Will Bowen Audio

The other day I went to see my doctor for some antibiotics to treat a worsening upper respiratory infection.

“I haven’t been sick in years,” I coughed.

“I’m sorry you’re sick now,” she responded.

“Oh NO!” I croaked. “This is the PERFECT time for me to get sick. I just finished a solid month out of town doing speeches and I’ve got this entire next month off. This is great.”

“Uh huh.” She smiled a patronizing smile, obviously not getting what I was saying.

But it’s true! Haven’t you noticed that when you’re in the flow of life it’s possible to even get sick at the right time?

Today, let’s consider life’s timing and how you can use it to your advantage.

Remember to post your questions and comments -- I respond to them all personally.

BTW, you’ve probably noticed that I don’t accept outside advertising -- that’s because cool people like you share these messages with coworkers, friends, and family who will often hire me for speeches, and/or purchase my books, Complaint FreeⓇ bracelets, and online programs.

So if this post inspired you, touched your heart, or expanded your mind, please do everyone a favor and share it with at least one other person whom you think would like it as well.

Thanks!

When someone betrays you, disappoints you, or hurts you, you can rail against their behavior or you can, in time, surrender and move on.

As you age you can be upset over your body changing and becoming weaker, less agile, and more fragile, or you can surrender to the aging process.

To accept is to find peace -- but how, right?

Today, I explain how and when to surrender.

Remember to post your questions and comments -- I respond to them all personally.

BTW, you’ve probably noticed that I don’t accept outside advertising -- that’s because cool people like you share these messages with coworkers, friends, and family who will often hire me for speeches, and/or purchase my books, Complaint FreeⓇ bracelets, and online programs.

So if this post inspired you, touched your heart, or expanded your mind, please do everyone a favor and share it with at least one other person whom you think would like it as well.

Thanks!

Like most students drawn to psychology in college, I took Psych classes as a way to try and figure out my own insane family and the craziness I picked up just being a part of it.

I still remember one of my first university psych classes when the professor taught us about the Johari window.

This Johari window demonstrates that there are four quadrants to all of our personalities: (1) parts of our personality that we alone see about ourselves, (2) parts of our personality that everyone, including us, can see, (3) aspects of our personality that others see but we do not, and (4) lastly, parts of our personality that NO ONE sees -- neither us nor anyone else.

This blew my mind.

I realized that we as people are like the five blind men trying to describe an elephant -- we are multi-faceted and perspective truly is reality.

Each us have 2 of the 4 quadrants of the Johari window hidden from us and, unfortunately, that’s where life’s growth is.

SVADYAYA, the fourth Niyama, helps us find ways to see into those two hidden windows and to learn to make our lives even better.

Remember to post your questions and comments -- I respond to them all personally.

BTW, you’ve probably noticed that I don’t accept outside advertising -- that’s because cool people like you share these messages with coworkers, friends, and family who will often hire me for speeches, and/or purchase my books, Complaint FreeⓇ bracelets, and online programs.

So if this post inspired you, touched your heart, or expanded your mind, please do everyone a favor and share it with at least one other person whom you think would like it as well.

Thanks!

No, I’m not talking about small dishes of Spanish food.

As the third of the Hindu Niyamas (thou SHALT do this), Tapas refers to self-discipline -- to improving one’s self through deliberate mental, physical, and spiritual practice.

Could you imagine what the world would be like if all cultures believed that to improve one’s self was a sacred “must do”?

Today, I’m going to unpack this powerful admonition and explain how to make it part of your life.

Remember to post your questions and comments -- I respond to them all personally.

BTW, you’ve probably noticed that I don’t accept outside advertising -- that’s because cool people like you share these messages with coworkers, friends, and family who will often hire me for speeches, and/or purchase my books, Complaint FreeⓇ bracelets, and online programs.

So if this post inspired you, touched your heart, or expanded your mind, please do everyone a favor and share it with at least one other person whom you think would like it as well.

Thanks!

As I’ve said many times before my favorite book of all time is Illusions by Richard Bach.

The foreword for the book tells the story of a Messiah preaching to a crowd and the audience becoming so inspired that they swear, en masse, to do anything -- ANYTHING -- to serve God.

To which the Messiah asks: what if God’s one and only commandment was that you be happy for the rest of your life?

In other words, what if your purpose were ultimately to quit-yer-bellyachin’ and just ENJOY LIFE?

To Hindus, being content is a not an ideal -- it’s a sacred commandment.

SANTOSHA literally means “thou shalt be content.”

Today let’s explore ways of being content and accepting this challenge to “be content” as a sacred admonition.

Remember to post your questions and comments -- I respond to them all personally.

BTW, you’ve probably noticed that I don’t accept outside advertising -- that’s because cool people like you share these messages with coworkers, friends, and family who will often hire me for speeches, and/or purchase my books, Complaint FreeⓇ bracelets, and online programs.

So if this post inspired you, touched your heart, or expanded your mind, please do everyone a favor and share it with at least one other person whom you think would like it as well.

Thanks!

As I mentioned in previous JumpStarts, unlike the 10 commandments, which are a list of “Thou Shalt Nots,” the Hindu Yamas tell one what NOT to do and the Niyamas tells us what we SHOULD do.

The first Niyama is SAUCHA - be pure.

Purity in body, mind, heart, ethics, and intention.

The rewards of purity are sound sleep, loving friends, a clear conscience, less anxiety, and the greatest benefit of all -- increased happiness.

Let’s discuss SAUCHA -- “thou shalt be pure” -- today and discover the benefits of living a pure life.

Remember to post your questions and comments -- I respond to them all personally.

BTW, you’ve probably noticed that I don’t accept outside advertising -- that’s because cool people like you share these messages with coworkers, friends, and family who will often hire me for speeches, and/or purchase my books, Complaint FreeⓇ bracelets, and online programs.

So if this post inspired you, touched your heart, or expanded your mind, please do everyone a favor and share it with at least one other person whom you think would like it as well.

Thanks!

“She’s got that Midas touch” someone says when a coworker scratches off her second winning lottery game card of the week.

“Everything she touches turns to gold.”

People use King Midas as an example of someone who was very lucky because literally everything he touched turned to gold.

However, King Midas’s story is actually a quite sad.

Because everything Midas touched turned to gold, when touched his beloved daughter he killed her.

In the end, “Lucky Ol’ King Midas” starved to death because any food he touched changed into gold.

It’s normal to want MORE but being attached to stuff never brings us happiness – – it just brings more craving.

Today, let’s discuss the fifth and final Hindu Yama (“thou shalt not”) APARIGRAHA and the benefits of living a life of non-possessiveness and non-greed.

Remember to post your questions and comments -- I respond to them all personally.

BTW, you’ve probably noticed that I don’t accept outside advertising -- that’s because cool people like you share these messages with coworkers, friends, and family who will often hire me for speeches, purchase my books, Complaint FreeⓇ bracelets, and online programs.

So if this post inspired you, touched your heart, or expanded your mind, please do everyone a favor and share it with at least one other person whom you think would like it as well.

Thanks!

The fourth of the Hindu Yamas is BRAHMACAHRYA — appropriate sexuality.

You might be wondering why so many religions put constraints on sexuality.

For some, the primary main reason was so that priests could have no legitimate progeny. (I’ll explain why in the video.)

Within the context of BRAHMACAHRYA we look at sex that is appropriate and respectful to all.

Unlike the 10 Commandments, the Yamas address sexuality right up front.

It’s another interesting thing about Hindus — to them sex is not taboo it’s sacred and therefore should be practiced within healthy boundaries.

So, let’s talk sex…

Remember to post your questions and comments -- I respond to them all personally.

BTW, you’ve probably noticed that I don’t accept outside advertising -- that’s because cool people like you share these messages with coworkers, friends, and family who will often hire me for speeches, purchase my books, Complaint FreeⓇ bracelets, and online programs.

So if this post inspired you, touched your heart, or expanded your mind, please do everyone a favor and share it with at least one other person whom you think would like it as well.

Thanks!

The third of the Hindu Yamas is ASTEYA — non-stealing.

In the sense of this ancient tradition, not stealing means more than not taking people's stuff.

It means not stealing their ideas, not stealing their good name by spreading gossip, not stealing their sense of self-worth by being critical, and more.

When we begin to consider other actions rather than the physical taking of property as stealing, we open ourselves up to the concept of ASTEYA.

And because we live in a Karmic Universe (we get what we put out), not stealing from others protects us energetically and draws us toward greater prosperity.

Where might you (unknowingly) be stealing and how can you stop?

Good questions that we answer in today’s message.

Remember to post your questions and comments -- I respond to them all personally.

BTW, you’ve probably noticed that I don’t accept outside advertising -- that’s because cool people like you share these messages with coworkers, friends, and family who will often hire me for speeches, purchase my books, Complaint FreeⓇ bracelets, and online programs.

So if this post inspired you, touched your heart, or expanded your mind, please do everyone a favor and share it with at least one other person whom you think would like it as well.

Thanks!

The second of the Hindu Yamas is SATYA — truthfulness.

Whenever we consider truthfulness we must remember that the idea of “brutal honesty“ is a myth.

There is brutality.

And, there is honesty.

The two cannot go together.

We can be honest with others without being hurtful.

How can you begin to be more truthful in both small and big ways starting now?

Practice SATYA as much as you can, starting today.