You are much more than just the body

Most of suffering is caused by identification with the limited body and surroundings. You are much more than your body and what you are surrounded by. You are much more than your hands, legs, stomach, forehead, hair. You are much more than your home, your walls, your family, your friends, your workplace, your vehicle. The universe includes all things you can perceive and it even includes all things you cannot perceive. This universe that includes both perceivable and non-perceivable entities is but a part of you.

To develop awareness of your true identity - Sit straight, close your eyes and ask yourself - who am i? Try and answer the question. Are you your arms, are you your legs, are you your stomach? You know that you are much more than these parts of your body. Then try and locate the center of your self. Where are you? Contemplate on who and where you are, until you can concentrate and locate a part of your body where you feel a tingling sensation (e.g., somewhere along your spine). You are there. Now raise your level of awareness to feel that center of your self rise along the length of your spine. You are now there. Finally locate that center on the top of your head. Then raise your center above your head. Now you are not within your physical body. So where are you now? You are outside the body and now perceiving the body as an outsider.

Once you are able to perceive the body as just a part of you and not the whole, shift your center even further. Are you the chair? Are you the walls? Are you the building? Are you the person next door? Are you your mother? Are you your friend? Who are you?

Then you will realize that all these so called external objects are but a part of you. They are not you the whole but they are not outside of you either. They are but a part of you. The universe but a part of you. As you shift your center and feel it outside of your physical body, tell yourself "I am much more than just the body. The entire universe is but a part of me"

Inner Work precedes external work

Contemplation precedes external action.

From the Bhagavad Gita,Lord Krishna tells Arjuna to condition his mind by

1) Controlling his senses by withdrawing his senses from sense objects and objects of pleasure and not be attached to sense pleasures
2)Avoiding greedy desire for things that are not rightfully his
3)Freeing himself from fear, passion and anger by surrendering the results of his actions to Krishna
4) Treating pleasure and pain, heat and cold, gold and stone, honour and disgrace the same
5) Constant practice, striving, discipline, and dispassion (non-attachment)
6) Remembering and thinking of Krishna at all times
7) Meditation

When you are faced with the question of what to do when you are required to act even though you feel you are not ready (with the right attitude and frame of mind), it would be best to detach yourself from the situation and view it as a neutral observer would. Take a break and do not consciously think of the situation, till you develop the right frame of mind.Prepare yourself mentally before important situations where you will not have sufficient time to think and you have to act immediately. The preparation can be by detaching yourself from the situation and by meditation. I usually take walks and avoid consciously thinking of any problem or worrying. The solutions, answers and guidance comes to me automatically.

Further, I find that despite knowing all the steps that one can take to condition your mind, it can be difficult to regain the right attitude and frame of mind for karma yoga once you find yourself low on inspiration.i think it is better to take a break and do other things rather than take on work that you are not inspired to do. uninspired or half-hearted action does not serve our purpose as well as the purpose of others. Given the current prevailing conditions globally, it is even more imperative for us to listen to our hearts and perform inspired actions and act as an example for others.

It is better to be frank about your lack of inspiration rather than make commitments that you know you are not inspired enough to follow through on.we need to connect with our inner selves to know what we need to do and why. there is no substitute for connecting with our inner selves. Inner work always must precede external work. Unless you feel deeply connected with your inner self, you cannot make a deep connection or feel passion for your external actions.