Will power is very essential in our spiritual growth. We treat it very casually, and for many things that we wish to do, we say that we do not have the will for it. Without a strong will it is impossible to make progress.

I have observed in my life time experience of counselling and teaching that a daily practice and routine are very important factors for developing our will power. I work with little children, who live with their parents on the street. They come every morning to us and spend the day with us. We follow a schedule. Initially it was very tough as we had to send the educator to collect them. Some days they would say that they slept late and did not want to come. Life on the streets is very different. There is no darkness as there are street lights and constant traffic. There is a great deal of nocturnal activity. Some of it is very unpleasant.

Developing will power

However, after sometime the children and their parents realized that it was good for the kids, and they started coming on time by themselves. It is a ritual for them, wearing clean clothes, brushing their teeth and combing their hair. They are developing their will power as they want to come every day and spend time with us. It is a daily event and we follow a schedule. Let us apply it to ourselves. As children many of us were taught to say our prayers morning and evening. It became a routine and this routine enables us to proceed in whatever activities we wish to accomplish.

All the Gurus speak about sadhana which means a daily practice. Without sadhana, we cannot develop spiritually. What is extraordinary is by attending to our daily practice, we become more centered and our will power increases. It is truly remarkable as the most lazy and distracted persons become focused on the daily sadhana. The secret is that no one is forcing them to do it. It is the pursuit of their own desire. Then they observe the change in them-selves. They have become aware and conscientious.

An ounce of sadhana is worth a ton of theory. Swami Sivananda.

Aim Hrim Klim