Never forget the eternal truth, that we only ever lose when we concede we have lost. Having the courage, patience and determination to press on, even when all the signs are telling us to stop, to give in, to cut and run, can lead to unexpected results.
Remaining calm, collected, objective and compassionate, even when the circumstances may be urging you to move in other directions, is a feature of our nature that requires time, practice and patience to perfect.
I don’t think it is simply a coincidence that practice, meaning repeating a task or skill to improve your proficiency, and Buddhist practice, use the same word. As Gary Player, the famous golfer once said of his game, ‘the more I practice, the luckier I get’. Luck has nothing to do with it, as he and we know it all too well.
So if you find the odds stacked against you, get disheartened by the way events seem to be going, believe in yourself and your practice. You might be surprised by what actually happens. So apply for that job, write that email or make that phone call, what have you got to lose?
I feel really sorry for my neighbours today. I spent most of the night trying, and failing, to stop coughing myself stupid. Despite doses of cough mixture, each time I lay down to sleep, that tickle came back and I found myself having to get up to stop the coughing fit.
Never forget that making a decision is the beginning, and not the end of a process. In many ways starting something is the easiest part, seeing things through to their conclusion takes far more effort and patience as well as wisdom, courage and compassion.
If you ride a bike on the roads around Britain you’ll know how lovely it is to find yourself on a stretch of nice new smooth tarmac. The lumps and bumps of our older repaired roads really can rattle your bones, so the new surface is a real treat.
A complete lack of exertion or stress may seem desirable, but in fact it results in boredom and stagnation. It is essential that we keep making continuous efforts amid challenging circumstances, pushing forward with dynamic creativity and breaking through all obstacles. That is the way to develop new strength and achieve fresh growth, whether it be in the case of an individual or an organisation.
When life is feeling like swimming in treacle, the only key to success is to draw on your own determination. Sometimes things don’t go the way you wish and that can be for a number of reasons. But if you can remain calm, suppress your frustrations and stay focused, things will change.
Congratulations to Andy Murray, for winning the first Grand Slam title of his career. His thrilling US Open victory over Novak Djokovic, which had me glued to the TV until nearly 3:00am this morning, is the first British Grand Slam winner since Fred Perry in 1936.
I’m busy writing a story. It’s about a boy, Tom, and the strange events that unfurl when he and his mate Eden encounter a spirit entity that resides at the bottom of a long disused well, in the grounds of a derelict asylum.
When you make a commitment, be that a personal thing, or to your practice, you must make it wholeheartedly and never let that commitment dwindle. If the commitment is to your practice, only you will suffer if you let things slide, but if it to another person, remember that you will make them suffer too if you allow it to slip.
The path to enlightenment involves a lot of learning, much of it about yourself.
The Search For Enlightenment 
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