Subconscious Mind and Habits

We are what we repeatedly do.
Excellence is not an act, but a habit.
~ Aristottle

Subconscious Mind and Habits forming positive habits and character

       We are all born to lead successful lives, but our conditioning leads us to failure.  We are born to win but are conditioned to lose.  We often hear comments like, "this person is is just lucky, he touches dirt and it turns to gold" or, "he is unlucky; no matter what he touches, it turns to dirt."  These comments are not true of anyone.

       If you were to analyze the lives of the lucky and unlucky individuals being commented on, you would find that the successful person is doing something right in each transaction, and the failure is repeating the same mistake time and again.  Practice does not make perfect - only perfect  practice makes perfect.  Practice makes permanent whatever you do repeatedly.  Some people keep practicing their mistakes and they become perfect in them.  Their mistakes become perfect and automatic.

       Cultivating a habit is like plowing the field.  It takes time.  Habits generate other habits. Inspiration is what gets us started, motivation is what keeps us on track, and habit is what makes it automatic.  

       The ability to show courage in the face of adversity; show self-restraint in the face of temptation, choose happiness in the face of hurt, show character in the face of despair, and see opportunity in the face of obstacles are all valuable traits to possess.  But these traits do not just appear; they are the result of constant and consistent training, both mental and physical.  In the face of adversity, our behaviour, whether positive or negative can only be what we have practiced.  When we practice negative traits such as cowardice or dishonesty in small events, and hope to handle major events in a positive way, it won't happen because that's not what we have practiced.

       If we permit ourselves to tell a lie once, it s a lot easier to do it a second and third time until it becomes a habit.  Success lies in the philosophy of "sustain and abstain."  Sustain what needs to be done and abstain from what is detrimental until this becomes habitual.  Human beings are more emotional than rational.  Honesty and integrity are the result of both our belief system and practice.  Anything we practice long enough becomes ingrained into our system and becomes a habit.  A person who is  honest most of the time gets caught the first time he tells a lie, whereas a person who is dishonest most of the time gets caught the first time he tells the truth.

       Honesty - or dishonesty to self and others becomes a habit:  The choice is ours as to which we practice.  Whatever response we choose, our thinking pattern becomes habitual.  We form habits, and habits form character.  Before, we realize that we have got the habit, the habit has got us!

       Someone once said, "Our thoughts lead to actions, actions lead to habits, and habits form character."  Character leads to destiny.  Form the habit of thinking right.

FORM GOOD HABITS

       Most of our behaviour is habitual - comes automatically without thinking.  Our character is the sum total of our habits.  If we have positive habits, then we have good character.  Conversely, if we have negative habits, others will find our character lacking.  Habits are a lot stronger than logic and reasoning.  In the life cycle of habit formation, a habit starts by being too weak to be felt, and ends up becoming too strong to get out of.  Habits can be developed by default or determination.  If we don;t decide what habits to form, by default we may end up with bad habits.

HOW DO WE FORM HABITS?

       Anything we do repeatedly becomes a habit.  We learn by doing.  By behaving courageously, we learn courage.  By practicing honesty and fairness, we learn these traits.  By practicing these traits, we master them.  Similarly if we practice negative traits such as dishonesty, unjust behavior, or lack of discipline, that is what we become good at.  Attitudes are habits.  They lead to behavior patterns.  They become a state of mind and dictate our responses.

CONDITIONING

       Conditioning is the psychological process whereby we get used to (or become conditioned to) specific events occurring in association with each other.  The most famous example of conditioning is Pavlov's dogs.  

       The Russian scientist Pavlov would ring a bell each time he fed his dogs.  Of course, the dog would salivate at the sight of their meal.  Pavlov did this for some time.  Then Pavlov rang the bell and did not produce the food.  The dogs still salivated because they had been conditioned to expect the bell with their food.

       Most of our behaviour comes as a result of conditioning.  We are all being conditioned continuously by the environment and the media, and we start behaving like robots.  It is our responsibility to condition ourselves in a positive manner.

       If we want to do anything well, it must become automatic.  If we have to consciously think about doing the right thing, we will never be able to do it really well.  That means we must make it a habit.

       When I was a student of martial arts, I observed that even the black belts were practicing block/punch, the basics, because if they needed to use these skills, they had to come automatically.

       Professionals make things look easy because they have mastered the fundamentals of whatever they do.  Many people do good work with promotions in mind,  But the one to whom good work becomes a habit is deserving.

       Good habits are hard to come but easy to live with.  Bad habits come easy but are hard to live with.

HOW DO WE GET CONDITIONED?

       Think of the mighty elephant that can lift in excess of a ton of weight with just its trunk.  How does an elephant get conditioned to stay in one place, tied with a weak rope and a stake, when it could easily uproot the stake and move wherever it wants?  The answer is that when the elephant was a baby, it had been tied by a strong chain to a strong tree.  The baby is not used to being tied, so it keeps tugging and pulling the chain, all in vain.  A day comes when it realizes that tugging and pulling will not help.  It stops and stands still.  Now it is conditioned.

       And when the baby elephant becomes the mighty full grown elephant, it is tied with weak rope and a small stake .  The elephant could, with one tug, walk away free but it goes nowhere, because it has been conditioned.

       We are constantly being conditioned, consciously or unconsciously, by exposure to:

• The kind of books we read;
• The kind of movies and TV programmes we watch;
• The kind of music we listen to;
• The kind of company we keep.

        While driving to work, if you listen to the same music every day for several days and if the tape deck breaks down, guess what tune you will be humming?

       Insanity is defined as doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.  If you keep doing what you have been doing, you will keep getting what you have gotten.  The most difficult thing about changing a habit is unlearning what is not working and learning positive habits.

THE GIGO PRINCIPLE

       The computer phrase GIGO (Garbage in, garbage out) is very sound.

• Negativity in; negativity out.
• Positivity in; positivity out.
• Good in; good out.

       Our  input equals our output.  Our subconscious mind does not discriminate.  Whatever we choose to put into our mind, our subconscious will accept and our behavior will reflect accordingly.

       Television has a considerable impact on influencing our morals, thinking and culture.

       While bringing us lots of useful information, television has also contributed heavily to degrading our tastes, corrupting our morals and increasing juvenile delinquency.  By the age of 18, a child sees more than 200,000 violent acts in TV.

       Advertisers are good at conditioning their audience.  Companies spend close to a million dollars for a 30 second and during a major event.  Obviously, they are getting results.  We see an ad for a particular brand of soft drink or toothpaste and we go to the supermarket and buy that brand.  We don't want just any soft drink b ut only that brand.  Why?  Because we are programmed and act accordingly.

       When we watch TV or listen to a radio advertisement, our conscious mind is not listening, but our subconscious is open and we receive whatever is being dumped in.  Have you ever argued with a TV?  Of course not.

       When we go to the movies, we laugh and we cry because the emotional input has an immediate emotional output.  Change the input and output changes.

YOUR CONSCIOUS AND SUBCONSCIOUS MIND

       The conscious mind has the ability to think.  It can accept or reject.  But the subconscious only accepts.  It makes no distinction regarding input.  If we feed our mind with thoughts of fear, doubt and hate, the auto-suggestions will activate and translate those things into reality.  The subconscious is like a data bank.  The subconscious is like the automobile while the conscious is like the driver.  Of the two, the subconscious mind is more powerful.  The power is in the automobile but eh control is with the driver.

       The subconscious mind can work for us or against us.  It is not rational.  If we are not successful, we need to reprogram the subconscious.  

       The subconscious mind is like a garden, it does not care what we plant.  It is neutral; it has no preferences.  If we plant good seeds, we will have a good garden, otherwise we will have a wild growth of weeds.  I would go a step further to stay, even when we plant good seeds, weeds still grow and the weeding process must continue constantly.

       The human mind is no different.  Positive and negative thoughts cannot occupy the mind simultaneously.

       In order to succeed, we need to get programmed in a positive way.

HOW DO WE GET PROGRAMMED?

       Remember how we learnt to ride a bike.  There are four stages:  The first stage called unconscious incompetence.  At this stage, we don't know that we don't know.  The young child does not know what it is to ride a bike (unconscious) nor can he ride a bike (incompetence).  This is the stage of unconscious incompetence.

       During the second stage, conscious incompetence, the child becomes conscious of what it is to ride a bike but cannot ride one himself, so he is consciously incompetent.

       But then he starts learning g and is at the third stage of conscious competence.  Now he can ride a bike, but has to concentrate on the mechanics of the process.  So with conscious thought and effort, the child is competent to ride a bike.

       The fourth stage unconscious competence comes when the child has practiced consciously riding the bike so much that he does not have to think.  It becomes an automatic process.  He can talk to people and wave to others while riding.  He has reached the stage of unconscious competence.  At this level, he doesn't need the concentration and thinking because the behavior pattern has become automatic.

       This is the level that we want all your positive habits to reach.  Unfortunately, we probably also have some negative habits that are at the unconscious competence stage and are detrimental to your progress.

NATURE ABHORS A VACUUM

       I have two nephews who are tennis buffs.  One day their father said to me, "This game is getting very expensive.  There is the rackets, balls, lawn fees and now they have a coach.  It all costs money."  I asked him, "It is getting expensive compared with what?"  He could have them stop playing tennis and save some money.  But if they stopped, and came home from school with all their time and energy at hand, what would they do?  He stopped to think quietly for some time and then said, "I think I will have them continue.  It is cheaper this way."  He realized the importance of keeping them involved in positive activities.  Otherwise they would be attracted to the negative because nature abhors a vacuum.  There is either a positive or negative; there is no neutral ground here.

       Character building becomes a habit.  If we want to build a pleasing personality, we have to examine our habits closely.  What begins as an occasional indulgence turns into a permanent flaw.  Ask yourself the following questions:

1.  Do you let the quality of your work deteriorate?

2.  Do you indulge in gossip?

3.  Are envy and ego constant companions?

4.  Is empathy in short supply?

       We are creatures of habit.  That is good because if we have to constantly think before doing anything, we would never get anything done.

       We can control our habits b y exercising self-discipline over your thoughts.  We need to harness the power of our subconscious mind.  We need to cultivate positive habits its during childhood which builds character in adulthood.  But it is never too late to start.  Every exposure to a positive or negative makes a difference.  Learning new habits takes time but positive habits, once mastered give new meaning to life.

       Having an optimistic or pessimistic outlooks is a habit.  Habits are a matter of the pain and pleasure principle.  We do things either to avoid pain or to gain pleasure.  So long as the gain is more than the pain, we continue with the habit.  But if the pain exceeds the gain, we drop it.  For example, when the doctor tells the smoker to stop he replies, "I cannot stop!  It is a habit that I enjoy!"  and he goes on smoking.  The pleasure is greater than the pain.  One day he is faced with a major medical problem and the doctor says, "You better stop smoking immediately if you want to live."  Most would stop.  Why?  Now the pain is greater than the pleasure.

RESISTANCE TO CHANGE

       When people recognize or become aware of their negative habits, why don't they change?

       The reason they don't change is because they refuse to accept responsibility.  The pleasure of continuing is greater than the pain.  They may:

• Lack the desire to change
• Lack the discipline to change
• Lack the belief that they can change
• Lack the awareness for the need to change

       All of those factors prevent us from getting rid of our negative habits.  We all have a voice.  We can ignore negative behavior and hope it will go away - the ostrich approach - or face up to it and overcome it for life.  Behavior modification comes from overcoming irrational fears and getting out of the comfort zone.  Remember,  fear is a learned behavior and can be unlearned.

       The following excuses are the most common explanations for not changing negative habits:

1. I have always done it that way.
2. I have never done it that way.
3. That is not my job.
4. I don't think it will make any difference.
5. I'm too busy.

FORMING POSITIVE HABITS

       It is never too late to change, regardless of your age and how old the habit is.  We can change by being aware of what needs to be changed and using techniques that modify behavior.  The old adage that you can't teach an old dog new tricks is wrong.  We are human beings, not dogs.  Nor are we performing tricks.  We can unlearn self- destructive behavior and learn positive behavior.

       An Earl Nightingale said, the secret of successful people is that they form the habit of doing things that failures don't like to do and won't do.  Just think about the things that failures don't do.  They are the same things that successful people don't like to do, but they do them anyway.  For example, failures don't like discipline, hard work, or keeping commitments.  Successful people also dislike discipline, hard work (an athelete doesn't like and want the discipline to get up and train every day but he does it regardless), but they do these things anyway because they have formed good habits.

       All habits start small but end up eventually being very difficult to break.  Attitudes are habits and can be changed.  It is a question of breaking and replacing old negative habits with new and positive ones.

       It is easier to prevent bad habits than to overcome them.  Good habits come from overcoming temptation.

       Happiness and unhappiness are a habit.  Excellence is the result of repeated conscious effort until the behavior or the attitude becomes a habit.

AUTO-SUGGESTION

       What is auto-suggestion?  An auto-suggestion is a statement made in the present tense, of the kind of person you want to be.  Auto-suggestions are like writing a commercial about yourself, for yourself.  They influence both your conscious and subconscious mind that, in turn, influence attitude and behavior.

       Auto-suggestions are a way to program your subconscious mind.  They can be either positive or negative.

       Examples of negative auto-suggestions are:

• I am tired.
• I am not an athlete.
• I have a poor memory.
• I am not good at math.

       When you give yourself a negative auto-suggestion, your subconscious mind believes it and it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy and starts reflecting in your behavior.  For example, when a person who gives himself the auto-suggestion, "I have a poor memory," is introduced to a new person, he will not make the effort to remember the name because he tells himself, "I have a poor memory, so there's no point in even trying to remember."  Of course, he won't remember the person's name the next time they meet, and will again tell himself, "I have a poor memory."  It's a never-ending cycle - a self fulfilling prophecy.

       When a person repeats a belief often enough, it sinks into the subconscious and becomes reality.  A lie that is repeated often enough becomes accepted as the truth.

Why make positive statements?

       Because you want to create a picture in your mind of what you want to have rather than what you don't want.  Any picture that you hold in your mind becomes reality.  Auto-suggestions are a process of repetition.  If you repeat a statement often enough, it sinks into your subconscious mind.  For example, if you tell yourself, "I am relaxed.  I am cool, calm and collected," you will start responding to situations in a cool, calm and collected manner.

       Auto-suggestions should not be phrased in a negative way.  Don't say, "I am so disorganized."  Instead say, "I am organized person."  When a negative word comes in the auto-suggestion, it forms a negative picture that we want to avoid.  If I tell you, "don't think of the blue elephants."  it's like that the image of a blue elephant immediately propped into your mind.

       Auto-suggestions should be positive statements because we think in pictures, not in words. If I say "mother", what comes to your mind?  Most likely a picture of your mother comes to your mind, and not the word "mother".

       Make your auto-suggestions in the present tense.  Why?  Because your mind tell the difference between a real experience and an imagined one.  For example parents are expecting their child to come home at 9.30 p.m. but the kid is not home and it is now I am.  What is going through the parents' mind?  They are probably hoping everything's okey.  "I hope that kid didn't get into an accident."  What is happening to their blood pressure?  It is going up!  This is an imagined experience.  The reality could be that the kid is having fun at a party and is plain irresponsible.

       Supposing the kid was actually coming home at 9.30 p.m. but got into an accident.  What is happening to the parent's blood pressure?  It is still going up!  In the first scenario the imagined experience was not true.  In the second scenario it was true.  The body's response in both cases was identical.  Our subconscious mind cannot tell the difference between a real and an imagined experience.

Prepare the Subconscious

       Auto-suggestions can be used to eliminate negative habits and develop positive ones.  We have all used auto-suggestions unconsciously.  For example when we have to catch an early morning flight, when we get into bed we tell ourself that we have to wake up at six.  And invariably, we do (often , even without an alarm clock).  A prepared subconscious mind works for us.

       Auto-suggestion is a way to program and condition our mind to make a statement into a self-fulfilling prophecy.

       Auto-suggestion is a repetitive process through which you feed our subconscious with positive statements that translates into reality.  Repetition alone is not enough, unless it is accompanied by emotions and feelings.

       Auto-suggestions without visualization will not produce results.  The first time our mind receives an auto-suggestion, it rejects it.  Why?  It is an alien thought, contrary to our belief system.  Success depends on our ability to concentrate and repeat the process.

VISUALIZATION

       Visualization is the process for creating and seeing a mental picture of what we want to have or do, or the kind of person we want to be.  visualization goes hand in hand with auto-suggestion.  Auto-suggestion without vizualisation is mechanical repetition and will be ineffective.  In order to see results, feelings and emotions - visualization must accompany auto-suggestions.

CAUTION!

       Auto-suggestion may not be acceptable to our mind the first time we do it because it is an alien thought.  For example, if for the past few decades I have believed that I have a poor memory and now all of a sudden, I tell myself that I have a good memory, my mind will reject it, saying, "You liar!  You have a bad memory!" - because that is what I have believed up to this point.  It will take 21 days to dispel this notion.  Why 21 days?  Because it takes a minimum of 21 consecutive days of conscious, continuous practice to make or break a habit.  If you listen to an audio tape in 21 days and your player break down - guess what tune you are humming.

       The big question is:  Is 21 days of conscious effort a heavy price to pay to change a lifetime for the better?  Not really but only the committed do i.  The auto-suggestion process sounds simple, but it is not easy.  But you can do it.  Follow the steps in the next section to turn your auto-suggestions into reality.

21-DAY FORMULA TO FOR POSITIVE HABITS

Translating Auto-Suggestion into Reality

1.  Go to a spot where you won't be disturbed,

2.  Make a list of your auto-suggestions. Make sure they are positive and in the pesent tense.

3.  Repeat auto-suggestions at least twice a day; first thing in the morning and at the end of the day.
In the morning, your mind is fresh and receptive; at night you deposit the positive picture into your subconscious to be working for you overnight.  You can also write each auto-suggestion on a few small sticky notes.  Place them in places you will see them throughout the day (on your bathroom mirror; on your car's dash-board, inside your daily planner, inside your desk drawer).  Seeing the notes throughout the day will cause you to repeat the auto-suggestions again.

4.  Auto-suggestions alone will not work.,  Use visualization as well.

5.  Do this for atleast 21 days until it becomes a habit.

ACTION PLAN

An ounce of action is worth ton of theory. ~ Friedrich Engels

IMPORTANT:
AUTO SUGGESTIONS AND VISUALIZATIONS WILL ONLY WORK AS A SUPPLEMENT (NOT A SUBSTITUTE) TO A TIME BOUND, GOAL-ORIENTED ACTION PLAN.

1.  We all have some negative habits that are pulling us down.  Take 15 minutes alone and undisturbed to make a list of all the negative habits that are pulling you down.

2.  Take 14 minutes alone and undisturbed to make a list of all positive habits you want to develop,

3.  Make a list of auto-suggestions you can give yourself to develop the positive habits listed above.

3.  Follow the 21 day programme with visualizations.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Source: Exceprts from the book on "YOU CAN WIN" by Shiv Khera
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

       

Time Management

The Technique of TIME MANAGEMENT

      A serious problem facing the business executive today is a self-imposed paucity of time.  Stemming from a lack of the technique of time management.  Stemming from a lack of the technique of time management.  A technique which deals with the science of servicing work with available time.  But the corporate world complains that it lacks the time, not the technique.  This problem has been presented in a day's seminar on time management under three broad topics:

I.    Time management is self-management

II    Plan and programme your life

III.  Impediments to time management

       Study these topics carefully.  Try to apply these principles through life in your business, at home, everywhere.  They should provide you with adequate material to solve this nagging problem.  You would no longer be a victim of time and work.  And not be harassed by increasing work-load and decreasing time-frame.

       Commence your study by detailing your particular problems related to time management.  Examine  their relevance to the subject presented herein.  You would gradually discover that your problems have emerged from an inability to harmonise your work with time.  Rather than the actual paucity of time.  Towards the end you may review your problem to ensure that the suggested guidelines solve them.

I.  TIME MANAGEMENT IS SELF MANAGEMENT

WHAT IS TIME MANAGEMENT?

     People grumble all through life that they lack time.  They try to make up by rushing, hurrying and working into late nights.  The pressure mounts.  They suffer from mental, agitation, stress.  Time management has turned into a menace.  Yet, few study the nature of the problem.  Get to its real cause.

       When you complain of a lack of time, what exactly do you mean?  Time is the same for everyone.  And he complaint about work-load seems universal.  Your problem actually boils down to completing your work in a scheduled time.  Balancing the equation between work and time.  This is the bane of time management.

       It is interesting to note that the same complaint runs through all human echelons: the industrialists, businessman, professional, everybody.  The annual turnover of a business could vary from a hundred thousand dollars to a billion.  The volume of work could range from a unit to a hundred units.  Yet all of them run short of time.  Work late hours.  Carry work home in their briefcase or head.  And spend sleepless nights.

       The fundamental principal of time management rests in self-management.  Time management means work management.  And work management means self-management.  Completing work in time needs proper planning and programming.  How can that be achieved unless one is perfectly disciplined?  Therefore, the exercises of time management traces back to self-management.

WHAT IS SELF-MANAGEMENT?

 
    Self-management is the governance of one's inner self.  The inner self is constituted of your mind and intellect.  The mind is made up of your feeling and emotion, like and dislike.  The intellect is your faculty to think and reason, judge and decide.  Self-management is the intellect's command over mind.  The intellect's control over the whim and fancy, like and dislike of the mind.  The mind has no direction or dimension.  It can demand anything.  The intellect's role is to direct and guide the demands of the mind.  When your intellect maintains a suzerainty over mind you can claim to have self-management.  Conversely, when your mind overpowers intellect you fall into a chaotic state.  An unattended mind could have a devastating influence on your personality.  Yet everybody pampers the mind.  Nurtures and nourishes it.  Without realising the dreadful consequence.  

       Action is the insignia of life.  Inaction is death.  However, the body itself cannot act.  Action by the body is propelled by either the mind or intellect or a combination of both.  When you do what your mind likes to do, feels like doing it, your action then is said to be impulsive.  And when you do what your intellect bids, your action is discriminate.  When both the mind and intellect directs an action, your intellect supports what the mind likes to do then your action would still be discriminative.

       An impulsive mind which is directly driven by the mind without intervention of the intellect is like a car driven by a drunken driver.  Whereas, a discriminative action would be that steered by a sober driver.  A car driven by a drunken driver could lead to disaster, even death.  So would an impulsive action.

NATURE OF THE MIND

 
       The mind has the following qualities.

Unsteady and restless Asthira and cancala:

       There are two types of movements.  One is from one place to place.  The other is movement within a place.  The mind is charcterised by both movements.  It runs helter-skelter, keeps ever jumping from one desire to another, one thought to another.  Given a subject to think on, it hardly maintains concentration.  The mind is inconstant, changing.  It cannot remain focused on its own.  An unsteady and restless mind causes mental disturbance.

       The mind has a tendency to worry over the past, become anxious about the future.  It fatigues you.  Saps your energy.

Desire Kamah:  The mind generates endless desires.  The wealthiest thirst for more wealth.  The most powerful craves for more power.  And so on.  Their unfulfilled desires produce stress.

Like and Dislike Ragadvesah:  

     The mind is replete with likes and dislikes.  From an early age you have been collecting likes and dislike.  You pick what you like, discard what you dislike.  Your friends, relatives also feed your likes, discard your dislikes.  Now you have turned into a mere bundle of like and dislike.  This bundle determines the course of your life.  Since the world cannot always cater to your like and dislike, your whim and fancy it becomes an impediment to your pleasure and joy in life.  You become suppressed, repressed, frustrated in life.

Attachment Sangam:

      The deadliest quality of the mind is attachment.  The mind gets attached to objects and beings of the world.  Attachment means mental bondage.  An emotional hang-up.  Thereafter, whatever happens to that object or being happens to you.  You lose your freedom, liberty.  You remain fettered, bound as long as your attachment lasts.

Turbulent Pramathi:  

     An unattended mind can turn violent, turbulent.  When passion rises higher and higher, the mind could become turbulent.  Such a mind can cause heinous crimes.  It behaves like turbulent wind which uproots trees, causes shipwrecks etc.

Strong Balavat:  

 
    Your personality depends upon your mind.  As the mind so the man.  Mind can change the personality of an individual.  A powerful mind can even change the destiny of a nation.

Obstinate Drdham: 

      The mind can be unyielding, obstinate.  The desires of the mind are unyielding.  They can never be satiated.  Their pursuit of the world is relentless.  The mind also has a tendency to stubbornly hold on to object, emotion, thought.  It has its way unless the intellect governs it.  

       To manage these qualities of the mind, you need a powerful intellect.  You will have to strengthen the intellect.  The study of Vedanta and reflection on the subtle concept should help develop your intellect.

II.  PLAN AND PROGRAMME YOUR LIFE

     The technique of time management lies in planning and programming the entire span of your life.  Those complaining from lack of time live from movement to movement, day to day, month to month.  They do not design a plan of action for a lifetime.  Your first obligation is set your ultimate goal. What is it you want to achieve in life.  What is your purpose, mission, ideal.  What are you working for.  Having set the goal, structure, your course of action.  Plan, programme your life to its several facets. a

ASSESS FACTORS RELATED TO WORK UNDERTAKEN

      Plan your life's projects and prepare the line of action.  Assess the essential factors related to them.  The salient factors are:

Basic Nature of the Individual Svadharma

       Sva means one's own.  Dharma means nature.  So svadharma means one's nature.  Individual natures are distinct and different.  You are constituted of your mental temperament and intellectual calibre.  The field of activity must suit your svadharma.  A person with engineering tendency does not choose a medical field. Vice versa.  A person with business tendency does not take to philosophy.  Vice versa.  Thus to utilise your lifetime properly, ensure you choose a field of activity most conducive to your mental and intellectual constitution.

Set a Realistic Goal

     Following one's svadharma every individual needs to choose his ideal, goal in life.  That would give a proper direction to his action.  And avoid dissipation of energy and time.

      Adhering to this procedure, ensure you choose a realistic goal.  Realistic in the sense it is within your capacity to achieve the target in the time-frame available to you.  However, many planners err in choosing a target without taking into consideration their capacity and time.  They try to make up by working harder and spending longer hours.  And their perennial complaint is time management.

Material and Human Resource

     You may select the right type of activity.  Set a realistic goal.  Yet lead yourself into difficulty if you fail to assess the available material and human resources.  Your work may involve others' participation and material input.  Ensure you are provided with adequate resource essential for completing the work undertaken.

Others' Cooperation / Labour Climate

      In assessing the requirement of human resource, numbers are not the only criterion.  Their mental cooperation plays a vital role.  Hence, ensure you have taken into account the mental climate of those working with you and others who may have an indirect effect on your work.

Force Majeure

     The above precautionary measures may be within your capacity to appropriate.  But an ideal planning should take into consideration force majeure as well.  There could be certain unforeseeable course of events impeding your work schedule.  A reasonable estimate and allowance for this contingency would help you perfect your planning.

PLAN LIFE'S PROJECTS BACKWARD

       The general tendency among planners is to project their work schedules forward in life.  What am I to do today.  What am I to complete this week, this month, this year, in the next ten years, etc.  Rare are those who conceive the entirety of life's mission.  And work backwards.  By planning backward you create space to fit in all exigency and emergency.  You create enough time and to spare.  You may have one great project which may need your lifespan to complete.  Or have more than one project.  Be they one or more, ensure not to venture into impractical projects beyond the scope of your achievement.  As you determine the project(s) relate it to your life's expectancy to complete it.  A fair reckoning of the years of your life ahead should be linked with the project(s) planned.  That gives you a clear idea of what you wish to accomplish in life and the time available for completing it.

       To cite an example, you have forty years to complete your cherished project.  For accomplishing it, conceive how much of the project has to be completed in next twenty years.  If in twenty years a certain quantum of work has to be done, what needs to be accomplished in the next ten years, five years, one year, one month, one week, today.  This is backward planning.

       Your planning must assess all factors related to your project.  Also, your obligation to the society,  family, yourself.  Even possible physical illness, emotional mood that may have relevance to your work.  With these details well taken care of, there would be no reason to scrounge for time.

PROGRAMME LINE OF ACTION

       You may have one ore more projects fixed for your life.  Also, the breakdown of project(s) for years, month, week, day.  Having set this up, fix the priorities for the project and action that go with them.  Bear in mind you provide for any exigency and emergency that could upset programming the line of action.

       Your plan and programme must foresee and provide for any impediment as well.  You then have everything set for your progress towards the goal.  Keep to the course of action with steadfastness.  Do not yield to any intrusion.  Learn to say 'No' to any person or object that interferes with yur programme.  A planned, consistent application in one's line of action is called dhirth.  And following the line of action with dhirtih is self-management, time management.

RENDER ACTION FORCEFUL

       When the goal is firm the direction of your actions is set.  A stream of action consistently flowing towards the goal becomes powerful.  A common phenomenon in the world.  Water flowing in one direction generates hydro electric power.  Wind blowing in one direction creates wind power.  Light focused to a point turns powerful.  Thus do actions directed towards a set goal gather momentum becomes forceful.

TIME, 24 HOURS FOR ALL

       Whatever work you launch has the same time, twenty-four hours in a day.  If the work is not properly organised as suggested, you could waste a good deal of time.  And not be aware of the time lost. Consequently, you face the perennial problem of lacking time.

       Besides the quantum, few are aware of the quality of time.  The time of the day can be divided into three distinct qualities spread over the twenty-four hours.  The prime time, the best quality of time is between 4 a.m. and 6 a.m.  It is known as sattvik time.  The contemplative people make full use of this time.  

       The second quality of time is from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.  Known as rajasika.  It goes with action riddled with mental agitation.  The third, called tamasika, covers 6 p.m. to 4 a.m.  It is spent in lethargy, sleep.  This classification has a universal application to all classes of people.

       The sattvika time is designed for the introvert to think and contemplate, plan and programme.  While rajasika time is meant for extroverted activity.  And tamasika time for sensual indulgences and sleep.  Since the sattivka time is slept through by most people in the world how can thee be an intelligent planning of life's mission?  The best quality of time is hardly known, much less utilised.  Hence, the lives of people lack proper direction and control.  They lose self-management, work management, time management.

III. IMPEDIMENTS TO TIME MANAGEMENT

       The impediments to time management are those that impede one's self-management.  Overcoming these impediments you bring yourself under control.  And when you excel in self management you have time at your beck and call.

LACK OF OBJECTIVITY

       The problem in self-management, time management lies in the lack of objectivity.  Objectivity is measured by your intellect's control over mind's activity.  The mind is replete with impulse, feeling and emotion, like and dislike.  It lacks direction or dimension.  Your mind can demand virtually anything in the world.  The intellect needs strength to control and direct the demands of the mind.  When your intellect loses its suzerainty over the mind you become rudderless.  You lack objectivity.

            A powerful intellect is to be distinguished from mere intelligence.  You gain intelligence by gathering information from external sources.  You could be well-informed on one or more subjects.  Schools and universities make you intelligent.  Whereas, the process of thinking, contemplating on your own with reason and logic develops a strong intellect.  You gain the faculty to judge and decide.

       A powerful intellect enables you to plan and programme life's activity.

NON-COOPERATION

       The progress in life's activity is also marked by your spirit of cooperative endeavour.  Commonly known as team spirit with colleagues at work.  You develop this attitude when you realise the work you do needs others participation.  None can claim to do anything all by oneself.

       The universe is an extraordinary composition of a variety of talent.  An orchestra of many players producing the melody of existence.  It is interesting that the ratio of students studying different subjects like economics, science, mathematics and philosophy is virtually the same in any university in the world.  Likewise the managerial, supervisory, clerical and labour ratio remains the same anywhere.  The proportion of precious, semi-precious and inferior metals does not differ much from country to country.  Perceive this phenomenon of the universe.  You then become aware of the Conductor orchestrating the magnificent world.  

       Such an awareness drives humility into you.  Renders you a spoke in the wheel of life revolving round the divine hub.  Feeling neither important nor unimportant.  But a part of the whole.  Bereft of this fundamental knowledge, the management feels superior to labour, vice versa.  The teacher feels superior to the taught, vice versa.  A misunderstanding, which arises from the ego separating you from the rest of the world.

EGO, ACTS THREE WAYS

       The ego functions in three ways disturbing, the mind.  An agitated mind is a bad tool for planning, programming one's life.

       The first of the three expressions is the feeling; I am supreme.  An egoist suffers from a superiority complex. Irrespective of his station in life he is self-conceited, arrogant.  He feels himself superior to the rest of humanity.

       The second expression of ego is his feeling;  I alone exist.  He places himself on a pedestal.  Commanding, demanding from one and all.  Believing the world is meant to serve him.  He assumes that self-imposed, all-important status.

       The third expression is;  I am the doer.  A notion of agency arrogating everything to his doing.  He fails to recognise those in the past and present who have directly or indirectly contributed to his achievement.  The designer of a modern aircraft would be the egoistic to believe that he has done it all by himself.  Blind to the millions who have made it possible for him to accomplish it.

       Egoism causes mental agitation.  The mind goes out of control.  And leads one to loss of self-management, work management, time management.

MIND OUT OF CONTROL

       The mind has a tendency to ramble into the past and future.  It hardly remains focused on the present.  It carries the worry of the past or projects the anxiety for the future.  Consequently, it dissipates your energy. You become fatigued.  Stressed.  Whereas a child is all energy.  It effervesces with action and cheer.  An adult is much stronger than the child.  Yet, the child is more energetic living in the present free from worry and anxiety.  The mind generates endless desires.  It develops greed, obsession which destroys its peace. However, a strong intellect directs the desire to a well-planned ambition, aspiration.  A change which reduced agitation.  Renders the mind peaceful.  A relatively peaceful mind with its focus in the present can be directed to achieve one's objective in life.

COMPLEXES

       Another malady of the mind is its weakness to live up to the Joneses.  Your mind is concerned about others' opinion.  Worried and anxious what the world thinks of you.  Rather than what you are.  You may be in poor shape.  Yet people may rate you high.  And you feel flattered!

       The world suffers from complexes.  Either an inferiority or a superiority complex.  Rare is the one who is free of them.  Why do you have to place yourself higher or lower than what you are.  Learn to be happy as you are.  And strive towards greater perfection in  life.

       Examine the above impediments.  Study their impact upon your work and progress.  Understand their corrosive effect.  Try to get over them.  Thus discipline your inner personality.  Be self governed.  You will then command your work, your time, everything.  Conquer your mind, you conquer the world.

   

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Source: An article written by Swamy A. Parthasarathy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Story Corner - Renunciation

       A king asked his minister; "Who is a renunciate?  What is renunciation?  Is there anyone in my kingdom who is living renunciate?"  Thoughtlessly, with no intent other than to impress the king, the minister replied, "Renunciation is non-attachment.  In fact, there are many renunciates in our kingdom, my Lord."

       "Then make arrangements to meet one of them," ordered the king.

       The minister was taken aback.  He had never seen or known any renunciate, but now he could not go back on his words.  His cunning intelligence, which had shown him innumerable shortcuts all through his life, came up with another fraudulent idea.  The minister went about and spotted an unemployed youth.  He made an offer to the man that was too tempting for him to refuse.  The deal was that the man should sit under a tree for a whole evening and pretend to be in meditation.  He has to refuse everything that's offered to him during the course of that one evening, saying, "I have no desire for it."  In exchange, the minister promised the man a bag of gold coins.

       On the appointed evening, the man seated himself under a tree.  He was feeling very restless and couldn't quite hold himself in a restful meditative pose, but the thought of the bag of gold coins tugged at him to put up a good show.  Escorted by the minister and his bodyguards, the king, the queen, the prince and the princes marched in the direction of the tree under which the man pretended to be meditating.  The man was becoming increasingly nervous, and so was the minister.

       The king bowed down to the man, who was disguised in monk's attire and a body language that suggested an introverted state, whom the king assumed was a renunciate, and offered him a tray full of precious stones.  Though the man's eyes lit up, helplessly in the mechanical tone of a trained parrot, he said, "I have no desire for it."  The queen stepped forward and offered a tray filled with the choicest of sweets.  His mouth watered, yet he repeated, "I have no desire for it."  The king was moved.  He nodded his head in the direction of the queen and prostrated at man's feet, believing him to be a true renunciate.  The queen followed suit.  Then the prince and the princes too fell at his feet. With the whole royal family prostrating, the others including the minister; had no choice but to do the same.  Then, they all marched back to the palace.

       Hours later, a triumphant minister returned to the tree under which the man was sitting.  The minister appreciated the man's acting thanked him for bailing him out of a tight spot and extended the bag of gold coins.  The man said, "I have no desire for it."  The minister's smile turned into laughter. "Hey, the show is over:  Take it," stressed the minister.  The man repeated, "I have no desire for it." The minister, in a little rude tone, retorted, "Are you mad?  I am telling you to stop acting.  Take the gold."

       In a mystical tone, the man said, "Honourable minister!  If just acting as a renunciate made the entire royal family and you to fall at my feet, I am just beginning to wonder what will happen if I actually live my life as a renunciate.  So, I have decided to live my life as a renunciate.  I mean it.  I really have no desire for this gold."

       What is renunciation?  What will one do with life after giving up everything else?  Why at all give up this beautiful world?

       Renunciation isn't a decision.  In fact, renunciation cannot be a decision.  You actually grow into it.  The egg does not decide to become a chicken; it grows into a chicken.  We see the shell falling apart and the chicken emerging.  We see only one moment, but the defining moment is the culmination of a series of momentary growths.  The bud does not decide to become a flower; flowering is a progressive phenomenon.  From flower to a fruit, from fruit to the seed and from the seed to another sapling -- the lower grows into the higher.  So it is with renunciation.

      Renunciation is not a give up.  You give up nothing.  It is the immature mind that says, 'He renounced his  sleep to embrace exercise.'  In reality, when his attachment to health becomes greater than his attachment to sleep, he gives up a lower attachment to embrace a higher attachment.  He did not renounce smoking.  His attachment to his wellness became greater than his attachment for nicotine gratification.  When one's attachment for the lower grows into an attachment for the higher, the lower falls on its own accord.  Renunciation is not give up.  It is go-up.

       Renunciation is metaphorically similar to that of a man climbing a ladder.  He steps off the lower rungs of the ladder because of his inclination to step into the higher rungs.  He is not giving up the lower rungs.  He is, as a matter of fact, going up the higher rung.

       Simply put, at every given instant, life offers you the choice between the lower and the higher in every aspects of life.  Use your intelligence to discriminate the lower from the higher and now whole heartedly desire the higher.  Like the child who automatically outgrows his attachment for the existing toy to a more exciting new toy, your inner being well evolve to renounce the lower and embrace the higher.  Then, life will never be a give up for you but a never-ending sequence of go ups.

       The more and more you discriminate between the lower and the higher, and embrace the higher; your life will graduate into a state of selflessness.  You will begin to think beyond yourself.  It is not that you won't have goals any more, but just that your goals will be more in the larger interest rather than being merely self centered.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Source: Excerpts from the Article "Infinithoughts"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Guru: The Journey and the Goal

GURU PURNIMA

       Guru purnima is an Indian festival dedicated to spiritual and academic teachers.  This festival is traditionally celebrated by Hindus, Jains and Buddhists, to pay their respects to their teachers and express their gratitude.  The festival is celebrated on the full moon day of (purnima) in the month of June-July which is the Indian national calendar and the Hindu calendar.

IMPORTANCE OF GURUPURNIMA: 

       The celebration is marked by ritualistic respect to the guru.  The guru principle is said to be thousand times more active on the day of Gurupurnima than on any other day.  The word guru is derived from two words, gu and ru.  The Sanskrit root gu means darkness or ignorance, and ru denotes the remover of that darkness.  Therefore, a guru is one who removes the darkness of our ignorance.  Gurus are believed by many to be the most necessary part of life.   

 

       On this day, disciples offer puja (worship) or pay respect to their guru (spiritual guide).  Guru Purnima is also considered an especially beneficial day to practice yogic sadhana and meditation. In addition to having religious importance, the festival has great importance for Indian academics and scholars  Indian academic celebrate this day by thanking their teachers as well as remembering past teachers and scholars.

       Vedanta declares that our bondage and suffering are caused by lack of right thinking and knowledge.  Therefore, we need to undertake the right inquiry to correct our thinking and become free from all bondage.  Since our bondage is caused by ignorance, it can only be dispelled by knowing arising from inquiry.  Right inquiry depends on the availability of proper tools/means of investigation.  The Upanishads, containing the Vedanta vidya [knowledge], or the Vedanta sastra [scriptures] are the right means for this line of inquiry.

Why a Guru?  The question and the Key

       But how do we understand the meaning of Vedanta sastra?  To unlock that wealth of knowledge, somebody has to give us the key.  Some locks have numbers or combinations, but if we don't know the right combinations, we will not be able to open them!  Even a standard lock requires the right key.  To unlock and gain the right meaning of sastra, we need a guru.  Further, the body of scriptures, with its countless statements, is like an endless forest.  We would get completely lost in a forest without the help of a native of that place who can lead us out.  Similarly, in a maze we won't know the techniques to get out, until a guide help us.  In the same way a guru is required!

 

Who is the Guru?  The preparation and Search

     First, we have to examine how intense is the longing for that knowledge.  The need for a guru will be determined only by how urgently that knowledge is wanted.  

       Therefore, Shankaracharya has said, "Intensify your desire and longing for knowledge, and when you have that, you will get appropriate guidance, according to your evolution, and according to your need."  At first you may need only some instructions and that will be enough for you.  But as you go deeper and deeper into your inquiry, when there is a real need for someone to guide you, when you need to sit at the feet of a teacher to learn, you will also get that!  So you don't have to go guru hunting.

Kinds of Gurus

       There are many kinds of gurus.  The word, "Guru" is defined by its Sanskrit root as "granti" - the one who teaches you."  We learn so many things from so many teachers.  While we know the teachers in various secular fields, we can also notice of that there are different kinds of teachers through the stages of religious practices [rituals] up to the spiritual search for the highest knowledge.  Let us take a closer look.  Many priests come to Hindu homes and do various rituals.  They guide us to perform special karmas with instructions and methods of worship.  The aim of this is the concentration and purification of our mind.  Such a priest then becomes an "upasana guru".  Thereafter, someone comes as a jnana Guru, one who enlighten you.  He teaches you what is Atma and what is Anatma and he may or may not give you a mantra.  Teaching can come to us in many ways.

How does the Guru Teach?

     It is said in Vivekachudamani that there are three things that are gained only by God's grace and that they are very rare:  One is a human birth, and having gained a human birth, to have the desire for liberation.  But the most difficult thing is to get protection and guidance from an enlightened person.  So a guru is required to guide us on this inner journey, but what does the guru do?

     We may have guru, but how do we gain knowledge?  In our scriptures (sastra) it is said, "A person who has a teacher, that person will know this Truth."  It is also said, "The one who has faith in the teacher and in scripture, that person gains knowledge."  Thus, when you get a teacher, you must have full faith in him, for it is only then that you gain that knowledge.  And you must look upon your teacher as God, he should not be taken as a human being!  In the scriptures, there are very clear instructions.

      "The Upanisad mantras reveal their true hidden meanings to that seeker who has supreme devotion to God and the same devotion for his guru."  A real seeker does not see the difference between God and guru.  But there are people who say, "This is all guru-worship.  These gurus want to be revered and therefore they say all this. There are so many teachers in all walks of life; in the same way guru is also a teacher and a human being.  So gurus are only human!"

What is guru's job?

       Now what is guru's job?  When a seeker, who has already passed through the states of karma and upasana, meet the guru, the guru's job is to give him the higher knowledge.  Karma and Upasana are the primary steps for purifying the mind and making it ready for higher knowledge and as the seeker is now of a higher caliber, he should be given the higher knowledge.  That guru must give him the knowledge by which he will realize the supreme Truth.  There are such beautiful mantras in our Upanishads:

"When a qualified student has reached the teacher, 

then the teacher should give him the highest knowledge."  

      The teacher then will not tell him to do any particular ritual for the student has gone beyond all that.  Receiving this Knowledge, this person reaches Truth.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Source: Article written by Swami Tejomayananda in Mananam Series.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~