Everyone dreams of changing the world; making their mark on the planet.

Once a man wanted to change the world for the better. He felt it impossible so he decided to change his country. This was impossible so he decided to change his city. Again, impossible, so he decided to change his street. His street didn’t respond, so he decided to change his family. His family didn’t listen either, so he decided to change his wife. Every husband knows this is hard thus, all he was left with was changing himself.

When we see success in someone else, it’s easy to forget the years of sacrifice, austerity and perseverance that got them to that stage. This lapse of memory can often lead us believe that there is a ‘quick-fix’ solution to reach such a level. Think about it. The media constantly bombards us stories of minimal effort, maximum result. But, rarely do they mention how many nights it actually takes to become an overnight success. As the American Football coach Lombardi said to his players, “the only place success comes before work is in the dictionary!”

Spirituality means maximum effort and no result for ourselves; the total opposite of the common worldly mindset. This is the pure definition of selflessness. But how do we get there? 

A constant persistence in our spiritual practices. This sets the anchor in our journey to help others. In the rush of life, without this grounding, the motivations we begin with easily drift off course. Our personal meditations are our daily reminders of the principles we stand by, the character we desire and the change we want to influence. Mahatma Gandhi romantically said “Be the change you want to see in others,” though secretly hidden within the “be the change” part of his statement, is a lifetime of intense challenges, but unlimited rewards.