“TRUTH AND ENLIGHTENMENT

“TRUTH AND ENLIGHTENMENT The ultimate aim of meditation is achieving a state of enlightenment. The enlightenment has many degrees. The question which is frequently being asked is how to attain deeper enlightenment. The answer is quite simple: in order to attain deeper enlightenment you should learn to love the truth more deeply. The truth is the very essence of man, and can be perceived only if we are open enough. There are few people on earth who can recognize the entire truth about themselves and the world in which they live. Rare are those who are open and simple. The truth should stand high above any ego-game. If you can see the truth and are capable of choosing, then choose the truth. The truth is better than any other possibility, even better than the idea of attainment. We know that our ego helps in suppressing the truth in various efficient ways, for instance, by influencing our senses. Furthermore, our ego makes us run away from the current situation in order not to confront the truth of it. In that, the ego employs our intellect, even without us being aware of it. Therefore, protect yourselves consistently. You should be simple, and open, relaxed and conscious, alert and focused, and be above any ego-game. Let the truth always come first. The truth is not rough or terrible as it is often imagined. Rather the ego-game can be terrible. The truth is pure and shines like a diamond. Every idea is a limitation with respect to the truth. Even contemplating on truth represents a limitation of it. The truth is a Divine quality. Everyone has to find his/her own truth. One should be able to perceive, defend, and love the truth. Truth, just like love leads to enlightenment. Even the shallowest enlightenment – direct experience of the truth – is more valuable than the deepest intellectual insight. An ounce of practice is worth a see of theory. You should take part, and be aware of you process of individualization and striving for personal growth. Many people come to the very door of unconsciousness but they are unable to open it. This is not accidental, because nothing in life comes by chance. The greatest achievement is the fulfillment of one’s destiny. We should listen to ourselves, in order to find out what our inner wholeness, the God in us, wants us to undertake in a given situation. Furthermore, it is important to know that the true power of positive changes lies in the acceptance. Say “yes” to everything which is happening. To our “lower I” sometimes it appears impossible to equally accept good and bad, joy and pain. Nothing in the Universe is meaningless. You are one with the world around, one with the Universe. You can reach enlightenment, cosmic consciousness, in which love is the most prominent quality. Saying “yes” even to painful experiences enables us to comprehend the meaning of those experiences, and go through them intensively. If you are able to look at what brings you suffering, the change is already happening. The greater your ability to experience intensively, the weaker is the distinction between good and bad, pleasant and unpleasant. Start every sentence with “yes”. Out of a positive “yes” a constructive attitude for the future is being built up, which, in turn, opens new paths for developing our personality. We are used to good and positive things. Being afraid of negative experiences, we have lessened our capacity of feeling, and therefore closed ourselves even with respect to positive things. Our aim is not only to live better and easier, but also to live in harmony with the Universe, to be one with the whole creation, and with our “True self”. What we are going to do with our own lives depends only on us. Whether we are going to enter the world of enlightenment, new-age meditation, top mystical cosmic experiences, and realize the Truth, it depends only on us. Everything is in us. The enlightenment can come for an instant or for good. Therefore, make a step toward your “true self”, the one who you really are, the God in you.”

Stars Aligning

Usually it takes a lot of hard work, focus and determination to achieve big goals.
Sometimes, however, the stars align and you realize your goal quickly. This is an exception and is illustrated in this inspiring parable, which was shared by Azim Premji at his convocation address to the Institute of Technology in Madras, India.
An eight-year-old girl overheard her parents say that only a miracle could save her younger brother. So she took the savings from her piggy bank, a whopping $1.11, and went to a nearby pharmacy to buy a miracle. She stood in front of the counter and offered 25 cents in return for a miracle. The lady at the counter shrugged the little girl off by saying they didn’t sell miracles. The little girl offered 50 cents and received the same reply. She was persistent and offered 75 cents.
While this was happening, another customer in the store overheard the conversation. He asked her what kind of miracle she was looking for and her budget. She stated her brother was very sick, and her parents had said only a miracle could save him. She had all of her life’s savings to pay for this miracle: $1.11. The customer said, “This is exactly how much you need. Take me to your brother.” The customer happened to be a neurosurgeon, who performed the surgery her brother needed for $1.11.
If you have the conviction and are willing to give everything you have, even all of your life’s savings, you can perform miracles. In this case, the stars aligned, and the result came swiftly.

A True Leader

A leader is one who is able to lead the minds and intellects of the others around. If he thinks that he can lead by order and command, he is grossly mistaken. It will never work. Understand that everyone is directed by the mind, and the mind is directed by the intelligence.
A good leader must be able to touch the minds of his people, and also activate their intelligence. And how will he do that? Mind will respond to emotions. So have love, sympathy and concern. Be considerate. Whenever you say something to your assistants, keep the watchword, `consideration’ in your heart. Never dislike anybody. Not all are equally efficient. Some will surely make mistakes. But the world makes provision for all. So too your mind should make a provision for everybody. Evaluate your people well, keeping in mind their difficulties and needs.
In your talk, you must be able to generate rational response. Explain matters in a clear manner so that intelligence will accept the proposition. Whenever possible, share relevant thoughts and feelings with your coworkers and colleagues. This will lead to an additional bond. Only that leader who has integrity and allied qualities will be able to perform well. Professional merits spring and emerge from the mind and intelligence – not from the body. Your focus should be the mind.

சோதனையே சாதனை (அனுபவ பாடம் )

நான் கேட்காத வரம் மனிதனாய் பிறந்தது ,
வயதுக்கேற்றாற்போல் வளர்ந்தேன் ,
வசதிகளில் ஒன்றும் ஏற்றம் இல்லை ,
வறுமையின் கொடுமை ஏற்றம் தவிர !

நான் வாழவேண்டும் என
நினைத்தவர்களை காட்டிலும்
என் வீழ்ச்சியை எதிர்பார்தவர்களே அதிகம் ,
கருணை பார்வைகளின் கண்கள் காணமல் போய்
கொடுமையனவர்களின் கண்களில் சிக்கி தவித்தேன் !

தோல் கொடுக்க ஆள் இல்லை ,
தோல்வியை கொடுத்தவர்கள் தவிர ,
மனம் தளராமல் போராடினேன் ,
இரடி விழுந்தபோது எல்லாம் இலக்கார சிரிப்பு !

“எல்லாம் நல்லதே நடக்கும் ”
நம்பிக்கை வரிகள் நெஞ்சில் நாளுக்கு நாள் ஊன்ற
அவநம்பிக்கைகள் எண்ணங்கள் மெல்ல அழிய
நபிக்கை துளிர்கள் துளிர்க்க தொடங்கின !

கிடைத்த வாய்ப்புகளை கெட்டியாய் பிடித்தது
வளர்ச்சிப்படிகளை
ஒவ்வொன்றாய் தாண்டும் போது
இறைவனின் பரிட்சைகள் என்னை எடைபோட ,
சோதனைகளின் சூழ்சிகள்ஆரவாரம் போடா மனிதன் நான் ஆண்டவன் அவனிடம் மண்டியிட்டதை தவிர ஒன்றும் இல்லை !

தனிமையில் அழுதேன் ,
வாழக்கையை வெறுத்தேன் ,
வாழ முயற்சித்து வீழ்ந்தாரை உலகத்தின்
கேலி பார்வையில் எத்தனை கொடுமை செய்யும் ,
நினைக்கையில் மனம் புண்ணாக ,
உள்மனதில் மட்டும் ஒரே தாரக மந்திரம்
“எல்லாம் நல்லதற்கே “!

சிலசமயத்தில் சோதனைகளில்
இறைவன் என்னை பட்டை தீட்டி
மின்னும் வைரமாக ஆக்கி இருக்கிறான் ,
என்னை மெல்ல காய்ச்சி
வலுவான போர்வாளாக படைத்திருக்கிறான் ,
சோதனைகள் எல்லாம் என்னில்
அனுபவ பாடத்தை புகட்ட
சாதனை பயணத்தில் சிறு சிறு தடங்கல்கள் !

ஆயினும் ஆண்டவன்
சோதனைகளின் முடிவுகளில்
மனிதர்களின் மறு முகத்தை காட்டினான் ,
இதுவரை ஏமார்ந்த நான்
இதுமுதல் விழிக்க தொடங்கினேன் !

வெற்றி தோல்வி ,
துக்கம் சந்தோசம் ,
நண்பன் துரோகி ,
நன்மை தீமை ,
எல்லாம் பாடங்களால் பக்குவப்பட்டது ,

பரந்த உலகில் எனக்கென்ற வாய்ப்பை தேடினேன் ,
உண்மையோடு உழைப்போடு போராடினேன் ,
வந்த சிறு தடைகளையும்
படிகற்களாக மாற்றி
சாதனை பயணம் தொடங்கி
சாதித்துக் காட்டிக்கொண்டிருக்கிறேன் ,
நடந்தெதெல்லாம் நன்மையே ,
வென்று காட்டியது உண்மை ,உழைப்பு ,
தொற்றுப்போந்தோ பொய்யும் புரட்டும் ,
நடந்ததும் நன்மைக்கே ,
நடப்பதும் நன்மைக்கே ,
நடக்கவிருப்பதும் நன்மைக்கே ,
“எல்லாம் நல்லதே நடக்கும் “!

A Lesson in Life

A Lesson in Life

Everything happens for a reason.

Nothing happens by chance or by means of good or bad luck. Illness, injury, love, lost moments of true greatness and sheer stupidity all occur to test the limits of your soul. Without these small tests, if they be events, illnesses or relationships, life would be like a smoothly paved, straight, flat road to nowhere. If someone hurts you, betrays you, or breaks you heart, forgive them. For they have helped you learn about trust and the importance of being cautious to who you open your heart to.

If someone loves you, love them back unconditionally, not only because they love you, but because they are teaching you to love and opening your heart and eyes to things you would have never seen or felt without them.

Make every day count.

People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime. When you know which one is it, you will know what to do for that person.

When someone is in you life for a REASON, it is unusually to meet a need you have expressed. They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with guidance and support to aid you physically, emotionally or spiritually. They may seem to be like a god send and they are. They are or the reason you need them to be then, without any wrong doing on your part or at an inconvenient time, the person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end. Sometime they die, sometimes they walk away, some time they times they act up and force you to take a stand. What must we realize is that our need has been met? Our desire fulfilled, there work is done the person you sent up has been answered and now the time to move on.

Some people come into your life for a SEASON, because your turn has come to share, grow or learn. They bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh. They unusually give you an unbelievable amount of joy. Believe it, it is real. But only for a season.

LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons, things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation your job is to accept the lesson, love the person and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life. It is said that love is built but relation is clairvoyant, Thank you for being a part of my life, weather you were A REASON, A SEASON OR LIFETIME.

YOU ARE THE BEST…. YOU ARE UNIQUE…

ALL DAYS ARE NOT SAME….Some days are good and some bad;
All people are not…. Some appreciate and some criticize;
All relatives are not the same…. Some love us, some hate us;
We give best to all assignments…to all projects….
To every thing that we do…
Some we succeed and some time we fail.
There are also days of frustration and disappointments.
There are also people who accepts and other reject us.
Some time the disappointment, frustration, fear, thought of failure and pain of rejection is too deep and hurt our self-esteem and self-confidence. We feel useless, worthless and dejected.
Just during such days and such moments look into mirror and tell yourself.

‘I AM THE BEST”.

Why only during such times, everyday… once in a day you should tell yourself

“I am the best”

Doesn’t matter what the situation are:
Doesn’t matter what type of people are around you;
Doesn’t matter which phase of life… You are going through;

YOU ARE THE BEST,
YOU ARE SPECIAL.
YOU ARE UNIQUE.
YOU ARE DIFFERENT.
YOU ARE LOVABLE.

Appreciate every moment and take from it everything that you possibly can,

For you may never be able to experience it again.

Talks to people you have never talked to before, and actually listen.

Hold your head up because you have every right to.

Tell yourself you are a great individual and believe in yourself, for if you don’t believe in yourself, no one else will believe in you either.

You can make of your life anything you wish. Create your own life and then go out and live it.

Nature and Hinduism

Nature and Hinduism are so entwined that it is quite impossible to think about one without the other. The need for an ecological balance is stressed in the Vedas and Upanishads and this message is repeated in the Ramayana, Mahabharata, Gita, Puranas and in the messages of Hindu saints. Mother Nature is worshipped in Hindu religion. But for majority of Hindus, worship is confined to temples and homes and thus they are equal contributors in global warming, pollution and emissions.

Here are a few thoughts which ancient seers of Sanatana Dharma had shared more than 5000 years ago regarding the importance of nature and majority of them are highly relevant today.

•One should not destroy the trees. (Rig Veda Samhita vi-48-17)
•Plants are mothers and Goddesses. (Rig Veda Samhita x-97-4)
•Trees are homes and mansions. (Rig Veda Samhita x-97-5)
•Sacred grass has to be protected from man’s exploitation (Rig Veda Samhita vii-75-8)
•Plants and waters are treasures for generations. (Rig Veda Samhita vii-70-4)

Earth, in which lie the sea, the river and other waters, in which food and cornfields have come to be, in which lives all that breathes and that moves, may she confer on us the finest of her yield. Earth, in which the waters, common to all, moving on all sides, flow unfailingly, day and night, may she pour on us milk in many streams, and endow us with lustre. (From the Atharva Veda – Hymn to the Earth – Bhumi-Sukta)

May those born of thee, O Earth, be for our welfare, free from sickness and waste, wakeful through a long life, we shall become bearers of tribute to thee. Earth my mother, set me securely with bliss in full accord with heaven, O wise one, uphold me in grace and splendor. (From the Atharva Veda – Hymn to the Earth – Bhumi-Sukta)

•Earth, atmosphere, sky, sun, moon, stars, waters, plants, trees, moving creatures, swimming creatures, creeping creatures all are hailed and offered oblations. (Taittiriya Samhita i-8-13)
•One should protect the habitation. (Rig Veda Samhita vi-71-3)
•Waters as friends of man give full protection to his progenies. (Rig Veda Samhita vi-50-7)

•One shall take care of quadrupeds. (Taittiriya Samhita iv-4-10)
•One shall be auspicious to animals. (Taittiriya Samhita ii-3-14)
•One shall not find fault with animals. (Chandogya Upanishad ii-18-2)

•Waters represent splendor. (Atharva Veda Samhita iii-13-5)
•Waters bear off all defilements and cleanse people. (Vajasaneya Samhita iv-2)
•Whoever injures the essence of food, kine or steeds is a robber who sinks both himself and his offspring into destruction. (Rig Veda Samhita vii-104-10)
•Offerings are dedicated to waters of wells, pools, clefts, holes, lakes, morasses, ponds, tanks, marshes, rains, rime, streams, rivers and ocean. (Taittiriya Samhita vii-4-13)
•There was only water in the beginning. (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad v-5-1)
•Waters and herbs should have no poison. (Rig Veda Samhita vi-39-5)
•Waters are to be freed from defilement. (Atharva Veda Samhita x-5-24)
•Waters cleanse humanity from the evil of pollution committed by it. (Atharva Veda Samhita xii-2-40)
•Waters are healing and they strengthen one to see great joy. (Taittiriya Samhita vii-4-19)

The Mahabharata says that ‘even if there is only one tree full of flowers and fruits in a village, that place becomes worthy of worship and respect.’

‘No religion, perhaps, lays as much emphasis on environmental ethics as does Hinduism. It believes in ecological responsibility and says like Native Americans that the Earth is our mother. It champions protection of animals, which it considers also have souls, and promotes vegetarianism. It has a strong tradition of non-violence or ahimsa. It believes that God is present in all nature, in all creatures, and in every human being regardless of their faith or lack of it.’ Dr. David Frawley

We Hindus are always proud to hear others praise our culture. We publish them, discuss them in social circles but rarely follow the unparalleled teachings in our scriptures.

Lord Ganesha, Holy Cow, Worship of Mountains, Worship of Nagas (Snakes), Tulsi and the numerous other plants and animals that form part of Hindu worship are nothing but messages incorporated by wise Hindu Saints to teach us that we humans are part of nature and not outside it and above it.

The Hindu concept of Brahman, the Supreme Soul, suggests that all animate and inanimate and all born and yet to be born are part of Brahman. Therefore an imbalance in a particular part will affect all other parts. The Supreme Being then finds out a method to transform that defective part. Since Brahman is present in all, it is easy to transform. And we humans might term such a transformation as the End or Death or total annihilation. For the Supreme Soul, it is a small repair work carried out by a minute virus.

Mother Nature is not dependent on Human Beings but Human Beings are. Ancient Seers knew it and therefore they worshiped Nature. Modern Humans termed it as animism and replaced it with more refined worships. And the result of such a refined worship …

‘In our arrogance and ignorance we have destroyed the environment of this planet. We have polluted the oceans, we have made the air unbreathable, we have desecrated nature and decimated wildlife. But the Vedantic seers knew that man was not something apart from nature, and, therefore, they constantly exhort us that, while we work for own salvation, we must also work for the welfare of all beings.’ Karan Singh

Only a people’s movement can save the earth from destruction. We are armed with wise teachings of our saints. Now what we need is its implementation.

Bhagavad Gita and Wealth Creation

Bhagavad Gita and money and Hindu spirituality and wealth creation are still perceived as odd combinations and it often raises several eyebrows. If a Hindu wants to take the spiritual path, the first advice is ‘give away all your money and wealth and head towards the Himalayas.’ Who needs money in a Himalayan Cave? But to be spiritually oriented and to live in a society we need money and we need to generate wealth. Generating wealth through hard work is not a sin. But money is like water. Water is essential for survival but it can also drown the life it sustains.

Bhagavad Gita helps us in striking a balance – it shows us how to create wealth, enjoy it and not to drown in it.

To create wealth the brain has to be challenged continuously and we have to put to use it in family, society, market and in business deals. Family, community and business are all realities and when faced with these realities many begin to tremble. Qualifications and abilities melt and many resign to a quiet life in the corner of a large government building or in a private sector company. Some at this juncture take to spirituality – for them everything is Maya – leave children and wife and head towards the Himalayas to seek God. In Bhagavad Gita, Arjuna when faced with the realities of life wanted to take refuge in meditation and spirituality. Krishna scoffed at that Arjuna who could not face reality.

Real spirituality is the one which is practiced in society and not in caves. Look at the profile of the successful entrepreneurs in independent India, majority of them faced the reality and addressed the challenges boldly. They did not take refuge in caves or in fate.

Spirituality today is spending time in satsangs, visiting temples, donating money in the hope that the Lord will automatically make one a multibillionaire. This spirituality has no meaning at all and it is the product of ignorance. Did Krishna fight for Arjuna? No, but by sitting in the chariot, God or Brahman or Spirit was stating that it lives in the heart of every single individual. But we have to bring it out when we interact with the society, and realize the potentiality hidden in us. In Sanatana Dharma, God does not sit in the heaven instead Brahman exist in each one of us. There is no point in meditating and chanting mantras, if we cannot realize our potentiality and bring it into action. Arjuna was finally ready for action when he realized the Krishna in him.

When you are ready for action by realizing the Krishna or Brahman in you, wealth and success automatically follows. When the spiritual strength hidden inside is realized, one automatically overcomes the physical and intellectual strength that may be lacking. It is this spiritual strength that helped Gandhiji to overpower the British Empire.

Most of us does not like to work. Many are forced to work and do it halfheartedly. Learn to enjoy what you are doing, whether it is cleaning the table or writing a program or playing. When you enjoy doing something, you will automatically excel in it. Quite often instead of enjoying the work, we worry more about what we will get from it. Instead of concentrating on the cleaning of the table, the waiter is more bothered about the tip the guest will offer, the programmer is thinking about increment and player is thinking about endorsement. Net result is that we do the job badly, we don’t enjoy the work or the moment and ultimately all the monetary dreams are shattered.

The Bhagavad Gita says

Work done with selfish motives is inferior by far to the selfless service or Karma-yoga. Therefore be a Karma-yogi, O Arjuna. Those who seek (to enjoy) the fruits of their work are verily unhappy (because one has no control over the results). (2.49)

Our selfishness is always thinking about the end product and to create wealth without hard work. Put heart and soul in whatever you do because it is more worthwhile than chanting mantras. When you work wholeheartedly, you are indulging in creation and it touches the spirit in you and you experience spirituality. Wealth, success and fame will automatically follow.

But what if I fail? This is lack of self confidence. This comes out of unnecessarily thinking about the fruits of your work. Rarely does one achieve success in first attempt. Each failure teaches us several lessons. Each failure takes us close to success. Every work creates a result, so work without getting attached to results.

Bhagavad Gita says

A Karma-yogi gets freedom from both vice and virtue in this life itself. Therefore, strive for Karma-yoga. Working to the best of one’s abilities without getting attached to the fruits of work is called (Nishkaama) Karma-yoga. (2.50)

When we succeed we are happy, when we fail we are unhappy. But what was our state of mind when we were working. Gita is more interested in the state of mind when you were working. Krishna asks Arjuna to enjoy the moment and do the work efficiently. Arjuna should think about the first arrow that he will aim at Bhishma not about the last arrow striking Bhishma. Each arrow send by Arjuna will find an answer from Bhishma, Arjuna has to answer all these arrows before reaching the final arrow. Similarly, each moment you have to stand up to challenges, take risks and by enjoying each moment, you slowly move towards the victory podium. Finally, when you reach the victory podium you will only have a smile left because you already tasted bliss.

While doing a work be rooted in yourself. Bhagavad Gita calls such a person ‘Sthiraprajna’ – a person of steady wisdom and self knowledge and who cannot be shaken. To create wealth and to enjoy it, you need to be a ‘Shiraprajna’ and then you will realize that your very nature is happiness.

These are just my thoughts and experiences. Pick up the Bhagavad Gita and read it and it will answer your problems and create wonderful ideas and thoughts in you.

I WANDERED LONELY AS A CLOUD

Written at Town-end, Grasmere. The Daffodils grew and still grow on the margin of Ullswater and probably may be seen to this day as beautiful in the month of March, nodding their golden heads beside the dancing and foaming waves. – William Wordsworth, 1804

I WANDERED lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o’er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees, 5
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay: 10
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced; but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay, 15
In such a jocund company:
I gazed – and gazed – but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood, 20
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.

– William Wordsworth, 1804

Do you trust your gut?

Do you trust your gut?

Give your your sixth sense more credit than it deserves – listening to your gut instinct even when rationality tempts you in the other direction can have surprising results sometimes. So what exactly is a gut feeling?

Experts say that a gut feeling is nothing but an instinctive emotional reaction to a particular thing or situation. “Gut feelings are not channeled by the conscious mind, but are usually a reflection of intuition rather than rationality. An individual usually develops gut feelings through his/ her observations and experiences as one grows older.”

Is it important?
Although it may be helpful to listen to your gut feeling in some situations, it could be detrimental in others. Ever felt uncomfortable when you met someone for the first time for some inexpressible reason? Got a bad vibe from a colleague you thought you knew well? Had a feeling that someone was lying to you? Felt a strange sense of foreboding? Listen to it. But remember that it is equally important to keep a check on which gut feeling you are listening to and what the consequences of following your gut feeling will be.

Some feels that knowledge is powerful and almost 80 per cent of our knowledge is not readily available to our conscious mind. “Instinct or intuition is tapping into this knowledge reserve, which belongs to the unconscious and subconscious levels of our mind apart from the mere 20 per cent of our conscious mind reserves, to make decisions. Obviously, if we use knowledge to make decisions, they are going to be more accurate.”

Why you should listen to it?
It is important to listen to your gut feeling since it is the storehouse of information, both when you’re conscious and unconscious. If we are using only what we know of consciously, we are using only 20 per cent of knowledge available to us to make accurate decisions. When our conscious mind is flooded with emotional garbage during stressful times, instinctual knowledge and the ability to make decisions based on instincts can be very self assuring.

Clinical Psychologists says that everyone has intuitive knowingness at their core – you simply need to uncover it. “There are often times in life when, a problem cannot be solved by mere intellect alone. There is more that needs to be addressed, something that requires a certain measure of creativity, experience and inspiration. And intuition is a kind of knowing and understanding that relies upon the capacity to read signals, clues and patterns, often based on previous experience,”

Intuition is a valuable tool that each of us carries. If you learn to listen to it and use it to your benefit, especially when it comes to important decisions, you can begin to become more confident in yourself, reduce self-doubt and become empowered by it. Don’t base all your decisions on your gut, but don’t ignore it either.

Calm is All Nature as a Resting Wheel by William Wordsworth

Calm is all nature as a resting wheel.
The kine are couched upon the dewy grass;
The horse alone, seen dimly as I pass,
Is cropping audibly his later meal:
Dark is the ground; a slumber seems to steal
O’er vale, and mountain, and the starless sky.
Now, in this blank of things, a harmony,
Home-felt, and home-created, comes to heal
That grief for which the senses still supply
Fresh food; for only then, when memory
Is hushed, am I at rest. My Friends! restrain
Those busy cares that would allay my pain;
Oh! leave me to myself, nor let me feel
The officious touch that makes me droop again.