Try This

1) Chant Aum and meditate (knowing that the universe is in the self)
when you can hear the sound inside of you without uttering it, and are conscious of your knowledge that the universe is in the self,
2) Think of Krishna - images of him and his characteristics
3) Chant the mahamantra in your mind - hare rama hare rama rama rama hare hare hare krishna hare krishna krishna krishna hare hare
4) Go to the gym and get onto a treadmill, or go for a walk. Match your steps to the meter of the mantra.

Be conscious of all 4 simultaneously - hear the aum inside of you, the mahamantra in your mind synchronized with your steps, and think of krishna

Motivation versus Inspiration

Motivation is linked to motives and incentives. There is an inherent assumption that behind every action, there is an underlying motive. Without any motives or incentives (personal gain), can there be any action? Motivation can be physical (hunger,thirst,sex drive), psychological, social, monetary etc. The underlying assumption is that all action arises only from the need for personal gain of some form. When a crime is committed, the police look for motives such as for money, sex, or fame and recognition, or in extremes, mental illness.

In the workplace, people are made to work hard by motivations of increased financial,social or psychological status. This is a common phenomenon of control in workplace, also referred to as 'the carrot effect'. As long as you are motivated by personal gain of some kind, you can be controlled by the 'carrot effect'. The carrot may be money,position, fame, recognition,travel abroad etc. You are constantly evaluated and judged at the workplace to ensure that you are kept in your place, and that you are still motivated by the carrot. If you haven't got the carrot, then it must be your fault in some way or the other. As long we take the blame on to ourselves, we stay motivated, and continue efforts to reach the carrot, which remains out of reach perpetually, so that we can be controlled and manipulated. An amusing spin-off of the carrot is the term "self-motivated" used by managers. Managers love workers who are "self-motivated", that is those who hang the carrot by themselves, so that they themselves cannot reach it. The self-motivated individual is one who dangles the carrot out of his own reach voluntarily to motivate himself to reach goals and targets set by someone else (the manager). The term "self-motivated", like "self-realized" is contradictory, for the self-motivation of an individual is characterized by his alignment with goals set by an external source (the manager) and not by himself/herself.


When someone is unmoved by motives simply because he knows that the carrot is non-existent, he is labeled as lazy,slow or unmotivated. For how can there be action without an underlying motive? However there is an exception to the rule of action and motivation, and that exception is pure unconditional love. Love defies motivation, for actions performed out of love are not for personal gain of any form. Actions performed out of love are not motivated, but inspired. Inspiration, comes not from external factors, but purely from within. Inspiration is linked to creativity and invention. Inspiration comes out of freedom, and a peaceful mind devoid of stress. Engineers who invent, do so just for the love of it. The new mantra of creativity, innovation and the future is Inspiration, and not Motivation.

Absolutes

Many of us (consciously or by default) believe that there are no absolutes, and that reality is only relative to perception and the observer. But accepting that reality is non-absolute makes life more difficult for us, for that makes it difficult to relate to others (a critical requirement in our personal as well as professional lives). Even if we relate to others, it is in a superficial and temporary way(common perceptions). Each individual's perception of himself/herself shapes his/her perception of everyone else. We can relate to others only through ourselves. Our own perceptions of identity are restricted by words and attitudes such as color,size,shape,personality type, interests etc. The only way we relate to ourselves is through (external) labels. One example of relating to others superficially is a club of people with common interests (within which people are 'us' and outside of which people are 'them', which can be termed as unity by exclusion). Within the club, members know each other only by a label, but do not care enough to treat them as multidimensional individuals. Only the knowledge and awareness that there is an absolute reality which (since it is absolute) is in all of us, and that if we realize that, we will see ourselves in all of existance and vice versa (unity by inclusion) can liberate us from our self-imposed limitations. The evidence for the existance of absolutes is plain for all to see. Those of us that see ourselves in others and vice versa, see other people's point of view, and are hence better listeners and communicators. Also they are capable of forming deep and meaningful connections with others that are not based on shallow perceptions. Whereas those of us who are so absorbed in our own perceptions(or collective perceptions) find it difficult to relate to others (each one is different from us, and from others), and hence are less successful as communicators in their personal as well as professional lives.

What is self-realization?

Self-Realization or God-Realization is a term that is commonly used today. It implies a duality between one entity the"Self" or God and another entity "the Realizer" or the human. The term is contradictory, confusing and non-indicative of how one goes about achieving 'Self-realization', which can be envisioned to be the merging of the two entities to one. The terms Self-Realization or God-Realization are popularized by 'bonafide spiritual masters' and 'self-realized gurus', who promote these words as a science, to be practiced by 'genuine' disciples simple by serving the 'self-realized' master, who brainwashes them into dangling the carrot on to themselves.


"Absolute Reality" on the other hand, as a term is non-dual, it does not indicate seperation between two entities at all. The spiritual seeker on the path to knowing the self is automatically deceived, for the knower, the seeker, and that which he seeks are one. The absolutes of knowledge, truth,awareness and action are intertwined and undividable. True knowledge can only be obtained through action with awareness.