“Don’t be the drop, be the ocean”—Rumi

Life lessons from author Robin Sharma (author of “Discover Your Destiny with the Monk Who Sold His Ferrari” and “The 7 Stages of Self-Awakening”) are clearly designed to awaken our inner wisdom.

Delving into the unseen vital components of wellness, the mind and spirit, let’s suspend our preconceived notions about life and ourselves and listen to a higher level of perception. Knowing this, we can be better equipped to deal with the unexpected ups and downs of life.

Running on empty

It’s the bottom of the pit, the lowest of lows, the nowhere-to-run-or-hide kind of feeling. This stage in any person’s life is inevitable.

It is through a financial/career crisis, major emotional shake-up, traumatic experience, sudden illness or loss of a loved one that one can find enlightenment.

You need to be at the bottom, because the only way out is up. Whatever you have experienced or are going through now, live it, because you will live through it.

It is during these moments that both head and heart will create a tug of war for your attention.

If you live completely in the head, then you will be unable to feel life’s natural rhythms. But to live completely in the heart, one might end up with poor judgment. Strike a balance. This moment counts because you have the opportunity to transform your wounds into wisdom.

Self-betrayal

The crux of the matter is that at some point in our lives we betray ourselves. And it has to do with one’s own personal story.

Everyone has a story to tell. We create our own lives through the stories we tell ourselves. But what is the content of your story?

Some explain that they were victimized by their childhood experiences of abuse, humiliation, being bullied in school or growing up on the other side of the tracks. Others grew up with strict parents who constantly berated them or never had faith in them.

To move forward toward one’s destiny, one needs to stop playing victim. Because if you continue being a victim, your power is given up to the one victimizing you.

As a victim, it is easier to blame your husband, boss, boyfriend, children and parents for all the pain in your life. In this way, you don’t accept responsibility for yourself. And there is no need to assume any personal responsibility for the way your life has turned out.

So, pay attention to your story. And if you want to change your life, change your story.

Leave all the bitterness, pain, anger and tears behind you. Start anew, because in truth, we all have a choice.

Choice point

There is a turning point in one’s life. It is the crossroads of directions. Do you go left, right, forward or backward? Because life is a thriller—you can plan all you want, but that’s only 50 percent—the other half is one big mysterious roller-coaster ride. And yet, it is wiser to have a plan than no plan at all. Accept the fun part of life and prepare for the unexpected. Who knows where it will take you?

But when you have reached the “choice point,” it’s time to make a decision.

If you decide to take the high road, then limitless possibilities await you. By choosing to go further ahead, you learn to awaken your best self.

Remember that the view from the mountaintop is the next highest mountain. This is the true nature of the human spirit to excel, to go beyond one’s reach, to overcome, to triumph.

Ingrained in the DNA of every human being is greatness. Men and women are meant to do extraordinary things. Whether the job is big or small, the challenge is to excel in what we do and how we do it.

“For by the small things you shall be judged,” says Mahatma Gandhi. Devote yourself to excellence in everything. Soon, the big rewards will naturally follow.

But through all of these experiences, one must trust in the process that whatever happens is the perfect experience at the perfect time needed for our own personal growth.

Best life

There are many paths one can take in the journey to one’s best life. The options are limitless. And with every direction you take, there are a whole set of teachers and guides along the way to learning and mastering life lessons.

The only way to one’s best life is to be one’s best self.

If we are guided by the principles of love and fearlessness, there is no stopping you from reaching your goal.

The Steps