Pass the “Persistence Test”

Pass the “Persistence Test” 


Nothing can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. —CALVIN COOLIDGE


PERSISTENCE IS THE iron quality of character. Persistence is to the character of man as carbon is to steel. It is the absolutely indispensable quality that goes hand in hand with all great success in life. And here is one of the great secrets of persistence and success: Program your subconscious mind for persistence well in advance of the setbacks and disappointments that you are going to have on your upward quest toward success. Resolve in advance that you will never give up, no matter what happens.


When you are overwhelmed with a problem or difficulty, you do not have enough time to develop the necessary persistence to deal with the setback or disappointment. But if you plan in advance for the inevitable ups and downs of life, when they come, you will be psychologically ready. You will be prepared. The courage to persist in the face of adversity and disappointment is the one quality that, more than anything, will guarantee your success. Your greatest personal asset can be your willingness to persevere longer than anyone else. In fact, your persistence is a true measure of your belief in yourself and your ability to succeed. Remember, all of life is a test.


For you to have great success, you must pass the “persistence test.” And this test is often a pop quiz. It can come at any time, usually totally unexpectedly and out of left field. You take the persistence test whenever you are confronted with an unexpected difficulty, disappointment, setback, failure, or crisis in life. This is where you show yourself, and everyone around you, what you are truly made of.Epictetus, a Greek philosopher, once wrote, “Circumstances do not make the man. They merely reveal him to himself.” The one inevitability in your life is recurring crisis. If you are living a busy life, you will have a crisis every two or three months. In between these unavoidable crises will be a continuous succession of problems and difficulties.


And the more goals that you attempt to reach, the bigger your dreams, and the more determined you are to become a self-made millionaire, the more problems and crises you will experience. The only factor you can control is how you respond to difficulties and setbacks. And the good news is that every time you respond in a positive and constructive manner, you become stronger and better and even more capable of dealing with the next problem or crisis that comes along. Eventually, you will reach a point in life where you become absolutely unstoppable. You will become like a force of nature.

You will be irresistible. You will become the kind of person who never quits, no matter what the difficulty. No matter what obstacle is put in your path, you will find a way to go over it, under it, around it, or through it. You will be like the Energizer Bunny in the television commercials. You will keep going and going and going.

ACTION EXERCISE What is the most difficult situation you are facing in your life today? Whatever it is, imagine that it has been sent to you at this time to teach you a valuable lesson that you need to learn to be even more successful in the future. What could that lesson be? From this moment onward, always seek the valuable lesson in every setback or difficulty. You will always find it, and it will help you in your quest to become a self-made millionaire.

Never Allow Failure to Be an Option succes...

Never Allow Failure to Be an Option succes... 

There is nothing to fear but fear itself. —FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT


THE FEAR OF failure is the greatest single obstacle to success in adult life. Note that it is not failure itself. Failure makes you stronger and more resilient and more determined. It is the fear of failure or the anticipation of failure that can paralyze your thoughts and your activities and hold you back from even trying to do the things that you need to do to be a big success. A young journalist once asked Thomas J. Watson Sr., the founder of IBM, how he could be more successful faster.


Watson replied with these wonderful words: “If you want to be successful faster, you must double your rate of failure. Success lies on the far side of failure.” Dare to go forward. Self-made millionaires are not gamblers, but they are always willing to take calculated risks in the direction of their goals to achieve greater rewards. In fact, your attitude toward risk taking is probably the most important indicator of your readiness to become wealthy. Whenever you are faced with a risky situation, ask yourself this question, What is the worst possible thing that could happen if I go ahead?

Then, as J. Paul Getty, the self-made oil billionaire, said, you should make sure that, whatever it is, it doesn’t happen. The fact is that everyone is afraid of failure. Everyone is afraid of loss and poverty. Everyone is afraid of making a mistake and being set back. But self-made millionaires are those who consciously and deliberately face this fear and take action anyway. Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, “Make a habit throughout your life of doing the things you fear. If you do the thing you fear, the death of fear is certain.” When you act boldly, unseen forces will come to your aid.


And every act of courage increases your courage and capacity for courage in the future. Whenever you take action in a forward direction with no guarantees of success, your fears diminish and your courage and self-confidence increase. You eventually reach the point where you are not afraid of anything. Perhaps the best line from the movie Apollo 13 came from Eugene Krantz, head of mission control at NASA.

When the people around him were starting to think about the possibility of losing the spacecraft and the astronauts, he pulled them all together by announcing in a loud voice, “Failure is not an option!” Your job is to commit yourself to becoming a selfmade millionaire. Your job is to set specific goals for yourself, write them down, and work toward them every day. And especially, you must continue to remind yourself, in the face of all the problems and difficulties that you will experience, that “Failure is not an option!” This is the attitude that, more than anything else, will guarantee your long-term success.

ACTION EXERCISE Identify one major fear in your life— for example, failure, criticism, or disapproval—and resolve to act as if the fear did not exist. Imagine that you were guaranteed success if you would only take action in the direction of your goals and dreams. Then, just do it!

Be Decisive and Action Oriented

Be Decisive and Action Oriented


Take arms against a sea of troubles, and in so doing, end them. —WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE


ONE OF THE qualities of self-made millionaires is that they think carefully and then make decisions quickly. They discipline themselves to take action and to carry out the decisions they have made. They move fast and they get quick feedback from their actions. If they find they have made a mistake, they quickly self-correct and try something else.


The key to triumph is for you to try. Successful people are decisive and they try far more things than other people do. According to the Law of Probabilities, if you try far more different ways to be successful, the odds are that you will eventually find the right way for you at the right time. Unsuccessful people are indecisive. They know that they should do or stop doing certain things, but they do not have the character or the willpower to make firm decisions. As a result, they drift through life, never happy, fulfilled, or successful.

They never become wealthy or achieve financial independence. They settle for far less than is possible for them. When you become decisive and action oriented, you shift your entire life into high gear. You get far more done in a day than other people. You move ahead far faster than the people around you. You actually tap into a higher source of energy, enthusiasm, and motivation that fills you full of joy and exhilaration. This positive energy then propels you forward even faster toward your goals.


ACTION EXERCISE Ask yourself, What one action, if I did it immediately, could have the greatest positive impact on my results? Whatever your answer to that question, just do it!

Take Excellent Care of Your Physical Health...

Take Excellent Care of Your Physical Health...

The key to happiness is a sound mind in a sound body. —THEODORE ROOSEVELT


WE ARE LIVING at the most wonderful time in human history in terms of longevity and physical fitness. You can live longer and live better today than has ever before been possible. You should aim to live to be 80 or 90 or even 100 years old, in excellent health, and you can do it if you decide to. First, set a goal to live to be at least 80 years old. Then, look at your current health habits and ask yourself whether or not the way you are living today is going to get you to the age of 80 in great shape.


There are three keys to living a long, happy, healthy life. The first is proper weight. Set a goal to get your weight under control and then remain lean and fit for the rest of your life. There is a five-word formula for weight loss and physical fitness. It is simply this: “Eat less and exercise more.” The second key is proper diet, and the key to a proper diet is to eat better foods and fewer of them. Eat more lean proteins, fruits, and vegetables. Eliminate desserts, soft drinks, candy, and anything else containing sugar from your life.


Stop consuming extra salt and stop eating white flour products. Eat smaller portions and eat four or five times a day rather than three large meals. When you can take complete control of your eating habits, you will find it easier to take control of your habits in other parts of your life as well. The third key to long life is proper exercise. This requires that you engage in vigorous physical activity approximately 200 minutes per week or an average of 30 minutes per day. You can get all the exercise you need by going for a brisk 30-to-60-minute walk three to five days per week. If you are really serious, you should join a health club or get some fitness equipment for your house and work out even more vigorously.


The key to excellent physical health and long life is to set clear, specific goals for your levels of health and fitness. You must make a plan and then followyour plan every day. This commitment to health requires tremendous self-mastery, self-control, and selfdiscipline, but the payoff can be extraordinary. If your financial goal is to achieve a net worth in excess of one million dollars, your health goal should be to live as long as possible so that you can enjoy a wonderful lifestyle with your money.


ACTION EXERCISE Identify one health habit that you need to develop to enjoy higher levels of health and energy. Perhaps it is eliminating desserts altogether. Then, set this as a personal challenge and resolve to discipline yourself until your new health habit is firmly entrenched.

Get around the Right People

Get around the Right People 

You will be the same person in five years except for the people you meet and the books you read. —CHARLIE JONES


FULLY 85 PERCENT of your success and happiness in life is going to be determined by the quality of the relationships that you develop in your personal and your business activities. The more people you know and who know you in a positive way, the more successful you will be and the faster you will move ahead. At virtually every turning point in your life, someone is standing there to either help you or hinder you. Successful people make a habit of building and maintaining a network of high-quality relationships throughout their lives, and as a result, they accomplish vastly more than the person who goes home and watches television each night.


Everything involves relationships. Virtually all of your problems in life will come as the result of your entering into wrong relationships with the wrong people. Virtually all of your great successes in life will be accompanied by great relationships with good people who help you and whom you help in return. More than 90 percent of your success will be determined by your “reference group.” Your reference group is defined as the people with whom you habitually identify and pass the time. You are like a chameleon in that you take on the attitudes, behaviors, values, and beliefs of the people with whom you associate most of the time. If you want to be a successful person, associate with positive people.


Associate with people who are optimistic and happy and who have goals and who are moving forward in their lives. At the same time, get away from negative, critical, complaining people. If you want to fly with the eagles, you cannot scratch with the turkeys. Self-made millionaires network continually. They join their industry and trade associations, attend every meeting, and get involved in the groups’ activities. They introduce themselves to people in business and social settings, hand out their business cards, and tell others what they do.And here is one of the best strategies of all. Whenever you meet new people, ask them to tell you about their businesses and, especially, to tell you what you would need to know to send clients or customers to them. Then, as soon as possible, see if you can send some business their way. Be a “go-giver” rather than a go-getter.


Always look for ways to put in before you start thinking of ways to take out. The very best way to network and build your relationships is to constantly look for ways to help other people achieve their own goals. The more you give of yourself without expecting something in return, the more rewards will come back to you from the most unexpected sources.



ACTION EXERCISE Identify the most important people in your life, both present and future. What could you do to help them in their lives and work so that they would be open to helping you? Identify the people you should get to know. What could you do to help them in advance of your needing anything in return? Remember, first you sow and then you reap.

Unlock Your Inborn Creativity

Unlock Your Inborn Creativity 

Imagination is more important than facts. —ALBERT EINSTEIN


HERE IS SOME more good news. You are a potential genius. You are smarter than you have ever imagined. You have more raw brainpower and creative ability than you have ever used up to now. Your brain has 10 billion cells, each of which is connected to as many as 20,000 other cells by a complex network of neurons and dendrites. This means that the possible combinations and permutations of cells in your brain are greater than the number of molecules in the known universe. Your ability to develop ideas to help you succeed is unlimited. This means that your ability to succeed is unlimited as well. Your creativity is stimulated by three factors:

first, intensely desired goals;
second, pressing problems;
and third, focused questions.
The more you focus your mind on achieving your goals, solving your problems, or answering the tough questions about your business and personal life, the smarter you become and the better your mind works for you in the future. Your brain, your creativity, is like a muscle. The more you use it, the stronger and more resilient it becomes. You can actually increase your intelligence and your IQ by disciplining yourself to think creatively all day long.


And remember, creativity is just another word for “improvement.” Every time you come up with an idea to improve some part of your work, to find newer, better, faster, cheaper, or easier ways to accomplish a result, you are functioning at the highest level of creativity. Just as you develop your muscles by straining them with physical training, you develop your mental muscles by straining them as well. Here is an exercise for you to develop your brainpower and unlock your inner genius.


Take a clean sheet of paper and write your most important goal or most pressing problem at the top in the form of a question. For example, you could write, “How can I double my income over the next 24 to 36 months?” Now, discipline yourself to write at least 20 different answers to your question. Select one of your answers and take action on it immediately. You will be amazed at the results.



ACTION EXERCISE Write down your most pressing problem or your most intensely desired goal. Then, imagine that this problem was solved perfectly or this goal was achieved in an ideal way. What would the solution or achievement look like? What could you do immediately to bring about this result? Remember, action is everything!

Practice Self-Discipline in All Things

Practice Self-Discipline in All Things


Self-discipline is the ability to make yourself do what you should do, when you should do it, whether you feel like it or not. —ELBERT HUBBARD


SELF-DISCIPLINE IS the most important single quality for success in life and in becoming a self-made millionaire. If you can discipline yourself to do what you should do, when you should do it, whether you feel like it or not, your success is virtually guaranteed. The key to becoming a self-made millionaire is having a long-time perspective combined with an ability to delay gratification in the short term.

It is your ability to set a long-term goal of becoming financially independent and then to discipline yourself, every single day and with every single expenditure, to do only those things that will guarantee that you ultimately achieve your long-term goal. Self-discipline requires self-mastery, self-control, self-responsibility, and self-direction. The difference between successful people and failures is that successful people make a habit of doing the things that failures do not like to do. And what are those things? The things that failures don’t like to do are the same things that successful people don’t like to do either. But successful people do them anyway because they realize that this is the price they must pay for the success they desire. Successful people are more concerned with pleasing results.


Failures are more concerned with pleasing methods. Successful people take actions that are goal achieving. Unsuccessful people take actions that are tension relieving. Successful people do the things that are hard and necessary and important. Unsuccessful people, on the other hand, prefer to do the things that are fun and easy and that give them immediate enjoyment. The good news is that every act of self-discipline strengthens your other disciplines as well. Every time you practice self-discipline, your self-esteem goes up. You like and respect yourself even more. And the more you practice discipline in small things, the more capable you become of the great disciplines required for the great opportunities, experiences, and challenges of life.


Remember that everything in life is a test. Every day, every hour, and sometimes every minute, you are taking a test—of self-mastery, self-control, and self-discipline. The test is to see whether you can make yourself do the things that are most important and stay with them until they are complete. The test is whether you can keep your mind on what you want and where you are going rather than thinking and talking about things you don’t want or problems you have had in the past.


When you pass the test, you move onward and upward to the next “grade.” And as long as you keep passing the tests, you keep moving onward and upward in your life. Success requires tons of discipline. As Jim Rohn says, “Discipline weighs ounces; failure weighs tons.”


ACTION EXERCISE Change one thing at a time. Identify one area of your life where lack of discipline is interfering with your success. Decide today to develop discipline in that area. Launch strongly. Tell others about your decision. Never allow exceptions until the new habit is firmly entrenched. This decision alone could change your life.

Be Prepared to Climb from Peak to Peak year...

Be Prepared to Climb from Peak to Peak year... 

Winning is not a sometime thing; it’s an all the time thing. —VINCE LOMBARDI


JUST AS A mountain climber who has reached one peak must go down into the valley before climbing to another peak, your life and career will be a series of ups and downs. As you’ve heard, “Life is a process of two steps forward and one step back.” All business life is made up of cycles and trends. There are up cycles and down cycles. Often, trends in business can lead to a complete change in the industry. We see this today with the Internet and the expansion of technology in all directions, which are changing many of our fixed ideas and beliefs about the way business is done.


Develop a long-time perspective. Take the long view in everything you do. Plan two, three, four, and five years into the future and don’t allow yourself to get onto an emotional roller coaster with the short term ups and downs of daily life. Keep reminding yourself that everything in your life moves in cycles and trends. Be calm, confident, and relaxed with short-term fluctuations in your fortune. When you have clear goals and plans that you are working on every day, the general trend line of your life will tend to be onward and upward over the years.


ACTION EXERCISE Identify the key cycles and trends in your business. Where is the market going? What is changing and how will you have to adapt to these changes? What steps should you be taking today to be ready to take advantage of the new world of tomorrow? Whatever your answer, take those steps now!

Develop a Reputation for Speed and Dependability...

Develop a Reputation for Speed and Dependability... 



Do your work; not just your work and no more, but a little bit more for the lavishings sake, that little more which is worth more than all the rest. —DEAN BRIGGS


TIME IS THE currency of the 21st century. Everyone today is in a tremendous hurry. Customers who did not even know that they wanted a product or service now want it yesterday. People are less and less patient for anything. Loyal customers will change suppliers overnight if someone else can serve them faster than the people they are already dealing with. Instant gratification is no longer fast enough. Your job is to develop a reputation for speed. Develop a “sense of urgency.” Develop a bias for action. Move fast on opportunities. Move fast when people want or need something. Move quickly when you see something that needs to be done.


When your boss or your customers ask you to do something, drop everything else and do it so fast that they are amazed. You have heard it said that “Whenever you want to get something done, give it to a busy person.” People who have a reputation for moving quickly attract more opportunities and possibilities to them. They get more chances to do more and more things faster than other people who just do a job when they get around to it. When you can combine your ability to select your highest priority task with the commitment to getting it done quickly and well, you will find yourself moving to the front. More doors and opportunities will open for you than you can even imagine today.



ACTION EXERCISE Select just one key task that you have been procrastinating on starting, or bringing to completion, and resolve to take action on it immediately. Keep repeating to yourself these magic motivating words: “Do it now! Do it now! Do it now!”

Determine Your Highest Priorities and Concentrate on Them Single-Mindedly

Determine Your Highest Priorities and Concentrate on Them Single-Mindedly

 “A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.” Do what comes to your hand to do. —BRIAN TRACY 

WHEN YOU DEVELOP the habit of setting priorities and concentrating single-mindedly, you will be able to accomplish virtually anything you want in life. This core strategy has been the primary reason for high income, wealth creation, and financial independence for thousands and even millions of people. 

Your ability to determine your highest priority and then to work on that high priority until it is completed is the primary test and measure of your willpower, self-discipline, and personal character. It is the hardest habit to develop but also the most important if you want to be a big success. Here is the formula. Make a list of everything you have to do before you begin working toward any goal. Set priorities on that list by asking yourself four questions, over and over. 

Question number one is, What are my highest value activities? What do you do that is more valuable than anything else to your work and your business? 

Question number two is, Why am I on the payroll? What exactly have you been hired to accomplish? Focus on results, not activities. 

millionair

Question number three is, What can I and only I do that, if done well, will make a real difference? This is a particular task that only you can do. If you don’t do it, it won’t get done. But if you do do it and you do it well, it can make a significant difference in your business or your personal life. What is that task? 

Question number four is, What is the most valuable use of my time right now? There is only one answer to this question at any time. Your ability to determine the single most valuable use of your time and then to start on that task is the key to high productivity and financial success. 

Finally, commit to working single-mindedly on one task, the most important task, and staying at it until it is 100 percent complete. Persevere without diversion or distraction. Push yourself to keep working at the job until it is done. The good news is that by continually setting priorities and concentrating on your highest value tasks, you will soon develop the habit of high performance. This habit will then become automatic and will virtually guarantee you great success in life. This one habit alone can make you a self-made millionaire. 

ACTION EXERCISE Identify the most important thing that you can do right now to achieve your most important goal and then discipline yourself to do that, and only that, until it is 100 percent complete. Your ability to do this, and this alone, can change your whole life.

अटूट श्रद्धा – विश्वास और समर्पण – अध्यात्म साधना का पहला सिद्धांत...

अटूट श्रद्धा – विश्वास और समर्पण – अध्यात्म साधना का पहला सिद्धांत...

हममें से अधिकांश शंकालु साधक देवताओं से मिन्नते पूरी कराने के लिए साधना तो करते हैं, किन्तु अपने अंतःकरण में इष्ट और साधना के प्रति श्रृद्धा और विश्वास उत्पन्न नहीं कर पाते । परिणामस्वरूप उनकी साधना कोरा कर्मकाण्ड बनकर रह जाती हैं।

मनुष्य के पास श्रृद्धा की ऐसी शक्ति विद्यमान हैं कि वो भौतिक जगत में बहुत सारे हेर फेर कर सकता हैं। किन्तु वह उसका सही उपयोग करना नहीं जानता हैं । श्रद्धा के आधार पर ही ब्राह्मण वरदान और शाप देने में समर्थ होते हैं । श्रृद्धा के आधार पर ही रामकृष्ण परमहंस की पत्थर की काली माँ जिंदा हो गई थी । श्रृद्धा के आधार पर ही भक्त प्रह्लाद की रक्षार्थ भगवान विष्णु स्तम्भ से निकल आये थे । और श्रृद्धा के आधार पर ही एकलव्य के मिट्टी के दोणाचार्य वो सिखाने में समर्थ हुये जो असली के दोणाचार्य भी नहीं सिखा सके ।

श्रृद्धा में बहुत ताकत हैं, बहुत शक्ति हैं । श्रृद्धा की शक्ति के चमत्कारों से इतिहास में पन्ने भरे पड़े हैं । श्रृद्धा एक ऐसा तत्त्व हैं, जिसका उपयोग अच्छे और बुरे दोनों तरीके से किया जा सकता हैं । अच्छा उपयोग क्या हैं ? और बुरा उपयोग क्या हैं? ये आपको इस कहानी से पता चल जायेगा।

एक बार की बात हैं की एक गाँव में कुछ दोस्त मिलकर एक भुत बंगले पर चर्चा कर रहे थे । उनका कहना था की आजतक कोई भी उस भुत बंगले से जिंदा वापस नहीं आया था । उन्ही दिनों उनका एक शहरी दोस्त “बहादुर” शहर से गाँव आया हुआ था ।

उस समय वह भी वहां पहुँच गया । जब उसने ऐसा सुना की भुत बंगले के भूतों से आजतक कोई जिंदा नहीं बचा, तो उसे बहुत हंसी आई । उसने कहा की ये सब बकवास हैं । भुत – प्रेत नहीं होते हैं । तो उसके मित्र कहने लगे कि “ठीक हैं हम तेरी बात मान लेंगे, यदि तू आज रात को १२ बजे उस भुत बंगले में एक किल ठोककर आ जाये” उसने कहा – “ठीक हैं” ।

अब समय आया १२ बजे का । सर्दी की रात तेज ठण्डी – ठण्डी हवाएं चल रही थी । सभी मित्र इस दुस्साहसी कार्य देखने के लिए इक्कठे हो गये थे । इन दोस्तों के अलावा पूरा गाँव सो रहा था । किसी को कुछ भी पता नहीं की क्या हो रहा हैं ।

बहादुर कम्बल ओढ़कर आया और तुरन्त किल और हथोड़ी लेकर बंगले की ओर चल दिया । हालाँकि खुद मन ही मन डर रहा था । किन्तु सब पर रौब जमाने की खातिर आखिर यह जोखिम उठा ही लिया । कुछ दोस्तों ने मना किया कि “यार मत जा सच में कोई भूत – चुड़ेल हुई तो तुझे वही पकड़ लेगी” तो बहादुर बोला – “आज तुम सब लोगों के मन से ये भुत का भ्रम मिटा कर रहूँगा” । और तेजी से भुत बंगले की और चल दिया ।

हवाएं सांय – सांय कर रही थी । सारे जंगली जानवर सो चुके थे । बहादुर के बंगले में आने की आहट को सुनकर वहाँ सो रहे पंछियों के भागने से बहादुर अचानक चौंक गया । फिर उसने डरते हुये बंगले में अन्दर प्रवेश किया । अब बहादुर को काली – अंधियारी निशा के सन्नाटे कुछ ज्यादा ही व्याकुल कर रहे थे ।

उसकी ह्रदय की धडकने तेज हो चुकी थी । इतनी सर्दी में भी उसके शरीर से पसीना छुट रहा था । अब तो बस किसी तरह हिम्मत जुटाकर ये काम ख़त्म करके वहाँ से भागने का इरादा था । सो वो अपने कार्य को अंजाम देनें के लिए वह नीचे बैठा और डरते हुये  किल को ठोकने लगा । लेकिन दुर्भाग्य ! की अँधेरे में कुछ दिखा नही, और किल जमीन पर पड़े उसके कम्बल को पार करते हुये जमीन में ठुक गई।

अब जैसे ही वह उठ कर चला । उसे लगा कि पीछे से उसे किसी ने पकड़ लिया हैं । ये सोचना ही था कि उसके होश उड़ गये । यह होती हैं श्रृद्धा की ताकत ।

जब तक बहादुर को विश्वास नहीं था कि भुत होते हैं । वह सामान्य डरा हुआ था । किन्तु जैसे ही यह बात उसके दिल में बैठ गई कि “मुझे भुत ने पकड़ लिया हैं” तो उसके प्राण पखेरू उड़ गये । जबकि वहाँ ना कोई भुत था, ना ही प्रेत ।

इस तरह हम अपने डर पर श्रृद्धा और विश्वास करके अपना ही नुकसान और दुरुपयोग कर सकते हैं । या फिर किसी दैवीय शक्ति, मन्त्र या साधना  पर श्रृद्धा और विश्वास करके उससे लाभ उठा सकते हैं । आप चाहे कोई भी साधना करें, आपका इष्ट चाहे कोई भी हो लेकिन अगर आपने श्रृद्धा से विहीन साधना की हैं तो आपको कोई परिणाम नहीं मिल सकता ।

इसलिए अगर आप किसी दैवीय शक्ति से सहायता पाना चाहते हो, लाभ उठाना चाहते हो तो पहले अपने अंतःकरण में श्रृद्धा का बीज बोइये । और उसे निरन्तर सींचते रहिये तभी आपको वह लाभ होगा जो उस साधना के महात्म्य में बताया गया हैं । जैसा हमारे शास्त्रों में बताया गया हैं ।

शयन के नियम

शयन के नियम

1. *सूने तथा निर्जन* घर में अकेला नहीं सोना चाहिए। *देव मन्दिर* और *श्मशान* में भी नहीं सोना चाहिए। *(मनुस्मृति)*

2. किसी सोए हुए मनुष्य को *अचानक* नहीं जगाना चाहिए। *(विष्णुस्मृति)*

 3. *विद्यार्थी, नौकर औऱ द्वारपाल*, यदि ये अधिक समय से सोए हुए हों, तो *इन्हें जगा* देना चाहिए। *(चाणक्यनीति)*

4. स्वस्थ मनुष्य को आयुरक्षा हेतु *ब्रह्ममुहुर्त* में उठना चाहिए। *(देवीभागवत)* बिल्कुल *अँधेरे* कमरे में नहीं सोना चाहिए। *(पद्मपुराण)*

 5. *भीगे* पैर नहीं सोना चाहिए। *सूखे पैर* सोने से लक्ष्मी (धन) की प्राप्ति होती है। *(अत्रिस्मृति)* टूटी खाट पर तथा *जूठे मुँह* सोना वर्जित है। *(महाभारत)*

6. *"नग्न होकर/निर्वस्त्र"* नहीं सोना चाहिए। *(गौतम धर्म सूत्र)*

 7. पूर्व की ओर सिर करके सोने से *विद्या*, पश्चिम की ओर सिर करके सोने से *प्रबल चिन्ता*, उत्तर की ओर सिर करके सोने से *हानि व मृत्यु* तथा दक्षिण की ओर सिर करके सोने से *धन व आयु* की प्राप्ति होती है।   *(आचारमय़ूख)*

 8. दिन में कभी नहीं सोना चाहिए। परन्तु *ज्येष्ठ मास* में दोपहर के समय 1 मुहूर्त (48 मिनट) के लिए सोया जा सकता है। (दिन में सोने से रोग घेरते हैं तथा आयु का क्षरण होता है)

 9. दिन में तथा *सूर्योदय एवं सूर्यास्त* के समय सोने वाला रोगी और दरिद्र हो जाता है। *(ब्रह्मवैवर्तपुराण)*

10. सूर्यास्त के एक प्रहर (लगभग 3 घण्टे) के बाद ही *शयन* करना चाहिए।

11. बायीं करवट सोना *स्वास्थ्य* के लिये हितकर है।

12. दक्षिण दिशा में *पाँव करके कभी नहीं सोना चाहिए। यम और दुष्ट देवों* का निवास रहता है। कान में हवा भरती है। *मस्तिष्क* में रक्त का संचार कम को जाता है, स्मृति- भ्रंश, मौत व असंख्य बीमारियाँ होती है।

13. हृदय पर हाथ रखकर, छत के *पाट या बीम* के नीचे और पाँव पर पाँव चढ़ाकर निद्रा न लें।

14. शय्या पर बैठकर *खाना-पीना* अशुभ है।

15. सोते सोते *पढ़ना* नहीं चाहिए। *(ऐसा करने से नेत्र ज्योति घटती है )*

16. ललाट पर *तिलक* लगाकर सोना *अशुभ* है। इसलिये सोते समय तिलक हटा दें।

*इन १६ नियमों का अनुकरण करने वाला यशस्वी, निरोग और दीर्घायु हो जाता है।*

नोट :- यह सन्देश जन जन तक पहुँचाने का प्रयास करें। ताकि सभी लाभान्वित हों !

जय सनातन धर्म,जय सनातन संस्कृति और शिक्षा।

पाप का बाप कौन?

पाप का बाप कौन?

* मोह सकल ब्याधिन्ह कर मूला। तिन्ह ते पुनि उपजहिं बहु सूला॥
काम बात कफ लोभ अपारा। क्रोध पित्त नित छाती जारा॥

भावार्थ:-सब रोगों की जड़ मोह (अज्ञान) है। उन व्याधियों से फिर और बहुत से शूल उत्पन्न होते हैं। काम वात है, लोभ अपार (बढ़ा हुआ) कफ है और क्रोध पित्त है जो सदा छाती जलाता रहता है॥

मित्रों, क्रोध से परहेज रखो, अपने जीवन को प्रेम से आपूरित होने दे, संयम रखे, मिजाज ठंडा रखे, नरक का द्वार हम पार कर ही लेंगे, नरक के दो दरवाजो का वर्णन हम कर पहले की प्रस्तुति में कर चुके है अब तीसरे दरवाजे के बारे में जान लिजिये और वह तीसरा दरवाजा है लोभ! यह नरक का अन्तिम दरवाजा है, लेकिन है सबसे ज्यादा भयंकर तथा फिसलन भरा, यह ऐसा दरवाजा है कि व्यक्ति न चाहते हुये भी वहाँ जाकर उलझ जाता है।

लोभ के मायने है मन की वह स्थिति जो लुभा ही जाती है, जो व्यक्ति को खींच ही लेती है, बाँध ही लेती है, लोभी बड़ा कंजूस होता है, क्रोधी प्रेम से वंचित होता है लेकिन लोभी तो प्रेम और करूणा दोनों से वंचित रहता है, क्योंकि प्रेम में तो लिया नहीं जाता, वरन दिया ही जाता है, लुटाया ही जाता है, लोभी आदमी कभी लुटा नहीं सकता, वह तो देने का नाम ही नहीं जानता है।

उसे तो चाहिये ही चाहिये, उसे तो कुछ और चाहिये, कहीं और चाहिये, कोई और चाहिये, जो मिला है उसमें वह सन्तुष्ट नहीं होता, तृप्त नहीं होता, उसे पेट की चिन्ता नहीं, पेटी की चिन्ता है, तिजोरियाँ भरने की चिन्ता है, बड़ी बीमार हालत होती है लोभियों की, लोभ मन का कब्ज है, कब्ज का काम है मल को पेट में एक जगह इकट्ठा रखना और जो लोभी आदमी होते हैं, वे भी दुनियाँ-भर के कबाड़े को अपने तहखाने में इकट्ठा करते हैं,

ऐसे लोग यह सोचते है कि संग्रह आज नहीं तो कल काम आयेगा, लोगों के घर में जाकर देखों, वहाँ काम की चीजें तो कम मिलेगी और बेकार की चीजें भरी पड़ी है, जिन चीजों का साल में एक बार भी उपयोग नहीं होता, उन चीजों को रखकर हम घर को कबाड़ क्यों बनाये, जो वस्तुयें हमारे लिये मूल्यवान होती है, वे ही वस्तुयें संत के लिये नाकारा होती है, तभी तो विवेकानन्द पैदा होता है, तभी तो हिराबाई जैसे संत और हटो बा जैसे वीर जन्म लेते हैं।

संतो के घर सबकुछ था लेकिन जाना तो यह जाना कि यह कुछ भी नहीं है, जिन चीजों के लिये हम अपनी जिन्दगी दाँव पर लगाते है, रात-रात भर जागते है, अपनो के शत्रु तक बन जाते हैं, बड़ी से बड़ी जोखिम उठाने से भी नहीं घबराते, वही वस्तु चाहे धन-दौलत हो या जमीन-जायदाद, कोई भी हमें दो पल की शान्ति और तृप्ति नहीं दे सकती, तब जिनको हम बटोरने में लगे है उनको हीराबाई जैसे व्यक्तित्व ठुकराकर आगे बढ़ जाते हैं, सब-कुछ पाने के लिये।

भाई-बहनों, लोभ सभी पापों का सरताज है, लोभ कब बढ़ता है? "जिमि प्रति लाभ लोभ अधिकाई" जैसे-जैसे लाभ बढ़ता है वैसे-वैसे लोभ भी बढ़ता जाता है, और जैसे-जैसे लोभ बढ़ता है वैसे-वैसे पाप भी बढ़ता जाता है, लोभ से ही पाप का जन्म होता है, आपको एक कहानी के द्वारा समझाने की कोशिश करता हूँ जो श्रीमद्भागवत में भी आपको पढ़वाई थी।

एक बार एक पंडितजी काशी में विधा अध्ययन करने गये, बारह वर्ष तक पढ़ाई की, सब कुछ पढ़ लिया वेद, शास्त्र, पुराण, श्रुतियां, ग्रन्थ, आरण्य, उपनिषद् आदि पढ़ कर वापस घर आये तो पिताजी से कहा कि मैं सब कुछ पढ़के आया हूँ, मुझे सब कुछ याद है, आप कुछ भी प्रश्न पूछो? मैं उसका उत्तर दूंगा, पिताजी बोले बेटा जब सब तुझे याद है तो तू मेरे एक छोटे से प्रश्न का उत्तर दे दे।

बेटे ने कहा पूछिये पिताजी, पिताजी ने पूछा सिर्फ इतना बताओं की "पाप के बाप" का क्या नाम है, पंडित ने सोचा 'पाप का बाप' यह तो मैंने कही पढ़ा ही नहीं, जो किताबें थी पढ़ाई की उसमें देखने लगा, रात भर किताबें पढ़ता रहा मगर पाप का बाप नहीं मिला, पिताजी बोले- तो फिर खाक पढा़ई की, अभी तक तुझे पाप के बाप का भी पता नहीं।

बेटे ने कहा आखिर आपका बेटा हूँ अब तो पाप के बाप को ढूंढ कर ही लाऊँगा, चाहे बारह वर्ष ओर क्यों ना बीत जायें, पंडितजी पुन:  काशी के लिये रवाना हुये, उस जमाने में साधन तो थे नहीं, पैदल चलना पड़ता था, काफी दूर तक चले फिर पंडितजी को प्यास लगी तो एक घर दिखाई दिया, पंडितजी घर में गये, वहां जाकर बोले मुझे बड़ी जोर की प्यास लगी है अगर कोई हैं अन्दर तो मुझे पानी पिलायें।

एक स्त्री आई और उसने पानी पिलाया पंडितजी को, और पंडितजी ने पानी पिया, पानी पीने के बाद पंडितजी ने पूछा कि यह घर किसका है? उस स्त्री ने कहा पंडितजी यह तो आपको पानी पिने से पहले पूछना चाहिये था कि यह घर किसका है? आपने पानी तो पी लिया है और अब पूछ रहे है कि यह घर किसका है? तो सुनलो पंडितजी यह घर एक वेश्या (गणीका) का है।

पंडितजी सुनने ही एकदम अपने कान पकड लिये, कहने लगे "शांतम्-पापम्, शांतम्-पापम्" मेरे द्वारा पाप हो गया मैंने एक वेश्या के घर का पानी पी लिया, अरे पाप का बाप तो मिला नहीं, पाप और हो गया, लेकिन उस वेश्या ने कहा पंडितजी आप आगे कहाँ पधार रहे है? पंडितजी ने सारी बात बताई और कहा कि पाप के बाप को ढूंढने जा रहा हूँ वापस काशी।

उस वेश्या ने सोचा कि बारह वर्ष जो काशी पढ़के आये हैं तो भी उन्हें पाप के बाप का पता नहीं चला, यह पुन: जा रहे है, अरे वहां उन्हें मिले ना भी मिले, जब मेरे पास आये हैं तो मैं ही बता दूँ ना कि पाप का बाप कौन है? इतना दूर नहीं जाना पड़ेगा, और उस वेश्या ने बताया लेकिन युक्ति से बताया सीधे-सीधे नहीं।

वेश्या ने कहा पंडितजी आप जायें लेकिन आप बहुत थके हुए लगते है, शायद काफी दूर से आ रहे हो, और आपको भोजन भी करना है आप थोड़ी देर आराम करें तबतक मैं आपके लिये भोजन बना देती हूँ, भोजन करके पधारें, पंडितजी ने कहा- तेरे घर का और मैं भोजन करूँ? कदापि नहीं, पानी पी लिया उसका भी प्रायश्चित कर रहा हूँ।

वेश्या ने कहा तो सीधा सामान (पेटीयाँ) ले लिजिये आटा, दाल, घी,शक्कर मैं दे देती हूँ, आप स्वयं बनाकर भोजन कर लें, पंडितजी ने कहा मेरे को तेरे घर का सीधा भी नहीं लेना, तू वेश्या और मैं पंडित, तब उस वेश्या ने कहा पंडितजी सीधा सामान ले लोगे तो मैं आपको पांच सोने की मोहरे दूँगी, पंडितजी ने सोचा कि वो पाप का बाप तो पता नहीं कहां मिलेगा, यह मोहरे हाथ से चली जायेगी।

पंडितजी को इतनी देर तो सीधा लेने में तकलीफ हो रही थी, लेकिन पांच सोने की मोहरें आ रही है ऐसा सुना तो तकलीफ खत्म, बोले ठीक है, तेरा इतना आग्रह है तो मैं सीधा सामान ले सकता हूँ, वेश्या ने पंडितजी को आटा, दाल, घी, शक्कर सब सीधा सामान निकाल कर दे दिया, पंडितजी भोजन बनाने लगे।

तो वेश्या ने आकर कहा कि पंडितजी आपने मेरे घर का पानी पिया है, मेरे घर का सीधा सामान भी लिया है, तो अब मैं आपके लिये भोजन बना दूं तो कैसा रहेगा? पंडितजी बोले ज्यादा मत बोल, तेरे घर का सीधा सामान ले लिया यही बहुत हैं, तू वेश्या है तेरे हाथ का बना भोजन मैं करूँगा क्या? वेश्या बोली चिन्ता मत करो पंडितजी मैं आपको पाँच सोने की मोहरें और दूँगी।

पंडितजी ने सोचा कुल हो जायेगी दस सोने की मोहरें, पंडितजी बोले स्नान करके भोजन बनाये तो छूट है, बोली हाँ पंडितजी स्नान करके ही बनाऊंगी, वेश्या ने पंडितजी के लिये भोजन बनाया और पंडितजी ने कहा बस अब चली जाओ मैं अपने आप भोजन कर लूँगा, तब वेश्या ने कहा पंडितजी आपके लिये भोजन बनाया है तो अब सिर्फ पांच नवाले आप मेरे हाथ से ले लो।

पंडितजी बोले कि तूअंगुली पकड़ कर हाथ पकड़ रही है? इतनी छूट दे दी इसलिये, तब वेश्या ने कहा महाराज पाँच नवाले ले लो तो मैं आपको पाँच सोने की मोहरें और दूँगी, पंडितजी ने देखा कि हो जायेगी पन्द्रह मोहरें, बोले तो ठीक है पाँच नवाले तेरे हाथ से ले सकता हूँ पर पाँच से आगे नहीं, वेश्या बोली ठीक है महाराज पाँच बस।

पंडितजी को भोजन की थाली परोसी, सामने पंडितजी इधर वेश्या बीच में थाली, वेश्या ने नवाला लिया, अपने हाथ में पंडितजी को देने के लिये अपना हाथ पंडितजी के मुँह की ओर बढ़ाया, और पंडितजी ने भी वेश्या के हाथ से नवाला लेने के लिये अपना मुँह खोला, जैसे ही पंडितजी नवाला लेने वाले थे तो वेश्या ने पंडितजी के गाल पर एक जोरदार थप्पड़ मारी।

पंडितजी आग बबूला हो गये, तेरी इतनी हिम्मत, वेश्या होकर पंडित को थप्पड़ मारती है, तूने बहुत बड़ा अपराध किया है, वेश्या ने कहा पंडितजी अपराध मैंने नहीं, अपराध आपने किया है, मैंने क्या अपराध किया है पंडितजी बोले, तब वेश्या ने कहा आप मेरे घर का पानी पीते हैं? पंडितजी बोले नहीं, आप मेरे घर का सीधा सामान लेते है? नहीं, आप मेरे हाथ से बनाया भोजन करते है? नहीं।

आप मेरे हाथ से भोजन करते हो? नहीं तो आप करने के लिये क्यों तैयार हुए? पंडितजी बोले तेरे भाव के कारण, प्रेम के कारण, प्रेम के कारण नहीं पंडितजी, यों कहिये लोभ के कारण, आपको पन्द्रह सोने की मोहरें दिखाई दे रही थी न, तब आप जीमने को तैयार हुए, पंडितजी अपनी डायरी में लिख दो कि पाप के बाप का नाम लोभ है, एकदम पंडितजी की आँखे खुल गयी, और वेश्या के चरणों में गिर के बोले, आप कोई वेश्या नहीं, आप तो मेरी गुरु निकली, बारह वर्ष तक मुझे पता नहीं चला, जबकि मैं काशी में इतना पढ़ा और यहां आपने एक मिनट में बता दिया कि पाप का बाप कौन है?

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