Quote of the Day - Yogi Bhajan on Kindness

"Kindness knows no defeat. Caring has no end. And touching a person's heart is the only language God knows."

Yogi Bhajan

Is Meditation Escapism or Experience?

I want to talk to you about a topic which is not really talked about very much (as its scary to those who call themselves spiritual), and applies to people who meditate regularly.

This is a very deep and advanced topic that can only be understood through the experience of doing, not merely by reading this article.

There are two types of spiritual people:
1. People who meditate to escape life, "control" their emotions, thoughts, feelings. Believing there is something inherently wrong with them that needs to be "fixed" with meditation

2. People who meditate for enjoyment, alternate experience

Majority of people fall into category 1 - escapism, even if they think they are part of category 2 - experience.

Ask yourself a question. Do you feel you need to meditate or should meditate daily? If the answer is yes, you're in category 1. If the answer is no, you're in category 2.

Those in category 1 - escapism, should stop meditating for a while and learn to accept themselves AS THEY ARE and learn that every moment and action of life is a meditation, and that they are actually perfectly OK and nothing needs to be fixed at all!!! This will be a HUGE relief and release.

Those in category 2 - experience, should START meditating and will find a great joy, alternate experience in meditation. Experience of the inner world enriches one's life.

The majority of regular meditators forget to remember that meditation ITSELF easily becomes a RITUAL and an ATTACHMENT that we use to escape life and ourselves and use to fix ourselves. So by dropping meditation for a little while reinforces the idea that we were born perfectly OK without needing any tools to fix ourselves - that our true nature is perfect AS IT IS.

Sat Naam.

A Small Impact is OK

We need not make a huge impact in the world - a small impact is OK.

We are just small individuals with large hearts, so even just making a small impact is OK.

Whether that impact is encouraging somebody, sharing your feeling or thoughts, having a conversation, being nice to somebody, doing what you can to improve the world a little - a small impact is OK.

Whether we are known or not, whether we are recognised or not, so long as we make a small impact daily it will lead to a huge impact across the course of our lives.

Remember - do whatever little or lot you can - and be OK with making a small difference.

Sat Naam.

Quote of the Day - Lao Tzu on Transformation

"If you want to awaken all of humanity, then awaken all of yourself, if you want to eliminate the suffering in the world, then eliminate all that is dark and negative in yourself. Truly, the greatest gift you have to give is that of your own self-transformation."

Lao Tzu

Quote of the Day - Choice

"There are two primary choices in life: to accept conditions as they exist, or accept the responsibility for changing them."

Denis Waitley

Inner A/B Split Testing

I'm trying out an inner A/B split test experiment. A/B testing is where you test one change over a period of time to see which one is more effective in reaching the goal, the original or the variation?

Usually this is used to optimise websites, and its done over a long period of time.

But how can we use this technique to better ourselves? Well, lets try cutting out/adding just one thing in our life and see what difference it makes? Everything else should remain the same, only make one change.

To give you some ideas, you may want to:

• Trying giving up being right all the time, or making other people wrong
• Give up a ritual in your life which you're holding on to
• Give up an idea which you hold about yourself or somebody else
• Become vegetarian for one day of the week
• Try meditating 5 minutes before you go to sleep
• Try running 10 minutes in the evening after work
• Try adding one fruit to your diet a day
• Try changing your nickname
• Try making a prayer before you eat something

Change one thing, and see if the change makes a difference to yourself.

I'm currently running an experiment myself, will let you know the results soon ;)

3 Rules to Improve Productivity

Rule No. 1
Always set a deadline for work tasks, small or big. When you set a deadline - time compresses and you become more productive in a shorter period. Deadlines should be realistic and no deadline should exceed 48 hours.

Rule No. 2
Pareto's 80/20 rule applies to everything. Only 20% of tasks contribute towards 80% of results. The majority of time is wasted on tasks of low importance and low impact. Time should be spent on high importance and high impact tasks. For example, meetings are generally low importance and low impact, instead you can catch up on the minutes of the meeting from a colleague, and focus on more important tasks.

Rule No. 3
Automate cumbersome tasks wherever possible by empowering individuals to take on responsibility or putting in a technological solution. For example, instead of making all the decisions and doing everything, just empower somebody to make some low to medium importance decisions and do some tasks for you. You can always outsource for $40 an hour. If there is some manual processing which is taking time, you can find a computer programmer to develop a little software tool to help you out ;).

Summary
Identify the 20% of the most important tasks, and then set a deadline to achieve them - gain 80% of results! Empower others to take on some of your responsibilities & automate wherever possible.

Rule No 1 & 3 makes time more efficient

Rule No 2 makes time more effective

The Power of Shower

I just had a shower. There's nothing particularly fascinating about that, rare, but perhaps not fascinating (joke).

However, the feeling that I was overcome with whilst showering WAS fascinating - it was a feeling that EVERYTHING IS POSSIBLE, and that...IT'S ALL YET TO PLAY FOR!

Perhaps it was the fact that the shower cleaned by auric body as well as my physical body, thus increasing my vertical potentiality to vibrate at the cosmic frequency (whatever that means). Perhaps it was that showering gave me a moment to self reflect, thus accessing my infinite nature. Perhaps it was a random occurrence of the Universe that I was present to. Perhaps not. Perhaps. Or...not.

But perhaps, I just like using the word perhaps. (Silence)

(Cough, clears throat) Moving on...

Such an INCREDIBLE feeling. Brought so much JOY to me all of us sudden. Like me riding on a wave of pure consciousness. It made me glow. It made me flow. All of us sudden I came ALIVE. I felt that it's all still yet to play for, and everything is possible.

So...why delay living life how you want it? Ask for the grace and blessings of God, or whoever you believe in, and start living your life exactly how you feel inside you want to. There's no blocks. Challenges, but no blocks. Challenges are good. Blocks are illusions.

If you do have some challenges or need some inspiration (as well all do from time to time), get a FREE 30 minute 1-2-1 coaching session or come on the NLA Becoming You course in Feb 2012 (Only 30 places! Apply before Dec 31st) and get clear, like a squeaky clean window. How beautiful ;)...


Sat Naam.

Savi Seeks - Interview with the Authors of Spiritual Poetry, A Disciples Journey [Video]

Dr. Savi is a friend of ours who kindly helped me and my brother Onkardeep Singh Khalsa produce the audiobook of our book Spiritual Poetry: A Disciple's Journey through his business KHL Interactive.

This production was a labour of love. Mamta Saha, founder of ThinkSpaLonon and a very dynamic coach, gave her time and energy as a guest voice for the book. Indi Kaur, a very talented musician gave us permission to use her beautiful music. Dr. Savi Arora produced and edited our audiobook in kind, giving us a whole business day and many more hours of editing, as all the proceeds from the audiobook are going directly to building a school in Ioriang village in Uganda.

Please help support the building of this school in Uganda by purchasing this audiobook, which is full of 1 hour 20 minutes of beautifully read poetry for just £8.99: http://www.payloadz.com/go/sip?id=1479426&aff_id=3924

Here is a video of the production of the audiobook which aired on the Savi Seeks show on the Sikh Channel on Friday 11th Nov 2011 at 10pm:

Savi Seeks - Interview with the Authors of Spiritual Poetry, A Disciples Journey

An Enlightened Singer: Jason Mraz

Hey everyone,

One of the singers who's music I completely enjoy and admire is Jason Mraz. His music has a consciousness to it, and his lyrics are always giving a Universal message of unity, peace, love, happiness & celebration. This kind of music in the music industry is rare.

Often people sing about fighting, money, attachment, sex and wild emotions which just causes more disturbance to the self. However, Jason's music calms the self because the space he comes from is full of love and stillness. Here is a video of Jason Mraz on the road (which should give you more of an insight into this incredible singer), exploring a building called the Integretron which is supposedly meant to have the most perfect acoustics in the world:

I'm So In Love [Poem]

I'm so in love, I'm so in love, with life and all its facets.
Each experience everyday brings me closer to this love.
Life is an incredible mystery, Divine in its origin.
This fool is in love with living life as an Odyssey.

Religiosity plays no part, the people are the Gods.
I worship their service, gives me satisfaction like wine.
Rich is that one, who gives all to the needy.
And leaves for himself, but a dime to eat with.

Still I do not know the way life will take me.
But my heart knows exactly what it wants.
You do not know what you want till you search deeply.
You just follow fame, fortune, ego very sheep-ly.

Whether I die and I'm gone, is no matter to me.
Just that I left the world better than what I see.
I cherish in good things like charity and simplicity.
I banish those things which eat away my clarity.

All of us sudden, from a deep sleep I see.
That the world is a beautiful place to live and be.
Each of us think we're chained, and yet we're free.
This is the test of choice, given by Divinity.

Thee and me, is no difference I see.
I do not know a God bigger than the real me.
For I encompass eternity, time and reality.
I am all there is, in what I see and don't see.

Free yourself from barriers. Free yourself from thoughts.
Free yourself from carriers. Free yourself from noughts.
Free yourself from anger. Free yourself from pains.
Free yourself from danger. Free yourself from stains.

For, this fool is in love with living life as an Odyssey.

Divine in its origin, life is an incredible mystery.
I'm so in love, I'm so in love, with life and all its ability.

Each experience everyday brings me closer to Infinity.


By Guru's Grace - JHBSK - 08/11/11

The Graceful Martial Art of Wu Shu

We just finished watching the film True Legend in which Su Can is looking to perfect the martial art of Wu Shu. He goes through many challenges, getting his arm broken, his father getting killed, and even losing his beloved wife Ying...but after all these horrifying set backs, he always manages to slowly pick himself up and learn something more about the martial art of Wu Shu.

Watching the film I felt such a deep connection and even yearning to practice and perfect a martial art which is graceful and mature like Wu Shu. The last time I did any martial arts was when I was around 10, learning a little Karate, and then 16, learning the Sikh martial art of Gatka (which is not really very difficult!).

I believe the reason for the deepness of my feeling is three-fold: one is that my family's ancestry are all warriors (Kshatriyas) and so its in my blood, two is that I really love physical fighting and God gave me a very hard fist for my build, and three is that my spiritual father, Guru Gobind Singh Ji, was very much akin to the perfected angel-like Wu Shu spiritual warriors shown in the movie. He was more destructive than even those who practised the darkest arts, and yet more delicate and sweet than a flower. He was a perfect spiritual warrior, born out of total compassion and kindness - a concept which today is virtually non-existent.


People who practice martial arts today either become too macho, full of anger and ego, or are too soft to ever be able to fight in reality. Rare...really rare...are those who have transcended their ego, their anger, their revenge, are fearless, sweet, kind hearted and extremely skilled martial artists. In the past people had time to dedicate to practising martial arts, these days there is hardly even 5 minutes spare to talk to a friend, let alone spend countless hours in training!


But what I think is achievable is 1 hour a week going to a martial arts lesson after work. It's good for de-stressing, letting out some steam and keeping the body fit at the same time. Intention is however important, a martial artist should never be overly ambitious to win every fight nor should derive pleasure from inflicting pain on another to prove they are better - I've seen martial artists suffer from both.


The real martial artist lives in the present moment, not distracted by winning, losing, emotions or thoughts, but completely present to every moment of the fight. Being present, time slows down and one can see everything much more clearly.


So, I think this is an exciting new chapter to my life. I look forward to going to my first martial arts lesson in a long time!

Recording of 5 Keys to Happiness Webinar [Audio]

Thanks to all those who attended the 5 Keys to Happiness Webinar. In case you missed it or want to listen to it again here is a link to it:
http://www.anymeeting.com/WebConference/RecordingDefault.aspx?c_psrid=E956DC89894E

Also, here are the slides to view or download:
http://portal.sliderocket.com/AKNOJ/Sample-Layouts

In your Service,

Jasdeep Hari Bhajan Singh Khalsa
NewLifeAwakening.com

10 Tips to Better Relationships

Relationships can be complex, when they go right they can fulfil our lives with tremendous joy, but when they go wrong it can feel like the end of the world - such is the power of love. So here are my top 10 tips to better relationships:

Tip #1: Expect Less - Nowadays people have high expectations, which come crashing down when they are not met. Expect less from your partner, live more simply.

Tip #2: Give More - People often forget to give to their partner - its in the giving that there is joy. So give a little more, stop being so selfish!

Tip #3: Look After Yourself - Remember that you are a person of equal value to your partner, however much you may love them. Remember to maintain yourself, take time to yourself, spend time with yourself.

Tip #4: Communicate Often - Communicate with your partner often, this is the only thing which lasts after physical beauty wanes - even right into old age!

Tip #5: Share Deep Thoughts - Often people forget to share their true deepest feelings, their true deep thoughts on nature, life, the universe, or whatever else is of interest. Remember to share with your partner at all levels, so you are left feeling totally fulfilled.

Tip #6: Forget Easily - We hold on to so much, even little things our partner has done wrong. Just drop it, forget it and move on - its a beautiful quality to have.

Tip #7: Love Freely - Jealously only comes into a relationship which has too much attachment. Love freely, don't restrict your partner from doing anything. Let the love flow freely like a bird, no one wants to be put into a cage.

Tip #8: Expand Your Circle of Love - Often in relationships couples become too concerned with each other and forget their friends and family and wider life purposes to some extent. Instead, as a couple you should go out, meet more people, make more friends and spread the love.

Tip #9: Feel The Love - Whenever any problem arises in a relationship, go back to your own heart and feel the love you have for your partner. Love gives us the strength to persevere through any problem or block.

Tip #10: Be Humble - Remember not to always have it your way, be humble and sensitive to other ways of doing things, always listen and take into account your partner's suggestions.

So applying all these top 10 tips, I don't see how your relationship cannot work out. Go on love birds - make it happen!

Quote of the Day - New Heights

"Humans have created machines to raise themselves to new heights, but have lost the capacity to raise themselves to the height of their infinite creative potential"