Who Will Cry When You Die\?: Life Lessons From The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari pdfdrive com

45.
Connect with Nature
We live in an age of seemingly limitless information. The weekday edition of the
New York Times
contains more information than the average person was exposed
to during an entire lifetime in seventeenth-century England. Over the years, I
have found that spending time alone in natural surroundings connects me to the
larger universe around me and restores my spirit in this hurried age.
After a busy week of speaking engagements, book signings and media
appearances, the simple act of sitting in a wooded park and listening to the wind
move through the leaves fills me with a sense of quiet and peace. My priorities
become clearer, my obligations seem less pressing and my mind grows still.
Communing with nature is also an excellent way to unlock your creativity and
generate new ideas. Newton formulated the laws of gravity while relaxing under
an apple tree. Likewise Swiss designer George de Mestral developed Velcro
after examining the burdock burrs that clung to his dog while he hiked in the
mountains. Natural surroundings serve to stifle the endless chatter that fills our
minds so that our true brilliance can be liberated.
And while you spend time enjoying nature, observe your surroundings with
deep concentration. Study the complexity of a flower or the way the current
moves in a sparkling stream. Take your shoes off and feel the grass under your
feet. Give silent thanks that you have the privilege of enjoying these special gifts
of nature. Many people do not. As Mahatma Gandhi observed, “When I admire
the wonder of a sunset or the beauty of the moon, my soul expands in worship of
the Creator.”

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46.
Use Your Commute Time
If you commute to the office for thirty minutes each way every day, after one
year you will have spent the equivalent of six weeks of eight-hour days in your
car. Given this, can you really afford to spend all your time staring out the
window and daydreaming while the negative news blares from the car radio?
So many of the highly successful and enlightened people I know share a
common habit: they listen to audiocassettes in their cars. In doing so, they
transform their driving time into learning time and make their automobiles
moving universities. Turning your car into a “college on wheels” will be one of
the best investments you will ever make. Rather than arriving at work tired,
frustrated and dispirited, listening to educational audiocassettes will make your
commute fun and keep you inspired, focused and alert to the endless
opportunities around you.
The best way to spot someone truly committed to life improvement is to ask
him whether his car radio is working. The real students of effective living will
have no clue because they spend every minute of their driving time listening to
audio tapes. I cannot tell you how many times I have gone to get into the
passenger seat of the car of a successful and fulfilled person and found a small
mountain of tapes occupying the place where I was to sit. Most of the latest
books can now be found on audiocassette along with many of the best
motivational programs and life leadership systems. Personally, I try to listen to at
least five new tapes a month ranging from the latest business bestsellers to
programs on time management, creativity, positive thinking, physical well-being
and spiritual satisfaction.

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