A Data-Driven Approach to Spiritual Development

Today is a momentous occasion - the day I officially retire from the corporate world and start my business venture in creating a new approach to personal development based on data, feedback and results. If something works then it works, if it doesn't work then it doesn't work - often the obvious must be stated :)

So, what shall be born is the social enterprise New Life Awakening (http://www.newlifeawakening.com), with its vision to create a personal development course that brings about life-long transformation in individuals.

New Life Awakening does not mean that people going on the course will change their life in any way necessarily, but rather, the course is designed to re-awaken the life within one's life. In other words, we are all living anyway, no course can change the fact that we live - but what we can change is how we experience that life, how much zeal there is in that life and how we can learn to handle it so that we can achieve what we want to - all of which is an internal process, rather than an external one.

New Life Awakening is not about teaching any new profound truths, its about teaching old truths in a new profound way - in a way which is relevant to people of this modern era, which people can relate to and apply in their lives, so that the teaching has an impact in one's life. A lot of people go on personal development courses and get a high out of it for a few days and then the emotional high disappears and along with it all the possibilities of living life to its maximum. Instead, a personal development course should be designed as such, to not provide a high, but to provide some tools for life-long transformation and also a support mechanism so people can use those tools in their lives and improve the quality of their life within their life.

Also, New Life Awakening is a complete picture of all the factors which go into spiritual development (as I published in a previous post), and how to develop each and every aspect, to become fulfilled - fully-filled with love, love and love. A course should tackle it all, or what's the point of creating someone half-cooked, half-enlightened?

I'm very grateful to God, Guru, all the spiritual teachers and people who have helped me walk this path, to the Sun for its warmth and energy, to the moon for its subtlety and mystery, to the Earth - the great mother, to the stars who are our ancestors and all my beautiful family and friends who enrich my life everyday.

May I walk this path with integrity, humility, serenity, grace, and may I share everything I know and which I have experienced with everyone to create individuals who are far greater and more beautiful than I could ever comprehend, and to whom I shall dedicate my life and to whom I shall entrust my legacy.

Sat Naam.

But before I go, I received a Hukamnama (order) from the Guru directly when asked a question by my brother about whether quitting the corporate world was a stupid move or not, and I thought to myself "God, you've looked after me for so long, and I know you will continue to do so", and then automatically I began to sing the following hymn from Guru Granth Sahib, limb 318 by Guru Arjan Dev in melody Gauri which summarises everything about my mission beautifully:

39	ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤੁ ਨਾਮੁ ਨਿਧਾਨੁ ਹੈ ਮਿਲਿ ਪੀਵਹੁ ਭਾਈ ॥ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤੁਨਾਮੁਨਿਧਾਨੁਹੈਮਿਲਿਪੀਵਹੁਭਾਈ॥ anmrit nām nidhān hai mil pīvah bhāī . The treasure of the Naam, the Name of the Lord, is Ambrosial Nectar; meet together and drink it in, O Siblings of Destiny.	ਮਃ ੫ Guru Arjan Dev	ਗਉੜੀ Gauri
40	ਜਿਸੁ ਸਿਮਰਤ ਸੁਖੁ ਪਾਈਐ ਸਭ ਤਿਖਾ ਬੁਝਾਈ ॥ ਜਿਸੁਸਿਮਰਤਸੁਖੁਪਾਈਐਸਭਤਿਖਾਬੁਝਾਈ॥ jis simarat sukh pāīai sabh tikhā bujhāī . Remembering Him in meditation, peace is found, and all thirst is quenched.	ਮਃ ੫ Guru Arjan Dev	ਗਉੜੀ Gauri
41	ਕਰਿ ਸੇਵਾ ਪਾਰਬ੍ਰਹਮ ਗੁਰ ਭੁਖ ਰਹੈ ਨ ਕਾਈ ॥ ਕਰਿਸੇਵਾਪਾਰਬ੍ਰਹਮਗੁਰਭੁਖਰਹੈਨਕਾਈ॥ kar sēvā pārabraham gur bhukh rahai n kāī . So serve the Supreme Lord God and the Guru, and you shall never be hungry again.	ਮਃ ੫ Guru Arjan Dev	ਗਉੜੀ Gauri
42	ਸਗਲ ਮਨੋਰਥ ਪੁੰਨਿਆ ਅਮਰਾ ਪਦੁ ਪਾਈ ॥ ਸਗਲਮਨੋਰਥਪੁੰਨਿਆਅਮਰਾਪਦੁਪਾਈ॥ sagal manōrath punniā amarā pad pāī . All your desires shall be fulfilled, and you shall obtain the status of immortality.	ਮਃ ੫ Guru Arjan Dev	ਗਉੜੀ Gauri
43	ਤੁਧੁ ਜੇਵਡੁ ਤੂਹੈ ਪਾਰਬ੍ਰਹਮ ਨਾਨਕ ਸਰਣਾਈ ॥੩॥ ਤੁਧੁਜੇਵਡੁਤੂਹੈਪਾਰਬ੍ਰਹਮਨਾਨਕਸਰਣਾਈ॥੩॥ tudh jēvad tūhai pārabraham nānak saranāī .3. You alone are as great as Yourself, O Supreme Lord God; Nanak seeks Your Sanctuary. ||3||	ਮਃ ੫ Guru Arjan Dev	ਗਉੜੀ Gauri

From GurbaniDB