Conquer It!

Life is always meant to be a success story. No matter what a man desires, what he does, what he accomplishes, the final motive of life is to make it an event of enduring success. In his quest to obtain irrevocable success in life, man is often faced with multitude challenges. While much opposition to his strife comes from the obstacles that he faces in the world, his greatest adversary is none other than himself. Man in his bid to achieve enduring success is alway hampered by the weaknesses that he bears in his heart. The weaknesses that keep him from realizing his true potential; a catastrophe that ultimately keeps him from achieving superlative success in life.

Life is a war…and many times its a war that you wage with your own self… an endless strife to achieve perfection in life. The Conquer It! series simply gives an expression to that inner strife. This series will feature practical and frugal tips to overcome the fundamental problems that plague man. Fear, Insecurity, Depression, Laziness, Fatigue… the list is endless. Now we provide the solution to absolve it; to overcome it; to Conquer It!

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Conquer It Series Finale.


This week we finally cap off the Conquer It Series with a discussion on what the human life is all about. Human beings are at the top of the evolutionary ladder; but where do we go from thereon? Where does our spiritual journey truly culminate? Through the days, we have talked about ways to achieve greatness. Today we but summarize all that we have discussed through out this series. Today we simply remember and acknowledge the entire scope of our wondrous journey as human beings…listen now!
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Episode 14: Conquer Distrust

In this episode of the Conquer It series, we discuss ways in which we can overcome doubt and distrust. Trust is a very important factor on the spiritual path. It also plays a great role in any worldly achievements. Trust in nothing but unconditional faith. It is faith in its purest forms. The greatest of achievements are realized only with unshaken faith. Today we learn ways in which we can preserve this genuine attribute in our heart. Today we learn as to why trust is imperative on the path that leads to success. Today we conquer the doubt that lingers within our hearts…listen now!
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Episode 13: Conquer Corruption

Today we discuss an issue that is an inherent part of all our personalities. Our mind which dictates the course of our actions is often prone to inner corruption. Corruption comes in form of unneeded desires that divert the mind and make us lose our focus. The one key to truly achieve enduring superlative success is to keep the mind away from corruption; Easier said than done…! How can we keep the mind focused? How can we ensure that it stays centered and oriented towards its true purpose? How can we conquer the corruption that lies within?…listen now!
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Episode 12: “Conquer Temptations”

Temptations are momentary impulses that arise from human instincts. They are indeed so overbearing that engulfed in their midst, man can indeed think of nothing else. Temptations often lead to the ultimate downfall of any human being. The reason being that they are nothing but instinctive impulses and to satiate those impulses, man foregos all bonds of friendship and brotherhood. Throughout history great men have fallen to the traps of temptations. How can we ensure that we remain free from them? How can we ensure that we can achieve enduring superlative success? How can we conquer our temptations?…listen now!
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Episode 11: “Conquer Mediocrity”

Mediocrity is the single greatest threat to achieving success. Mediocrity is entirely comprised of instinctive impulses which are drawn from baser desires. A mediocre person can hardly ever think out of the box; hence achieving enduring superlative success always remains beyond his scope. We are always prone to succumb to mediocre desires because they demand negligible efforts on our part…listen now!
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Episode 10: “Conquer Complacency”

In our quest to achieve enduring superlative success, we often find that at times we don’t really feel motivated to do our best. Many times, we simply feel that we would be better off living a sedentary lifestyle. The reason behind this deceptive sense of satisfaction is complacency. Many times, we feel contented and satisfied despite under-performing in a given situation. This essentially happens owing to the fact that we are completely unaware of our true capabilities. Hence complacency in a way truly keeps us from realizing our true potential. How can we overcome it? How can we ensure enduring superlative success? How can we conquer complacency? Listen to the following audio snippet to find the answers…listen now!
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Episode 9: “Conquer Depression”

Many times, human existence is characterized by the pitfalls and quagmires that it presents to the individual. Many times it so happens that engulfed in the sorrow derived from recurrent failures, the individual finds no hope of salvation. This essentially leads to a depressive state of mind, wherein the individual concerned becomes engulfed in negativity. Depression can never achieve anything. It can only lead us to death and destruction. How can we overcome this depression? How can we truly rise above it? How can we conquer it? Listen to the following audio snippet to find the answers…listen now.
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Episode 8: “Conquer Fatigue”
Often in life we find that we are just unable to attain our goals and fulfill our dreams. Many times, we just dont find the energy to keep going against the tide. Many times our resolve fails us as we falter in our quest to achieve enduring superlative success. This is essentially owing to the fact that we are tired. As we life through the rat-race of life, we often feel at a loss of energy and stamina. Often the work-load and the irrational deadlines take an adverse toll on our health. Consequently we are unable to perform at an optimum level of productivity. We simply can’t enjoy what we do. How can we truly overcome this setback? How can we truly be rejuvenated? How can we truly conquer fatigue?…listen now!
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Episode 7: “Conquer Laziness”
In this part of the Conquer It series, we discuss different ways through which we can conquer laziness. Many times we are ever unaware of the fact that we are indeed being lazy while dispensing some of our duties. We never understand the fact that we indeed lose upon many opportunities in life owing to our laziness. Often we disregard our laziness to be a nominal vice; and not something that necessarily affects our quest for success in an adverse way. It is only later that we realize the gravity of the situation. How can we conquer laziness? How can we ensure continued productivity? How can we truly achieve enduring success? Listen to the following audio snippet to find the answers…listen now!
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Episode 6: “Conquer Illusions”
Perception is Reality…or is it? In this episode of the Conquer It! series we question our perceptions thus. Often we find that the greatest obstacles that stand in our way to achieve enduring success are the illusions that we bear about life. Often when we fail to get a correct overview of situations that we are in, we encounter persisting failure. Thus many times, our inability to accept reality the way it is, results in our downfall. How can we change this? How can we uplift ourselves from our deluded perceptions? How can we conquer the illusions that forever cloud our discerning intellect? Listen to the following audio snippet to find the answers…listen now!
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Episode 5: “Conquer Doubt”
Doubt essentially arises owing to a lack of faith on part of the individual. When the individual starts doubting his own heart, it necessarily spells doom for his quest to achieve superlative success. One can only succeed in life if he truly believes in himself. We as individuals have to realize that there is nothing that can be accomplished without faith. Yet as we live through our lives, at times we are forced to doubt ourselves and then God in turn. We are compelled by circumstances to incessantly question our own capabilities. At times this leads us to have a pessimistic attitude towards life. How can we truly rise above that pessimism? How can we truly overcome our insecurity? How can we truly conquer our doubts? Listen to the following audio snippet to find the answers…listen now
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Episode 4: “Conquer Anxiety”
Anxiety is defined as a perpetual state of worry and nervousness. Many times in life, we get anxious for no particular reason at all. We fail to realize the fact that our anxiousness is only because of our heightened sentiment of fear and insecurity. Anxiety does not resolve anything. You can be as anxious as you want to be, but your sentiments won’t have any effect on the results. Yet anxiety is an undesirable trait, because when we become anxious we start becoming pessimist and we lose all hope and faith. Thus we fall into an endless stream of depression. How can we truly overcome this weakness? How can we truly rise from our perpetual state of nervousness? How can we truly conquer anxiety? Listen to the following audio snippet to find the answers…listen now!

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Episode 3: “Conquer Adversity”
Adversity is a state of misfortune or affliction. In life, we are often faced with situations, wherein we truly believe that we can never ever win through. At times life takes us through a series of unfortunate events that we think inevitably end in disaster. At times we lamen our misofortune and times we curse our fates; yet we fail to realize that we have within ourselves, the power to conquer that adversity. We have within ourselves the courage to break any and all barriers that stand in the midst. How can we accomplish that? How can we truly conquer adversity? How can we win through in this war of life? Listen to the following audio snippet to find the answers…listen now!
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Episode 2: “Conquer Fear”

Fear is the primary adversary in any war. If at the onset of the war an individual is afraid of his enemy, he can never win the war. Thus in the war to conquer our own weaknesses, we must inherently shed the fear of the same. Fear induces frailty and frailty ensures failure…and in the war of life, failure is not an option. How can we truly surmount our fears? How can we truly show courage in the face of impending doom? Listen to the following audio snippet to find the answers…listen now!
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Episode 1: The Onset

In the maiden episode of the Conquer It series, we give a brief overview of what the series is all about. The oft-used cliché that life is a war finds a whole new meaning in this series of audio epistles. YES! Life indeed is a war, but most of the times, it is war that you wage against your own weaknesses; for in the end, your weaknesses keep you from achieving superlatively in all walks of life. How can one truly surmount these undesirable factors? How can one truly conquer his weaknesses? Listen to the following audio epistle to find the answer…listen now!
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Illustrations: Radha, Boris, Jinx

True Bhaava

Bhaava is one of the most important aspects of spirituality. In modern day techniques, it is often given less importance over other forms of ritualistic meditations, but point of the matter is that in the end it is a seeker’s bhaava that matters the most in any given situation. Bhaava essentially means feeling. It is often mis-constured as emotion or bhaavana. However there are subtle differences between these two entities. Bhaava is a genuine unshaken inner sense that accompanies an individual through all walks of his life. Through thick and thin as the seeker experiences both the highs and the lows of worldly life, his bhaava never changes. bhaavana or emotions are necessarily like the flavour of the day. They keep on changing and altering through every single experience that the seeker undergoes in his life. Often emotions are drawn from experiences that in one way or the other either glorify or demean the human ego. Hence they are essentially related with the fickle aspect of human nature.

True bhaava, however has a unique quality of constancy and virtue to itself. bhaava can be manifested in any form. It can take the form of unshaken trust in God or it can be an individual’s resolute conviction pertaining to his purpose. Point of the matter is that bhaava is indeed one of the strongest forces on the face of this earth. The genuinity of this bhaava in the end determines a person’s growth both in the materialistic and spiritual pursuits of life. To elucidate more clearly on the concept, I would simply state that bhaava is a kind of energy that resides with a person. The potency of that energy has a direct corelation to the seeker’s orientation towards God; or towards his motive. The correctness of that orientation ultimately correponds to his receptivity; which in turn provides him the desired results. Now the results may vary from person to person. But in the end the potency with which an individual desires for the result ultimately corresponds to his rate of success.

In the end the fact that the seeker has to realize is that true bhaava is the direct expression of the spirit. It is unmaligned force of expression that spurs from the spirit itself. Thus it has great potency within itself. Whatever the spirit desires, it accomplishes, but in many cases the desires of the spirit conflict with the desries of the mind, and in the end the human being who constantly lies befuddled between the two, loses all sense of heading and orientation. To avoid this, one must always be aware of the bhaava that goes behind each of his actions. He must be aware of any undercurrents that exist to his motivation. By simply by being aware of what they are, one can go a long way in the journey of life. For in the end as long as the human being exists there will always be a conflict between the spirit and the mind. However being aware of that conflict, being aware of the true bhaava behind each and every action would go a long way in ensuring success in all walks of life…

Chapter 2: “True Bhaava” in Satsang(Audio)

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The Way to Live

Many times people are at a loss when it comes to making certain decisions in life. People necessarily are torn between good and bad. Essentially when it comes down to it, we realize that indeed there is little in this world that can be completely categorized as being good or being bad. Indeed it is the way that we choose to look at things that matters in the end. Hence once again the question of it being good or bad is indeed non-existent. Much in the same way, in the daily walks of life, we cannot categorize our acts as being truly good or truly bad. So the fundamental question that arises after this deduction is that how can a human being truly live in this world. If in the end there is no good and bad; if in the end everything is relative, how can man truly make sure that he lives his life in the ideal way.

The spiritualist comes to this question at some point in his life. As he starts to question his very existence, he starts to realize that indeed there is little thought or little consternation to his actions. However once he starts to carefully self-introspect to try and get to the motivation that goes behind each of his acts, he starts to realize that indeed there is little that can be truly categorized as being good or bad. So in the end he starts to question his very lifestyle as he becomes aware of the effect that his acts have on his destiny. In his quest to find the ideal way in which to lead his life, the true spiritualist in the end finds that he necessarily has to go beyond the duality of things in order to find a greater way of life. He has to go beyond good or bad; he has to go beyond right or wrong; he has to hence come to a point where he can regard any situation dispassionately and act accordingly to get the best results out of any situation.

Hence we come to the point of the matter. It is the wholesome creativity and productivity that you inculcate in life that truly makes a difference in the end. It does not matter if you were good or bad; as long as you are productive, you will necessarily get good results in life. In the end the karmic equation is just that; it’s an equation. There is a cause to every effect and necessarily the good or bad ceases to matter for in the end it is you yourself who has to bear the burden of your actions; may they be good or bad.

Thus the spiritualist comes to a point where he truly realizes that he indeed cannot make everyone happy; for if a man is to truly live in this world, he cannot refrain from “bad acts”. At times these acts are done in a bid for survival and hence are imperative at that very moment. However, if the seeker in the end realizes that he can get beyond that duality of good and bad by keeping a creative and productive approach in life, he can truly make his life seem worthwhile. Hence today I would like to exhort to each and every one of you, to truly see, if you are being creative in any given situation. Introspect your actions, search your feelings, meditate on your thoughts; and you will realize that you seldom are. Whenever you have a choice to go either way in any situation, choose the choice that is most productive; don’t think about it being good or bad; just think how much it benefits others. Simply strive not for your own ends; care for those around you; aim to be a creator rather than a conspirator and the journey of life will surely prove to be a joy-ride for you…

A Greater Vision

In my previous article titled Patience, Faith & Hope, I had mentioned that there are three things that are required to achieve superlative success in this world. The three were thus enumerated as energy, perseverance and vision. Any individual who incorporates these three attributes into his life would find great success, no matter where he goes. Success is again a relative term. While something that may seem as a great achievement to you, won’t necessarily mean the same to me. Hence success is alternatively defined for each and every one of us. While most equate success with personal achievement or personal glory, it can be safely said, that these things are hardly of any use to others. Sure my neighbor may be a great successful billionaire, but does that in any way, change my life? Does that mean, he pays my taxes for me? Does that mean that he can truly make a difference in my life, just by being who he is? That is definitely not true. One person’s success is of no use to the other person, unless it changes his life for the better.

Thus we come upon the third attribute that I mentioned in my dissertations pertaining to superlative success. ‘Vision’; it is a man’s vision that truly determines as to how universally successful he becomes. It is vision that incorporates within itself not just personal ambition or personal desire, but a genuine craving to make a difference in the society; a genuine desire to uplift the destitute. In the end, it is this vision that truly makes a person great; for the purpose, which is rooted in selfless benevolence makes his vision seem worthwhile to others. This in turn makes his achievement and his success all the more universal and endearing.

It is hard to come across men who have such vision in their lives. They truly are a rare breed of human beings. Most of the times, we come across people who bear a very stunted vision concerning their goals and desires in life. Most of the times a man’s vision is centered towards the ultimate fulfillment of desires; towards self-gratification. Thus the vision in itself has no scope of growth. However contrary to that there exist some men, whose vision is such that even the wisest of wise cannot fathom their ultimate purpose. Such vision is deeply rooted in a genuine need to be selfless and benevolent and hence such vision incorporates within itself the interests of others as well. It incorporates their problems and their shortcomings in a bid to finally seek a solution to change their lives for the better.

It is this ‘greater vision’ that ultimately finds the greatest success owing to the simple reason that it is not centered around one single person. The fact that such vision is centered on the overall benefit of the people at large makes it that much endearing to others. Hence others who work with you are all the more eager and willing to incorporate that vision into their own lives. Hence with such a ‘greater vision’, one can not only make a difference in the society, but he can also inspire others to act in the same way. Thus gradually as more and more people start to believe in that vision, their collective energy goes into fulfilling it. In the end, such greater vision enables man to fulfill a greater purpose that is rooted not in instinctive self-gratification but in selfless benevolence. Thus a man who is centered in such a vision and who acts accordingly to transform that vision into reality is uplifted by the blessings of the thousands, whose lives he changes. These blessings ultimately take him beyond the recursive and redundant way of life that the human existence epitomizes; lending a divine sheen to his existence; in the end making him immensely satisfied and exalted.

Thus when he comes to the end of his journey and as he looks back he realizes that his life truly means something; that his life was truly employed in making this world a better place to live in. Ultimately, such success that leaves a positive influence on the lives of others is success that can be universally equated with greatness… for it truly is divine…:)

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Patience, Faith & Hope

I often say, that to achieve greatness you need three things; energy, perseverance and vision. All three attributes are irreplaceable and must be imbibed by any person who wishes to achieve superlatively in this world. The word ‘achievement’ has relative meanings to itself. While some may think of greatness as wealth or power, for some, even survival may seem as a great achievement. The meaning associated with any term changes according to each and every single person. Hence, here when we consider greatness, we are considering all aspects of that term; and not just one. Sure, the young village kid, who grows up to be the CEO of a multi-national company is great; but so is the dirty, ragged street-punk, who sells stolen watches to make a living. Simply put, in one case it is superlative achievement that equates with greatness; while in the latter it is simply the act of survival that we find to be truly worthy of appreciation. However in all these situations, there are three things that matter the most; three vital things that are catalysts in the road that leads to enduring and superlative success. They are energy, perseverance and vision.

Perseverance is probably the rarest of all attributes to be found in human beings. You can find many stubborn people; you may find many resilient ones; but perseverance is a whole other thing. It is the ability to hang on when the entire world including your own self is screaming at you to let go. It is the ability to keep on walking, no matter how high the odds may be stacked against you. It is the ability to stand in defiance against any and all hurdles that dare to weaken your resolve as you walk on the road that leads to your goal. In the end, it is this ceaseless perseverance that leads man to greatness; and to persevere on any road there are three things that man needs. He needs patience; he needs faith and he needs hope.

Many pseudo-intellectuals and atheists in particular would vehemently disagree with me when I say the word ‘faith’. That is inherently because they fail to understand that there indeed are forces beyond man’s control that in the end determine his destiny. The only way that man can have any say in that equation is through the sheer power of faith. Faith in itself has great power, for it can give man the motivation and the desire to walk on the hardest of all paths; it can on its own accord turn the tide in any form of struggle on part of the individual. Thus faith inherently becomes the most potent attribute in the life-journey of any individual. A man needs ‘patience’; for indeed in life, nothing happens before it is destined to happen. In the end, you just have to wait till the bus comes to you; only then can you board it. It is ceaseless patience that outlasts the test of time that leads an individual to success in his life. In this world, nothing can be acquired easily, and those who think thus are either deluded or are nothing but perpetual dreamers. You can only be successful with time, and thus when success comes your way, it is your patience that ensures that you remain in place to reap the benefits of your work. Thus at the end, we come to ‘hope’; the eternal dream wherein even the most destitute and demoralized of men can fantasize about one day becoming a king; it is hope that infuses within us the desire to achieve superlatively; it is ‘hope’ that makes us believe that indeed we as mere men can outlast the bad times; it is ultimately hope that reassures us that we indeed can attain the seemingly unattainable. It is hope that leads us to the promised lands.

In the end, perseverance is nothing but a spiked cocktail of all three; hope, patience and faith; all which endure innumerable assaults of misfortune, setbacks and miscalculations; to finally take the individual beyond the barriers of despair, regret and failure in a bid to ultimately lead him towards success; towards greatness; towards immortality… 🙂

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