Awaken from The Slumber of Non-Awareness:- Occasionally you must take time to systematically ponder the question “Who am I?” in depth and in earnest. You are endowed with the faculty of reason, and the greatest function of this faculty is to enquire into your ultimate nature. Out of an unmanifest condition where you exist without form, height, weight or colour, you manifest for a little while on this planet as a personality with a particular name and form endowed with many distinctive physical and mental attributes. Your manifestation begins at a certain point in time called birth and ends soon after at a certain point in time called death. Between these two points you talk, laugh, love, hate, smile. Sing, study, work and play. You go to school, and learn all about trees and plants, animals, manufacturing, mathematics and whatever else it may be. Everything under the sun you learn about your external environment, but know next to nothing about yourself. What little you do assimilate in self-knowledge is paltry, disconnected facts—but nothing real or whole. If you are ever really in a difficult spot, you go and lie down on a couch and ask someone else to tell you about yourself! How Do I Start? In this process there are a few helpful that will be very beneficial, but before we enter into that consideration, let me pose a question. If one is to launch upon this process of self-discipline & self-culture, one has to have a clear picture of oneself. One should ask, “Where do I stand at this moment of commencement?” As one begins to introspect, the findings may be both positive as well as negative. In fact, the picture that emerges may not be at all complimentary. Through this introspection you many find in your own inner being things that you never suspected were inside you. This introspection helps you to come to an understanding of who you really are—positive and negative. Have an undisturbed period of introspection every day for some part of the day, when you can really be free from all distractions, and you can go and study yourself. Once you acknowledge whatever you have found in yourself, then you have a clear picture, almost like looking into a mirror. The question arises as to whether this process is desirable, because it may create a depressing state if too many negative traits are discovered. One may think, “Oh, I am a hopeless case; it’s no use trying to achieve anything at all.” Your objective though is not to brood over your errors and create a sense of guilt. The whole purpose of this self-study is to launch upon a positive and creative process of renewal, and the motivation is completely constructive and positive. Ones you have got a clear-cut picture, that becomes your guide. It tells you what your merits and your weak points are and so what the task before you is. You don’t any longer to keep thinking about the negative traits. You forget about them and turn your face toward the light. How to Be Kind to Yourself:- Blessed and worshipful Swami Sivanandaji wrote a couple of books that had tantalizing titles. One had the initial name, Sure Ways for Success in Life, but then he also added two more words to the title: and God-realisation. He wrote the booklet in a tongue-in-cheek manner by saying, “Marry a rich heiress!” Then he went on to give some hints on becoming rich like checking laziness, being industrious, punctual and hardworking. A little game was played with the reader, but this game was ultimately beneficial, as the reader was “caught’’ by the time he got to the middle of the book. As he reads on he slowly realizes that earthly riches are nothing when compared to the inner wealth of divine wisdom, discrimination and dispassion. This inner wealth is the real treasure of treasures. It makes you an emperor of emperors and the richest man on earth.