“The true standard of measurement for extraordinary outcomes
is that which brings extraordinary benefit and fulfillment
to me and to the lives of others. That’s success!“
- Steven K Scott
Yes, I experienced it, I really did; the intense feeling of true happiness and success. Not just temporarily, but extensively for an uninterrupted period of several months. This was simply the most significant ‘achievement’ of mine: finding clarity, peace and happiness in a hectic and high-demanding life. This phase took the entire first half of 2007 and I came out the other end with much insight and understanding about myself and my purpose.
I have never felt so complete and content as I did during this period. With the most rewarding being the absolute stillness I felt within myself and the understanding that we can be truly and absolutely happy with living a simple life with very little material possession. Now, if this is your first visit here, this may sound a little mystical and hand-wavy. No, I am not a hippy, nor am I religious. I am just a girl, going through life, seeking that which we are all seeking: happiness.
What is my secret to happiness and success?
The Inspirations
The catalysts which pushed me into this phase were four books, for which I am extremely grateful. These books are:
- The Power of Now, By Eckhart Tolle
- The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success, By Deepak Chopra
- Ways of the Peaceful Warrior, By Dan Millman
- Guaranteed Solutions, By Swami Nithyananda
I have gained so much wisdom through these books and each time I read them, it wasn’t the words which I was reading, but rather the message. The words from these pages brought me to a higher level of conscious awareness.
The Lifestyle
During the 6 months, I habituated several practices which helped me move into newer levels of understanding. My daily practices included:
- Meditation - Sitting in silent and calming my mind. 20-30 minutes a sitting. Twice a day.
- Listening to Meditative Music - Music have the power to shift our moods and calm our minds. I was particularly fond of Stan Richardson’s Japanese Flutes. Everyone who I’ve played it for love its calming effects.
- Vegetarianism - I was a raw vegan. You can read about Steve Pavlina’s current experiment with a raw diet. I loved the new gained energy I had. I did eat cooked food when dining out, but I refrained from eating meat.
- Mindfulness - I made a conscious effort to put my full awareness into anything that I was doing. Walking to work, preparing meals, eating, drinking water, listening to others talk.
- Being Inspired - I spent an hour a day reading or listening to something inspirational. I even hosted a weekly Eckhart Tolle meet-up group where we watched Tolle DVDs, meditated and connected with other people. This turned out to be a deeply enriching experience.
- Self Dates - I spent a lot of time with myself by myself. I overcame the need to be with other people and the fear of being alone.
- Daily Focus - From “The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success“, I broke the seven laws for each day of the week and focused on one each day. (more details below)
- Creative Expressions - photography, drawing or writing.
- Slowed Down - I stopped rushing from place to place, task to task, and started enjoying the miracles of Life; one moment at a time.
This may sound a little extreme, and I was indeed extreme. But I felt a compelling desire to do so, I felt a strong pull towards these practices, in order to satisfy a yearning from deep inside for peace, clarity and understanding.
What Is Success?
“Success in life could be defined as the continued expansion of happiness
and the progressive realization of worthy goals.
Success is the ability to fulfill your desires with effortless ease.“
- Deepak Chopra
Success is a topic I’ve spent many hours pondering and I’ve come to realize that it is so much more than just material wealth. Material wealth is only a small portion of your collective success potential. It is an experience as part of our journey as spiritual beings and yes, material wealth may make this journey more comfortable, but let’s not neglect the other dimensions of success: the success of sound physical health, fulfilling relationships, meaningful friendships, joy of self-expression, freedom from fear, the capacity to understand people and self-mastery.
Living The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success
In Deepak Chopra’s book, “The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success“, he gives us a spiritual look at success. You can have an extensive look at each law in his book, which goes into extensive detail. Here are the seven laws along with an example application found in the book:
1. The Law of Pure Potentiality
“The source of all creation is pure
consciousness… pure potentiality seeking expression from
the unmanifest to the manifest.
And when we realize that our
true Self is one of pure potentiality,
we align with the power that manifests everything in the universe.“
Example Application:
- ‘I will practice non-judgment. I will begin my day with the statement, “Today, I shall judge nothing that occurs,” and throughout the day I will remind myself not to judge.’
2. The Law of Giving
“The universe operates through dynamic exchange…
giving and receiving are different aspects of
the flow of energy in the universe.
And in our willingness to give that which we seek,
we keep the abundance of
the universe circulating in our lives.“
Example Application:
- ‘Wherever I go, and whoever I encounter, I will bring them a gift. The gift may be a compliment, a flower, or a prayer. Today, I will give something to everyone I come into contact with, and so I will begin the process of circulating joy, wealth and affluence in my life and in the lives of others.’
- ‘I will make a commitment to keep wealth circulating in my life by giving and receiving life’s most precious gifts: the gifts of caring, affection, appreciation, and love. Each time I meet someone, I will silently wish them happiness, joy, and laughter.’
3. The Law of Cause and Effect
“Every action generates a force of energy
that returns to us in like kind . .
what we sow is what we reap.
And when we choose actions that bring happiness and success to others,
the fruit of our karma is happiness and success.”
Example Application:
- ‘Whenever I make a choice, I will ask myself two questions: “What are the consequences of this choice that I’m making?” and “Will this choice bring fulfillment and happiness to me and also to those who are affected by this choice?”‘
4. The Law of Least Effort
“Nature’s intelligence functions with effortless ease . . .
with carefreeness, harmony, and love.
And when we harness the forces of harmony, joy, and love,
we create success and good fortune with effortless ease.“
Example Application:
- ‘I will practice acceptance. Today I will accept people, situations, circumstances, and events as they occur. I will know that this moment is as it should be, because the whole universe is as it should be. I will not struggle against the whole universe by struggling against this moment. My acceptance is total and complete. I accept things as they are this moment, not as I wish they were.’
- ‘Today my awareness will remain established in Defenselessness. I will relinquish the need to defend my point of view. I will feel no need to convince or persuade others to accept my point of view. I will remain open to all points of view and not be rigidly attached to any one of them.’
5. The Law of Intention and Desire
“Inherent in every intention and desire is the mechanics for its fulfillment . . .
Intention and desire in the field of pure potentiality
have infinite organizing power.
And when we introduce an intention in
the fertile ground of pure potentiality,
we put this infinite organizing power to work for us.“
Example Application:
- “I will make a list of all my desires. I will carry this list with me wherever I go. I will look at this list before I go into my silence and meditation. I will look at it before I go to sleep at night. I will look at it when I wake up in the morning.”
6. The Law of Detachment
“In detachment lies the wisdom of uncertainty . . .
in the wisdom of uncertainty list the freedom
from our past, from the known,
which is the prison of past conditioning.
And in our willingness to step into the
unknown, the field of all possibilities,
we surrender ourselves to the creative mind
that orchestrates the dance of the universe.“
Example Application:
- “Today I will commit myself to detachment. I will allow myself and those around me the freedom to be as they are. I will not rigidly impose my idea of how things should be. I will not force solutions on problems, thereby creating new problems. I will participate in everything with detachment involvement.”
7. The Law of Purpose in Life
“Everyone has a purpose in life . . . a unique
gift or special talent to give to others.
And when we blend this unique talent with service to others,
we experience the ecstasy and exultation of our own spirit,
which is the ultimate goal of all goals.“
Example Application:
- ‘I will make a list of my unique talents. Then I will list all the things that I love to do while expressing my unique talents. When I express my unique talents and use them in the service of humanity, I lose track of time and create abundance in my life as well in the lives of others.’
- ‘I will ask myself daily, “How can I serve?” and “How can I help?” The answers to these questions will allow me to help and serve my fellow human beings with love.’
How to Live the Seven Spiritual Laws?
Since there are seven principles, I focussed on a different law for each day of the week. Each morning, after waking up, I would read the law for that day and go over the three applications suggested. I would go about my day with these applications in mind.
I’ve found the applications to be a powerful exercise and served as an excellent reminder for where I wanted to be. In doing so, I felt a level of calmness that cannot be expressed in words.
I used seven index cards, and wrote a law on each one, and the respective applications on the back of each card.
Download: For your conveniences, I’ve created this set of cards in digital format for you to print out and try out for yourself.
(Download DOC Format) (Download PDF Format)Book: I highly recommend getting a copy of the book. I bought mine as a used copy from Amazon for about 50 cents.
What is your definition of Success? What has brought you the most happiness from your experience? Talk to us in the comments, we’d love to hear from you. See you there.
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