As I started to see all the positive things that would flood into my life through the cultivation of good habits, I grew excited. But I realised that Julian was talking about far more than the importance of daily exercise, a healthful diet and a balanced lifestyle.
What he had learned in the Himalayas was deeper and more meaningful than this. He spoke of the importance of building strength of character, developing mental toughness and living with courage.
He told me that these three attributes would lead one not only to a virtuous life but to a life filled with achievement, satisfaction and inner peace. Courage was a quality everyone could cultivate and one that would pay huge dividends over the long run.
“What does courage have to do with self-leadership and personal development?” I wondered aloud.
“Courage allows you to run your own race. Courage allows you to do whatever you want to do because you know that it is right. Courage gives you the self-control to persist where others have failed. Ultimately, the degree of courage you live with determines the amount of fulfillment you receive. It allows you to truly realise all the exquisite wonders of the epic that is your life. And those who master themselves have an abundance of courage.”
“Okay. I am starting to understand the power of working on myself. Where do I start?”
Julian returned to his conversation with Yogi Raman high atop the mountains, on what he remembered as a remarkably starry and gloriously beautiful night.
“Initially, I too had trouble with the notion of self-improvement. After all, I was a tough, Harvard-trained legal gunslinger who had no time for New Age theories forced on me by what I thought were people with bad haircuts who hung out at airports. I was wrong. It was this close-mindedness that was holding my life back all of those years. The more I listened to Yogi Raman and the more I reflected on the pain and suffering of my former world, the more I welcomed the philosophy of kaizen, constant and never-ending enrichment of the mind, body and soul, into my new life,” Julian asserted.
“Why am I hearing so much about the ‘mind, body and soul’ these days? It seems I can’t even turn on the tube without someone making mention of it.”
“This is the trilogy of your human endowments. To improve your mind without the cultivation of your physical gifts would be a very hollow victory. Elevating your mind and body to their highest level without nurturing your soul would leave you feeling very empty and unfulfilled. But when you dedicate your energies to unlocking the full potential of all three of your human endowments, you will taste the divine ecstacy of an enlightened life.”
“You’ve got me pretty excited, pal.”www.robinsharma.com