They Don't Know Me Son! in Self Help

Jai Shri Hari!

Just before you begin to read this post I kindly request you to watch this video.

“They don’t know me son, Who is going to carry the boats & the logs?”

The man you just now observed is called the “Toughest Man on Earth”.

He completed the hardest training on the planet – Hell Week thrice.

He set a world record by doing 4030 pull ups in 17 hours.

He ran the hardest race on the planet – Bad water race with a leg fracture at 217 kms and completed the race with a duct tape.

He lost 50 kgs in three months to join as a Navy seal through the hell week training.

His name is David Goggins and I hope most of you here already know about him.

(Caution: Listening to him or reading his books may hurt your feelings because of the use of explicit language)

If you look into Swamiji’s life it is completely filled with truth and compassion. However, swamiji had already mentioned that he would go for compassion over truth because it may always hurt feelings of people by hearing the truth.

But this guy (David Goggins) is exactly opposite. If you had listened to him even for few minutes you’ll know that he’s never compassionate, he tells you the brutal truth.

There are two ways to self realization: the monk way and the warrior way.

Both ways are similar to each other but only the approach differs.

Today, I wish to show you the warrior way to attain self realization. This approach can be applied to any aspect of life. But as we are concerned more on the path of self discovery, I’ll lay down the framework for becoming more disciplined in your spiritual practices.

From now on, whenever you feel down or don’t feel like doing Sadhana remember to come back here and read this post again so that you can too become driven like David Goggins!

Just catch up a little with me so that we can together become mentally stronger.

1. What makes you uncomfortable?

What’s the hardest thing you feel like doing? Is it to practice meditation and mindfulness? Pick up one thing you feel uncomfortable doing. Whatever it may be start doing it with self discipline. Do little everyday. Find ways to make the hard things more simpler. Swamiji has made performing Mantra Sadhana and Meditation very simple with the help of Sadhana and Black Lotus apps. Make use of it. If you don’t like doing physical exercise then atleast try to do few pushups everyday. The key is consistency. Do it everyday.

2. What’s your past victories?

Once you start doing something that makes you uncomfortable everyday the next hurdle you will face while doing that is twofold: lack of motivation and lack of energy.

When you feel like you lack motivation in what you are doing there is method to motivate you instantly: The Cookie Jar method. In the context of spiritual practices, think of a jar filled with cookies. Imagine the jar as your spiritual journey and the cookies as your past victories (for eg. If you are doing mantra sadhana think of the cookies as your Sadhanas you completed in the past).

Whenever you will feel demotivated, don’t forget to open your jar and pick up your cookie to motivate yourself in the present.

For example, if you are trying to sit in one posture for one hour to meditate but your lower back hurts and legs pain harder there are two options left to you: either give up or persist. If you choose to persist gently remind yourself of your past victories – think of the time when you were able to experience your first samadhi or when you were able to practice meditation with one pointed concentration. If you are a beginner like me then simply remind yourself about any past victories you had in your life it may be anything like winning a sport competition, securing high scores in an examination or even a little kind of appreciation you recieved from others.

3. What’s your limiting factor?

Whenever you feel like you lack energy while doing something hard there is a principle that can make you energetic instantly – The 40% Rule. Understand this principle intellectually first and then try to experience it whenever necessary.

As there is a governor in vehicles to control/limit their speed. We have an imaginary governor in our brains that’s limiting us from achieving our full potential.

For example, while meditating if you get a thought to quit the practice and get up from your asana due to lack of energy – what can you do? Just remind yourself that you have only used 40% of your potential and there is 60% of energy left unused in your brain reserve.

Push yourself a little harder – say to your mind, “Just ten minutes more listen to me now, I’ll do whatever you say later”.

If you can only meditate for 20 minutes in one sitting then try to sit for 30 minutes. But also be aware of the quality.

Do something extra everytime you think you can’t!

This is the mindset of the ‘Toughest Man on Earth’.

To summarise everything shared here:

1. Do something you feel uncomfortable everyday. (Simplify the harder things)

2. When you lack motivation remind yourself the cookie jar method. (Remember your past victories)

3. When you lack energy remember the 40% rule. (Push yourself a little harder than you thought what was possible)

Remember,