This is a seven part series that will take you on a journey to explore your chakras. You will learn of their position within the body and the various symptoms in your life that indicate what is happening within them. You will receive tips on how to address the aspects of life that are out of balance and you will learn simple meditations upon each of the chakras to help restore balance. 


We start at the base of the spine and work our way upwards. 


The Root Chakra


The root chakra is located at the very base of our spine. In Sanskrit this is known at the Muladhara chakra and its colour is red. 

If we feel that we belong within a community we will have a strong sense of connection and our chakra is nice and balanced.  We will feel safe and most likely have a strong connection with others in our family or local community. 

AFFIRMATION FOR THIS CHAKRA:

"I am connected to all of life." 
"I choose to see how I am connected with all of life."

ADDRESS THE FOLLOWING ISSUES TO IMPROVE THE BALANCE


If you are experiencing issues of survival in your life, then at some level you are dealing with issues related to this chakra. Here are some areas you may want to address in your life, with some tips on how to begin that process. 

1. You may experience lots of worry or anxiety about problems. Are they problems you have a solution for? If so, take some action. Are they problems there is no way out of? What is being called for in this situation is a process of acceptance. 
   
2. Your safety may feel threatened in some way shape or form. Where do you feel unsafe? What are you worried about losing? Can you let go of that fear? What would it take to feel safe once more? What is the next step you can take?
   
3. Abandonment fears may cause blockages in this chakra. This may require some deep healing and forgiveness work. It may be helpful to find some guidance from a counsellor or someone else you trust. 
4. Any issues with your family of origin or the religious environment you grew up in can be reflected in this chakra. Address the issues head on with compassion and love and you can balance the chakra once more. It may mean cutting out toxic relationships or asking others for forgiveness. 
5. Do you stand up for yourself? Or do you let people walk all over you? As you stand up for yourself, the energy flows. 

A MEDITATION UPON THE ROOT CHAKRA

1) When you are in meditation, focus your attention on the base of your spine and picture a red circle. 

2) Begin to tone a deep "Om" sound whilst maintaining attention and focus on this chakra. Repeat this process 7 times on that same spot and be aware of any messages from your body. 

3) Be aware of the releasing of energy over the next few days. You may notice emotional issues coming to the surface. Don't judge them, simply allow yourself to feel them and allow them to move through you. Love yourself!!


Next time, we learn about the sacral chakra, central to the manifestation of your hearts desires upon your earthly quest!



This quick test below can give you an indication of the status of your root chakra, as well as the other chakras of your body. It is well worth taking 3 minutes to assess this for yourself!

You may have just started meditating. You may be meditating regularly. You may not notice anything changing in your outer world. How do you know it is working for?

I have been meditating for years now and sit for 90 minutes at a time. That is not expected of any beginner, or even advanced meditator. It is my choice. The reason I mention it is because there is a reason I continue to make the choice to do this every day and it wasn't because it was putting more money in the bank. The benefits are often a lot more subtle! 

Here are some simple questions you could ask yourself after about 4 weeks of practicing meditation. Then, you could ask them every few weeks to continue to track your progress.

Are other people commenting on changes in your behaviour? Ask around. You are in your head all day, others will notice changes in you that you yourself may not have.

Are you better at concentration than you used to be? With a regular meditation practice you should find that throughout your days you are better able to concentrate on daily tasks. 

Are you noticing any changes in your posture? Muscle tension is a cause of poor posture and the pains associated with it. Regular meditation can relax the muscles and help restore posture.

Are you more aware of your actions towards others? You may not always be able to control your temper and that is ok, you are a work in progress. But hopefully you will at least be more aware of those times when you do.

What behaviors have you become aware of that you want to change about yourself? As we meditate we become more aware of the behaviors that can hold us back in certain areas of life.

Do your meditations seem to go by quicker, even when they are longer? When we truly enjoy something, time can fly by in a moment. This is the reason that the most seasoned of meditators are able to sit for hours in meditation.

Are you noticing more of the beauty in the world? You may find that you have become much more aware of the small things in life and find yourself appreciating them more. This is definitely a side effect of meditation.

And finally, are you attracting more hippies in to your life? Hippies can smell meditators, they notice the glow in your eyes and they want to know you. So if there are more of them around you, your meditation is working!


Review these questions every so often and you will be able to see that the meditation is indeed having a positive effect on your well being. 


This is an excerpt from "How To Meditate: A Beginner's Guide". It is $2 and you can download it to your iphone, tablet or computer and tap in to your meditation practice more regularly. Included are a number of meditation examples. What is cool about this is that as I add new meditations you will be able to access them, at no extra cost! :) Click on the picture below and begin your journey today....

"If it wasn't for my mind, my meditation would be excellent."

                         - Pema Chodron


"How hard could it be to meditate?" This is a question asked by many who have yet to sit for the first time. You may think that during your day you sit and do nothing, but if you truly tune out all the background noise you will probably find that you are actually chattering constantly away in the back of your mind. And it will soon become obvious as to how many petty thoughts you think in one day and how much resistance those thoughts bring to the simple act of sitting in silence.

Our little mind resists meditation and will throw out a whole bunch of reasons as to why you cannot take the time to meditate. It is worth being aware of some of the common forms of resistance so that you can move beyond them. 

1) "There are too many responsibilities to attend to in life." The funny thing is we can ignore these responsibilities throughout the rest of our day, but we have to sit and meditate and suddenly now we have thoughts that tell us we should be doing this or that. You are only dedicating a few minutes to meditation to start with, those responsibilities will get met later on in the day. Make a promise to your chatty mind that you will address it later. Meditation is your responsibility to yourself. 

2) Nasty negative emotions and thoughts seem to arise a whole lot more. When we meditate we oftentimes surface the various parts of ourselves that need our healing attention. Anything that is in the way of feeling calm and peaceful is going to surface for you to release. This can be a reason that many people want to avoid meditation, to avoid those raw feelings. Sometimes they release during the meditation, sometimes they do not. If you are finding that some strongly negative feelings are emerging, be sure to speak with a counsellor or therapist who can help you. These feelings do not indicate that your meditation is not working. On the contrary they are telling you that it is working very well.

3) Our chatty little mind would have us believe that sitting and meditating is not going to benefit us. The days when we least want to meditate, the days when that voice is the loudest, are the days when you will probably experience the most profound breakthroughs in your meditation. You will have those days, we all do.  Even those of us who have been at it for years. On those days insist that you do it, breathe through the resistance and the turbulent thoughts. This is like the mental and emotional resistance to a tough workout, you will be grateful afterwards.

4) "Nothing has changed in my life, it cannot be working." Meditating will not suddenly make you richer, more successful or better looking. Sure, some of these things may occur over time as a result of the awareness that comes with meditation. But the true value of meditation is who we become in the process. It is easy to measure tangible changes in our outer world, not so easy to measure the changes that happen within us. Instead of looking and expecting your outer world to change, be aware of some of the subtle changes within yourself that others may be mentioning. Are you kinder? More gentle? More calm? Less anxious? These are all very positive experiences that come with long-term practice. 

5) Our ego resists the joy it does not understand. Joy and happiness come through a choice to allow them in. Our resistance to meditation could be our resistance to allowing those states of being in our life. Maybe you had religious conditioning that said you did not deserve it, or societal beliefs that it is not possible, or fears you yourself generated through life experience. To your ego mind, life as it knows it is comfortable. Life as it does not know it is uncomfortable. So not only is your mind resisting the negative thoughts and emotions, it is resisting the positive feelings of joy and happiness. "It is our light not our darkness, that scares us." Famous words from Marianne Williamson. Remember that your thoughts of fear are not always fearing the bad, but sometimes fearing the good that is unknown to the ego. 

Resistance is bound to come up, but it is only the part of you that resists the change that is speaking up. Beyond that resistance lies the very experience you are seeking for in meditation. I have been meditating for years, and now I sit for 90 minutes at a time. Sometimes I experience total peace, other times my little mind wants to yap away out of discontent. 

Many of us learned from society or family that our worth is tied in to our jobs, our financial success, our bodies, our sexuality, our appearance, our degrees (or lack of) and many other material things. God knows I have allowed these to paralyze me in my time as I struggled to find approval that never came from others. 

When we can feel worthy independent of these states of existence, we continue to attract all the gifts life has to offer and feel confident in life. We are just not paralyzed by a need to possess these things for our sense of worth and are free from what others may think of us.

Many people are aware that at some level they have tied their worth in to one of these. What is important to know is how to transcend that, how to see yourself worthy because of who you are.

Here are some steps you can take:

1) Identify where self-worth issues are affecting your peace of mind. 

What do you think you need to manifest in your life to be valued/appreciated/loved/heard? Be honest with yourself, your subconscious is something that has been programmed since a young age! Be kind to yourself when you recognise how you have tied your worth in to any extraneous factor. Self-judgement prevents us from healing the wounds.

2) Programme your mind with the thoughts you would like to think about yourself.

Affirmations can work in this situation, I believe it. We have come to our present thoughts about ourselves through thinking them repetitively. New thoughts repeated create a new state of being for ourselves. Examples would be something like:

"I am worthwhile because of who I am."
"I am a child of spirit/universe/God."
"I am free from the good opinions of others."

3) Release the shame and guilt that destroys self-worth.

Let go of the shame you feel when you are missing the very thing that you believe defines your worth. EFT is particularly helpful in this situation. Identifying and releasing shame is not something that we can always do by ourselves, and sometimes we need someone else to support us through the process.  Be sure to find a compassionate heart to share with.

4) Chooses practices that take you beyond the influence of the mind. 

The goal of yoga and meditation is to take you beyond the mind. I have witnessed many limiting beliefs simply burn away as a result of daily kriya yoga practice. What kind of meditation practice calls you? There are many to choose from!

Your worthiness is not related to what you have received in life, it is the core of who you are.

Many people say that we cannot learn from fantasy because it is not real life. I will have to respectfully disagree; many of the great literary characters of this genre have helped me become a better man.

I love the fantasy genre; it seems to evoke something deep within me, a sense of adventure or hint at what is possible for those who believe in the power of the light to overcome the dark. Whether it is full of magic, mythical creatures or great battles this is a genre that speaks to me. The messages I received from some of my favourite stories transcends the outer show, it is the essence of the characters themselves that speak so much to me.

1) The Hobbit

Gandalf places an amazing amount of faith in the Hobbit, a faith that many of his dwarf companions do not have. Over time Bilbo proves himself to be a worthy part of their team. He is the odd one out and in the beginning he feels it. Over time, embracing the qualities that exist within him, he is able to build trust by simply being himself but also taking courageous steps. The qualities that Gandalf sees in him, the ones he does not even see in himself, prove to be the very qualities that serve the adventure.

"Some believe it is only great power that can hold evil in check. But that is not what I have found. I have found that is the small every-day deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay. Small acts of kindness and love."

                                                       - Gandalf

Many of us feel undervalued in the world for the gifts that we bring. They are often invisible gifts, our compassion, our love, our strength, our wisdom, and our intuition. Our world all too often values the more visible qualities such as the warrior traits of the dwarves or the wealth of the kings. What if we began to place more value on the traits that are inherent within ourselves?

2) Name of the Wind

The character of Quothe could be a great inspiration to many. Though he finds challenges with making money along the way it does not stop him from going towards his dreams, something I can relate to deeply. Ever since a meeting with an alchemist he is inspired to become one himself, harnessing the magical powers that so obviously exist within him. The university costs money, both his parents are dead and his funding is limited. He fearlessly shows up at the university to present himself before the committee who decides whether or not he can attend. Yes, he worries about the lack of money and the fact that he is underage, but his confidence in his abilities are enough to earn him a place amongst the great alchemists of his country. The money also seems to find a way to show up, he is simply encouraged to trust.

At times his arrogance overtakes him and he makes more trouble for himself than he probably needs to, but many people have resonated with the depth of the character created by Patrick Rothfuss. And then there is the quality of the writing itself. This author evokes such awesome imagery with the words he uses, so much so that you are truly in the experience with them. You can feel the depth of despair in certain towns, the beauty of the music that Quothe plays, and the pain of the character who is retelling his past to willing ears. 

3) Harry Potter

Harry is an ordinary kid as far as he concerned. He knows that he does not quite fit in with the bizarre people in his family. Most of all he is mistreated for his gifts, condemned by his uncle and teased by his cousin. It is only when he is taken on an adventure and shown Hogwarts that he realises he has gifts for the world, that the very things he his teased for are what will allow him to fulfill his destiny. He fits in by being himself.  We witness him evolving from a slightly scared boy to a man with determination and a passion to do the right thing, the classic journey of the hero. His relationship with Voldemort is very symbolic of our own battles with the darkness that resides within and the sacrifices that must be made to overcome it. It is only through finding himself in a supportive environment with steadfast mentors such as Dumbledore that he can bring out his gifts. It is a reminder to all of us that in the right environment we too can harness the parts of ourselves that we maybe have been afraid to show the world!

4) Game Of Thrones

“Bran thought about it. 'Can a man still be brave if he's afraid?'
'That is the only time a man can be brave,' his father told him.” 

― George R.R. Martin, A Game of Thrones

The genius of the characters in Game of Thrones is difficult to miss. We do not know who is truly bad and who is good, every character possesses traits that could be classed as good and bad. In some circumstances Jamie Lannister can seem like a loathsome #@$%, but in other places we read from his point of view we see that he is far more complex and still possesses human goodness. Even the seemingly good characters such as Caitelyn Stark have their dark nature that overcomes them as they commit foolish or unspeakable acts. She loves her own kids but is like the evil stepmother to Jon Snow, the son of her late husband Eddard Stark. This reminds me that each of us is the dark and the light and that the best we can do, as Joseph Campbell says, is lean towards the light. Some who grow up in quite evil environments are, with as much gusto as possible, leaning as much towards the light as they can from their lot in life. Then of course there are the Joffreys of the world, people with seemingly no redeemable characteristics and extreme cowardice behind a snarky demeanour.

5) The Ramayana

Any fan of fantasy is sure to enjoy the epic Indian text, the Ramayana. This is far from pure entertainment; it has deeply profound messages for those with ears to hear. We could look at it simply as a story about some kings and warriors but the yogic masters who wrote it had far greater purpose for it. Each of the characters represents the shadow and light within each of us. Many of them are personifications of the 5 elements - earth, water, air, fire and ether. The great monkey Hanuman is an embodiment of wind, or the air element, taking great leaps over the land and inflating himself to monumental sizes to tackle the enemy.

Then there is Rama himself, seemingly perfect, powerful and unstoppable, the kind of man each of us wishes we could be. He represents that part of us that is truly of the highest order, the part that we get glimpses of within our life. He accepts his role with dispassion refusing to succumb to the temptations of a lower existence. More than anything he exemplifies the king in his wholeness, the one who lives solely to serve his kingdom and is a powerful reminder to each of us as to what we could become.

I could go deep in to the symbolism behind this, but that is for another day. Read the Ramayana for yourself, if you have not already done so. Meditate upon the words, what wisdom do you glean from it?

These are just snippets of the wisdom I have harnessed from the likes of JK Rowling, George RR Martin, JRR Tolkien, Patrick Rothfuss and Valmiki (author of the Ramayana). There is much more that I could mention these are the points that stand out for me. And what I believe is that you will see something different in each of these stories for yourself. I would love to hear what captures you about them, what you have learned from them and how they have influenced your life.

Here in Canada it is thanksgiving, a day when the collective focuses on gratitude for all that we have been gifted with. Of course most of us believe it would be beautiful if everyone shared his or her gratitude every moment of every day. I am certain that the ripple on effect is much more enhanced on days like this and it brings a lot of smiles when reading the facebook pages of others.




                                       "To speak gratitude is courteous and pleasant, to enact gratitude is 
                                   generous and noble, but to live gratitude is to touch Heaven."

                                                        ~Johannes A. Gaertner 



It was only through my adventures as a Gratidude that I realised how challenging it was for me to express feelings of gratitude and I was surprised how much negative attention it received. Believe it or not there were days when I was challenged to share it due to the insults from those who thought we were an annoyance to their day. I grew up in a town where I believed expression of such feelings ( especially for young men ) would have been considered "touchy feely" and incited some form of torment. It often did, until I learned to shut it down. Joseph Stalin even said; "Gratitude is a sickness suffered by dogs." It goes to show where a lack of gratitude can take us if we share his thoughts. I am not sure anyone can know how challenging it was for me the first time I did the Gratitude Dance in front of 600 teenagers, but they embraced it and my vulnerability had been rewarded. The positive experiences outweighed the negative ( and those negative experiences were only negative as long as I perceived them that way ) and I feel stronger in my life as a result of being fortunate enough to share it with so many. And now I want to share why I think it can make your life better too. 

                               "Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others."

                                                               - Marcus Tullius Cicero


When I begun sharing I thought I understood gratitude's power fully enough, but I was way off. Gratitude has the power to change your life in to something truly amazing. Sometimes it is not always easy to see the gratitude. In the beginning when Brad and I shared our message we were living off pennies to our name. We did what we could and for all of that we were grateful. There have been many challenges along the way, but amidst the bleakest of days there were blessings to be found. Even in times of the deaths of loved ones. The trick was in finding those blessings. Now years later I am seeing that the constant and never ending gratitude changed my life more than I could have ever imagined. It took persistent effort, honesty with myself, and a desire to be happy independent of life's situations. Have I mastered it? I am on human journey, there is always room for greater self realisation. 

"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend."

                                                               - Melody Beattie

Finding the gratitude for the people and experiences that have hurt me has brought some of the greatest healing. Of course I allow myself to go through the stages of sadness, anger and even desires for revenge (without acting on it). I refuse to carry an insincere facade of positivity, but my desire is to find the best within all situations and to get to the place of gratitude for everything and everyone no matter how difficult it seems, or how much my ego resists. I would hope others would want to find that peace with me and we need to give in order to receive. When I am able to find that space of gratitude for them, I am a step closer to finding peace.  Sometimes I can find it within a day, some of my greatest challenges I am still seeking greater depths of gratitude for. We probably have to experience all human feelings, but know that gratitude is one that we really have to stand up for in our life. A daily effort and the help of compassionate and understanding mentors and friends yields the happiness we seek. And of course spend time meditating, for it is through meditation that we can transcend the duality of life and experience the bliss that is changeless. 

On this Thanksgiving Day I want to send out a big thank you to all of you in the world who have taught me to be happy, whether through our friendship or our differences. It has made me stronger, it has enhanced my faith in our world and our people, and it has made me want to live each day in service to others, paying it forward. May all your years be blessed, and may you find the blessing in whatever situation you find yourself in today. 

There are many versions of the Bagavad Gita circulating, influencing the spiritual paths that millions choose to walk. A timeless text full of allegory and metaphors, it can speak to us at every level of our journey. Each time I read it I peel back another layer of the onion that is my spiritual casing. 

I have digested a few copies in my lifetime, each taking me on a deeper journey down the rabbit hole. The version by Easwaren sits by my bedside, a simple read and translation, easily digestible in the moments before I retire for the night.

These last few weeks I have been ravenously digesting "God Talks With Arjuna: The Bagavad Gita" by Paramhansa Yogananda, in tandem with the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.  I smile as the words wind their way through my consciousness as a much deeper understanding of each of the verses of this text is broken down in to the most minute of details. Suddenly simple phrases that I glossed over have taken on a whole new meaning. 

I had been aware of some of the symbology of the great battle, one that represents the battle that happens within each and every one of us who are attempting to connect with our higher power in every day living. Yogananda takes it much deeper, dedicating time and intuitive insights to the symbology of each of the prominent characters within the text. You will relate to each and every one of them, the good and the evil, because they exist within us all. 

This is not an intellectual thesis; this is based upon Yogananda's own deep intuitional dialogue with the truth at the heart of the matter. Listen deeply as you read and I trust you will feel the words yourself, in a space just behind the intellectual meaning of them. 


                                    "Material desire is the supreme ruler in the person who does not meditate." 

Over the years I have meditated daily, and in the few years that I have been following the guidance of Yogiraj Gurunath Siddhanath the experience has become that much more blissful. But the path has not been devoid of challenges, and at times it has felt like there was nobody to turn to who could share their authentic experience of the path. At times it has been difficult to remind myself that I have been making progress when the din of life's responsibilities drown out the bliss on the dark days. Yogananda provides that voice of encouragement for me on many occasions and this book hits the mark beautifully for me. I seem to pick it up to read it and catch the exact words I need to hear that day. 


"He feels distressed and bewildered realising he has neither passing pleasures, nor inner joys. Since he has neither, he pacifies his discouragement by proclaiming he wants neither. If he doesn't pull himself out of this indifference, he becomes a slothful devotee whose spiritual life will stagnate and die. But if he continues to persevere, he finds that this state is only a momentary vacuum in his sahdana ( spiritual practice )." 

A few months ago I could not see the point of all this meditating as I was not experiencing the joys inwardly and it seemed like nothing but setback was happening in the world of earthly pleasures. I was doubting the point of even seeking this idea of God, one I was seeking based only upon the proclaimed experience of another who had been there first. But intuitively I trust the wisdom of Yogiraj Gurunath and from somewhere inside I am grateful that I found the strength to persevere because the faith in my chosen path is greater than it has been for a long time. 


"The beginner devotee, nevertheless, may be so attached to immediate material passions that he passes through these periods of irrational doubt in which he does not crave the bliss and security of the cosmic consciousness, with its mastery over the three worlds."  

If I did not have some material desires I would probably be enjoying a life in some other realm altogether. Through the practice of my meditation and what I term the grace of God, I am blessed with the material desires that want to be experienced. At the same time I am released of the attachment to them. There have been many material desires in my past, some fulfilled, some still waiting for their moment in the sun. There are many that I am enjoying in my life at the moment and this text reminds me of the source of all of them. And if ever the fear of losing them rears its head I have the wisdom from the great sages and the practice of  Kriya Yoga, my Excalibur (the sword of truth), to keep me on track. 

This path has required dedication and concentration and relinquishing the doubts of not knowing anything about the happiness existing beyond this physical realm. It has required me trusting myself in the face of the doubts of others, knowing intuitively that this is my path, even if it is not theirs. After the end of the meditation I carry a new sense of inner peace with me throughout the day, one that was not there in times gone by. Our material successes can be measured due their tangible nature, our spiritual successes can only be known inwardly by the level of peace we experience. 

This book comes (in two volumes) with a hearty recommendation from me. The volumes themselves are beautiful but they serve no purpose if they only decorate your walls. This is one to sit and read, write your own notes beside, and meditate upon deeply. Maybe you will agree with him, maybe it will make you mad, but I believe that you will find some purpose in taking the time to digest the words of this great yogic master. 

For many of us the word "failure" has been enshrined with shame, and we can quickly recall the multitude of failed relationships, businesses, exercise programs and spiritual endeavours. No failure is permanent unless we allow it to be, and by feeling shame about it, we make it's permanency more probable. In fact after this you will begin to question whether failure even exists in your vocabulary. This is the case as much for our spiritual growth, as much as it is for the material experiences of life. 

I have experienced many failures in my time, but none of them were ever permanent and that is why I want to share the following tips with you. They helped me, and I believe they will help you if you are still burdened by the past. All my failures were slight detours from which I learned many valuable insights.

Here are some tips I have for any of you who are caught up in your negative frame of mind about experiences of failure: 

1) Let go of the feelings of shame. Shame yourself for the failure and you will stay down, unable to find the inspiration to continue forward. Accept the failure as a temporary setback, as part of the course you are taking, and you give yourself the opportunity to make another attempt. As long as you shame yourself for it consciously or unconsciously, the valuable lessons, the nuggets of gold, remain hidden beneath a low density shield of energy. It is more than OK to experience failure, in fact it is part of the pathway to any kind of success, material or spiritual. You may need some help releasing those feelings of shame if it is a new process to you. 

2) Be aware of how you talk to yourself, there is a big difference between "I have failed" and "I am a failure." "I am a failure" is a statement about you and when you carry that in to every experience you will create more of what you say you are. If you have let go of the shame, saying that you have three failed businesses behind you does not burden you in the same way. Many of those who have enjoyed great success talk about the previous failures with non-attachment but they do not believe that they are failures. Be aware of how you talk about your past experiences with failure, and remember that it does not define you. Your efforts in any previous endeavour will help you make choices in your next one. Others may you call you a failure, but it is up to you to decide whether you agree with them or not. 

3) Acknowledge your successes often, expressing gratitude to your higher power for blessing you with them. When was the last time you said "I am successful."? I can guarantee you have experienced successes in your life. If you cannot recall any successes, I would recommend starting to pay attention to them. Grab a notebook, and for the next month at least, keep a track of every success, big or small. If you have spent a lifetime conditioning yourself to notice only the failures it will take a bit of time for you to begin to notice the successes. The more you are grateful for your successes, the more you will notice. With gratitude you will have humility in the victory too. It is a fear of our own arrogance that keeps many from enjoying success. So next time you tell yourself that you are a failure, do this exercise, and read over your previous success experiences.

4) When you can talk about your failures without feeling down, depressed or angry, then your story is a gift to you and others. Making peace with your failures will send a positive message to all those you meet along your path, inspiring them to risk failure. I remember when I started sharing the stories of my failures, without the shame in the story, and realising how many people appreciated it because for so long they had harboured their failures as deep dark secrets. But while they are secrets they cast a spell on our life, one we are not aware of, and one that draws situations to us that ask us to heal the wound.  

Sometimes the experiences you call a failure are simply the universe prodding you in the direction of your true calling. I can happily say that for myself, and I am willing to bet this is a nugget of truth that resonates with you when you call to mind certain failures in your life. So lift your head up, accept the experiences you have had, find the gift in them, and move on!

Still unread by many in our western world the Bhagavd Gita has nonetheless influenced the minds of great philosophers and activists who have shared the wisdom of it in their great works. I share with coaching clients the messages contained within it and I have seen lawyers, business people, teachers and other coaches make passionate stands for good in the world as a result of it.  

Based on a great battlefield in the text the Mahabarata, it is the story of Krishna and Arjuna and the conversations they have about the battle, of Arjuna's resistance to war, and of the liberation that comes through following one of the three paths of yoga outlined. The pages of this little gem brings forth wisdom I believe is much needed in our modern world. Many great principles are laid out clearly by Krishna, who guides Arjuna as his Charioteer, towards the enemies who stand before him. Much of what is shared is parable, and the enemies he faces represent the thought forms within our own consciousness. 

Read the words of 5 game changers who were personally affected by the writings contained within this famous text. 

Henry David Thoreau, author of Walden, was a philospher, a tax resister, an abolitionist, an ethusiast of simple living, and a transcendalist. His poetry, essays, books and articles have gone on to influence many others including Tolstoy, Gandhi, and Martin Luther King who seem to have been inspired by some of his thoughts on civil disobedience. Every time I see the name Walden in my life I am reminded of his words.

Helena Blavatsky was a Russian German occultist and founder of the Theosophical society. It was her wish that a reading from the Bagavad Gita be read at commemoration services on the day of her passing, May 8 th which became known as White Lotus Day. In her lifetime she published many writings, the most famous of which was The Secret Doctrine, which collated and organized many of the teachings of different spiritual traditions of the world. 

Albert Einstein has left an imprint on the minds of scientists and non-scientists alike, and his legacy will last beyond our lifetimes. His influence on the field of quantum physics, the theory of relativity and our understanding of time as we know it, is sure to be relayed by science teachers for a long time to come.  His depth of knowledge in the field of science is immense, but if you have spent any time on facebook you will see that he has left wisdom with us of a spiritual nature as well. Yes, he has been misquoted, but the genuine quotes leave an impression upon us of a scientist who believed in something much greater than our physical world. 

Mahatma Gandhi is known as one of the greatest peace activists of the 20 th century, and his acclaim of the principles of non-violence have influenced many subsequent world changers. His life changed after being thrown from a train, and he had to call upon all his strength and knowledge as a western trained lawyer, to inspire the change that came to India. Initiated in to Kriya Yoga, and a regular meditator upon the wisdom of the Gita, it is clear that many of the principles he lived by were discovered during deep internal reflection. It was after hearing Wayne Dyer say that this was the book Gandhi held so dear, that my forays in to the Bhagavad Gita began. 

Ralph Waldo Emerson is one of the most oft quoted spiritual teachers of the 20 th century. A good friend has even named her golden doodle wonderdog after him. His ground breaking essay Nature, which formulated and expressed the philosophy of Transcendentalism ( which brought him and Thoreau in to regular contact ) was well received and lead to a speech called "The American Scholar" which Oliver Wendell Holmes considered to be "America's Intellectual Declaration of Independence".  

These authors and activist read much in their time, and it is certain that many other books influenced them. I think you can agree that the beauty of their quotes about this book reflect something of the impact it had upon their journey, their faith, and their legacy. It was reading this book, and applying the wisdom therein, which has helped me out greatly on my path of self-knowledge. It has a special place on my bedside table, and any time life overwhelms me, I think of these five great people and remind myself that I may still yet find deeper meaning in the words it contains. 

It is easy for those of use who are followers or "minions" ( tongue-in-cheek ) to see what leadership is doing wrong, and believing we can do better. Those of us who embody the judge archetype wish to stand up for righteousness and do not much like it when we see people making mistakes or misusing their power. The shadow side of the judge archetype is the person who stands in judgement of others, and criticises them, without becoming the healthy alternative, instead seeking to punish others for their mistakes. I have been that, and it didn't get me very far, especially when I noticed myself doing the same thing in my own business. Check out this video of the candidate Obama, debating the president Obama. Then, read on. 

"The old saying we become what we hate applies here. It is a sad truth that leaders of revolutions - political, social, economic, the little revolutions within the corporation or the voluntary organization - once they have ousted the tyrants and the oppressors ( often by violence and terrorism ) become themselves the new tyrants and the new oppressors. It was often said in the 1960s that the leaders of the peace movement were just as tyrannical and just as violent as those they fought against." 


- Moore and Doucette, King, Magician, Warrior, Lover

It is easy to judge and criticise someone else in a position of power from our comfortable couches. It is another thing to be willing to do better ourselves, and step in to the person we would want to become instead, and give an example of leadership others aspire to. Only then will we realise the pressures that come with that power. And maybe we will realise that seeking power for the sake of power is not what we really want. So who are you being called to become? Look at those people you criticize, what do you criticize them for? What is the opposite? For that is who you are being called to become and is the person you can begin to step in to right now.

Your compassion, your courage to speak the truth, and you walking the talk, will inspire leaders to be better, and will build your own strength as a leader. I have watched many clients who struggled with leadership, inspire the leaders to change, by their own willingness to change. The true leaders are not the ones at the top of the organisation, but those who are examples to their equals, and to management. 

"If we are accessing the Warrior appropriately, we will be energetic, decisive, courageous, enduring, persevering, and loyal to some greater good beyond our own personal gain. If we are accessing the warrior in the right way, we will, at the same time that we are "detached", be warm, compassionate, appreciative and generative. We will care for ourselves and others. We will fight good fights in order to make the world a better and more fulfilling place for everyone and everything." 

- Moore and Doucette, King, Magician, Warrior, Lover