself.

8) Each day do something good for yourself. It can be something small, such buying a book, eating something you love, watching you favorite program on TV, going to a movie, or just having a stroll on the beach.

9) Each day do at least one act to make others happy. This can be a kind word, helping your colleagues, stopping your car at the crossroad to let people cross, giving your seat in a bus to someone else, or giving a small present to someone you love. The possibilities are infinite. When you make someone happy, you become happy, and then people try to make you happy.

10) Always expect happiness.

11) Do not envy people who are happy. On the contrary, be happy for their happiness.

12) Associate with happy people, and try to learn from them to be happy. Remember, happiness is contagious.

13) Do your best to stay detached, when things do not proceed as intended and desired. Detachment will help you stay calm and control your moods and reactions. Detachment is not indifference. It is the acceptance of the good and the bad and staying balanced. Detachment has much to do with inner peace, and inner peace is conductive to happiness.

14) Smile more often.

Making The Law of Attraction Work For You

The law of attraction is not a new idea. It has always been here from ancient times, and people have always used it. Hunters, who painted scenes of hunting on the walls of caves thousands of years ago, used the law of attraction. Businessmen, who visualize and plan what they wish to accomplish also use it. You use it too, whenever you think, make plans or daydream.

Books on this subject started to be popular more than a hundred years ago, but the authors of these books did not use the term "the law of attraction". They called it the law of opulence, mental power, mental magic, the power of thoughts or creative visualization. It is the same law, the same power, only with a different name.

William Walker Atkinson, Richard Ingalese, Opheil and many others, have written books on the power of the mind to attract what one thinks about, many years ago, and these books are still popular and available nowadays at bookstores. Other known authors are Joseph Murphy, Napoleon Hill and Wallace.D.Wattle. Later, Shakti Gawain wrote a book on the subject and popularized the term "Creative Visualization".

All of these books are on what is now termed "The law of attraction". As you see, it is not a new subject, but due to the media, it became a "hot" subject today. If you look around in bookstores, the Internet, TV and the newspapers, you will find many new books and articles on this subject budding every day. It is said that there is nothing new under the sun, just a change of terms or names.

The message of all these books is that if you keep thinking upon a certain subject, you will ultimately attract it into your life. Thoughts, mental images and feelings can move the subconscious mind and the Universal Mind to act on your behalf and manifest your desires.

This is a most inspiring and elating idea, and is the reason why so many people are fascinated by what the law of attraction can do.

The fact is that inspiration and feelings of elation are not enough to make this law work. You need to know what to do and how to proceed; otherwise you will get no results. Just thinking for a little while about what you wish to achieve is not enough, and might lead to disappointment, discouragement and losing of faith in the law of attraction and the powers of the mind, if you don't get immediate results.

Reading books or articles on this subject awaken a sensation of power. The realization that you can transform your life and create success brings excitement and hope, but these feelings can change into disappointment and frustration, if you don't know what to do next.

If you are told that you can attract anything you want into your life, but are not provided with the proper guidance and practical instructions, how can you proceed?

It is not enough just to think about or visualize what you desire for a few minutes, and then let doubts and disbelief fill your mind for the rest of the day.

It is not enough just to visualize for a few times, and then wait for miracles to happen.

• You need to have a strong desire and motivation, and the commitment to do whatever is necessary to achieve your goal.

• You need persistence, concentration, the ability to visualize, and at least some degree of self-discipline.

• You need to learn to recognize opportunity when it appears, and to be willing and ready to take and use this opportunity.

• You need to be willing to act and take the required steps whenever needed, and not just wait for your desires to materialize from thin air or suddenly drop on you from the sky.

In order to take full advantage of the law of attraction you need to know certain rules and follow them. It is true, some people achieve great success, without knowing much or anything about the law of attraction, but they intuitively use it correctly.

The law of attraction is not a method for getting rich quickly, without doing anything. It requires mental work, focus and visualization, and also the willingness to follow the mental work with any required actions on the physical plan.

The law of attraction can manifest your desires in many ways, sometimes obviously and directly, and sometimes in an indirect way, through various steps. Sometimes you might attain your goal in a sudden or miraculous way, and at other times slowly or indirectly, one thing leading to another. People might offer you help, a new job might open, an idea might pop up in your mind, or you your intuition might tell you to follow a certain course of action. These are just a few of the many ways, through which this law can help you manifest your desires.

Positive Affirmations

- I am healthy and happy.

- Wealth is pouring into my life.

- I am sailing on the river of wealth.

- I am getting wealthier each day.

- My body is healthy and functioning in a very good way.

- I have a lot of energy.

- I study and comprehend fast.

- My mind is calm.

- I am calm and relaxed in every situation.

- My thoughts are under my control.

- I radiate love and happiness.

- I am surrounded by love.

- I have the perfect job for me.

- I am living in the house of my dreams.

- I have good and loving relations with my wife/husband.

- I have a wonderful and satisfying job.

- I have the means to travel abroad, whenever I want to.

- I am successful in whatever I do.

- Everything is getting better every day.

How much time should one sleep!!!

Sleep is one of the richest topics in science today: why we need it, why it can be hard to get, and how that affects everything from our athletic performance to our income. Daniel Kripke, co-director of research at the Scripps Clinic Sleep Center in La Jolla, Calif., has looked at the most important question of all. In 2002, he compared death rates among more than 1 million American adults who, as part of a study on cancer prevention, reported their average nightly amount of sleep. To many his results were surprising, but they've since been corroborated by similar studies in Europe and East Asia. Kripke explains.

Q: How much sleep is ideal?

A: Studies show that people who sleep between 6.5 hours and 7.5 hours a night, as they report, live the longest. And people who sleep 8 hours or more, or less than 6.5 hours, they don't live quite as long. There is just as much risk associated with sleeping too long as with sleeping too short. The big surprise is that long sleep seems to start at 8 hours. Sleeping 8.5 hours might really be a little worse than sleeping five.

Morbidity, [or sickness,] is also "U-shaped," in the sense that both very short sleep and very long sleep are associated with many illnesses - with depression, with obesity, and therefore with heart disease and so forth. But the [ideal amount of sleep] for different health measures isn't all in the same place. Most of the "low points" are at seven or eight hours, but there are some at six and some even at nine. I think diabetes is lowest in seven-hour sleepers, [for example]. But these measures aren't as clear as the mortality data.

I think we can speculate [about why people who sleep 6.5 to 7.5 hours live longer], but we have to admit that we don't really understand the reasons. We don't really know yet what is cause and what is effect. So we don't know if a short sleeper can live longer by extending their sleep, and we don't know if a long sleeper can live longer by setting the alarm clock a bit earlier. We're hoping to organize tests of those questions.

One of the reasons I like to publicize these facts is that I think we can prevent a lot of insomnia and distress just by telling people that short sleep is OK. We've all been told you ought to sleep eight hours, but there was never any evidence. A very common problem we see at sleep clinics is people who spend too long in bed. They think they should sleep eight hours or nine hours, so they spend eight or nine hours in bed, with the result that they have trouble falling asleep and they wake up a lot during the night. Oddly enough, a lot of the problem [of insomnia] is lying in bed awake worrying about it. There have been many controlled studies in the United States, Great Britain and other parts of Europe that show that an insomnia treatment that involves getting out of bed when you're not sleepy, and restricting your time in bed, actually helps people to sleep more. They get over their fear of the bed. They get over the worry, and they become confident that when they go to bed they will sleep. So spending less time in bed actually makes sleep better. It is in fact a more powerful and effective long-term treatment for insomnia than sleeping pills.

Power of Positive Talk - best teachings from the great personality Mr.Abdul Kalam!!!

One of the best of best teachings from the great personality Mr.Abdul Kalam!
Pl forward it to our awesome friends!

Power of Positive Talk

I remember my dad teaching me the power of language at a very young age. Not only did my dad understand that specific words affect our mental pictures, but he understood words are a powerful programming factor in lifelong success.

One particularly interesting event occurred when I was eight. As a kid, I was always climbing trees, poles, and literally hanging around upside down from the rafters of our lake house. So, it came to no surprise for my dad to find me at the top of a 30-foot tree swinging back and forth. My little eight-year-old brain didn't realize the tree could break or I could get hurt. I just thought it was fun to be up so high.

My older cousin, Tammy, was also in the same tree. She was hanging on the first big limb, about ten feet below me. Tammy's mother also noticed us at the exact time my dad did. About that time a huge gust of wind came over the tree. I could hear the leaves start to rattle and the tree begin to sway. I remember my dad's voice over the wind yell, "Bart, Hold on tightly." So I did. The next thing I know, I heard Tammy screaming at the top of her lungs, laying flat on the ground. She had fallen out of the tree.

I scampered down the tree to safety. My dad later told me why she fell and I did not. Apparently, when Tammy's mother felt the gust of wind, she yelled out, "Tammy, don't fall!" And Tammy did… fall.

My dad then explained to me that the mind has a very difficult time processing a negative image. In fact, people who rely on internal pictures cannot see a negative at all. In order for Tammy to process the command of not falling, her nine-year-old brain had to first imagine falling, then try to tell the brain not to do what it just imagined. Whereas, my eight-year-old brain instantly had an internal image of me hanging on tightly.

This concept is especially useful when you are attempting to break a habit or set a goal. You can't visualize not doing something. The only way to properly visualize not doing something is to actually find a word for what you want to do and visualize that. For example, when I was thirteen years old, I played for my junior high school football team. I tried so hard to be good, but I just couldn't get it together at that age. I remember hearing the words run through my head as I was running out for a pass, "Don't drop it!" Naturally, I dropped the ball.

My coaches were not skilled enough to teach us proper "self-talk." They just thought some kids could catch and others couldn't. I'll never make it pro, but I'm now a pretty good Sunday afternoon football player, because all my internal dialogue is positive and encourages me to win. I wish my dad had coached me playing football instead of just climbing trees. I might have had a longer football career.

Here is a very easy demonstration to teach your kids and your friends the power of a toxic vocabulary. Ask them to hold a pen or pencil. Hand it to them. Now, follow my instructions carefully. Say to them, "Okay, try to drop the pencil." Observe what they do.

Most people release their hands and watch the pencil hit the floor. You respond, "You weren't paying attention. I said TRY to drop the pencil. Now please do it again." Most people then pick up the pencil and pretend to be in excruciating pain while their hand tries but fails to drop the pencil.

The point is made.

If you tell your brain you will "give it a try," you are actually telling your brain to fail. I have a "no try" rule in my house and with everyone I interact with. Either people will do it or they won't. Either they will be at the party or they won't. I'm brutal when people attempt to lie to me by using the word try. Do they think I don't know they are really telegraphing to the world they have no intention of doing it but they want me to give them brownie points for pretended effort? You will never hear the words "I'll try" come out of my mouth unless I'm teaching this concept in a seminar.

If you "try" and do something, your unconscious mind has permission not to succeed. If I truly can't make a decision I will tell the truth. "Sorry John. I'm not sure if I will be at your party or not. I've got an outstanding commitment. If that falls through, I will be here. Otherwise, I will not. Thanks for the invite."

People respect honesty. So remove the word "try" from your vocabulary.

My dad also told me that psychologists claim it takes seventeen positive statements to offset one negative statement. I have no idea if it is true, but the logic holds true.. It might take up to seventeen compliments to offset the emotional damage of one harsh criticism.

These are concepts that are especially useful when raising children.

Ask yourself how many compliments you give yourself daily versus how many criticisms. Heck, I know you are talking to yourself all day long. We all have internal voices that give us direction.

So, are you giving yourself the 17:1 ratio or are you shortchanging yourself with toxic self-talk like, " I'm fat. Nobody will like me. I'll try this diet. I'm not good enough. I'm so stupid. I'm broke, etc. etc."

If our parents can set a lifetime of programming with one wrong statement, imagine the kind of programming you are doing on a daily basis with your own internal dialogue. Here is a list of Toxic Vocabulary words.

Notice when you or other people use them.

Ø But: Negates any words that are stated before it.
Ø Try: Presupposes failure.
Ø If: Presupposes that you may not.
Ø Might: It does nothing definite. It leaves options for your listener.
Ø Would Have: Past tense that draws attention to things that didn't actually happen.
Ø Should Have: Past tense that draws attention to things that didn't actually happen (and implies guilt.)
Ø Could Have: Past tense that draws attention to things that didn't actually happen but the person tries to take credit as if it did happen.
Ø Can't/Don't: These words force the listener to focus on exactly the opposite of what you want. This is a classic mistake that parents and coaches make without knowing the damage of this linguistic error.

Examples:
Toxic phrase: "Don't drop the ball!"
Likely result: Drops the ball
Better language: "Catch the ball!"

Toxic phrase: "You shouldn't watch so much television."
Likely result: Watches more television.
Better language: "I read too much television makes people stupid. You might find yourself turning that TV off and picking up one of those books more often!"

Exercise: Take a moment to write down all the phrases you use on a daily basis or any Toxic self-talk that you have noticed yourself using. Write these phrases down so you will begin to catch yourself as they occur and change them.