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When you are inspired by some great purpose, some extraordinary project, all your thoughts break their bonds. Your mind transcends limitations, your consciousness expands in every direction, and you find yourself in a new, great and a wonderful world. Dormant forces, faculties and talents become alive, and you discover yourself to be a greater person by far than you ever dreamed yourself to be.
- Patanjali, Yoga Sutras (ca. 250 B.C.E.)
Photo courtesy of Dragonfly
I’m fascinated by thinking that so many of us live mediocre life, our greatest gift from the creator. We define success in possessions and then feel victimized by the fear of loosing those possessions.
While ascending the life curve on a scale defined by others, deep inside we feel sliding down into a deep valley. I’ve felt emptiness, a sense of loss of flame that burnt when I was young - free of obligations, free of limitations with inner fire to imagine and pursue life goals without fear.
If you watch a toddler or a child, you’ll see a heart kindling on a blaze of inner fire, fully immersed in the moment, enjoying success within.
When was the last time you immersed yourself in an activity that you lost track of time? or when was the last time you immersed yourself into something that you felt flux of energy and lost track of your past or what’s coming your way tomorrow? Not lately? Never? Read on!
If you can’t think of these scenarios, you’ve lost your inner fire. Your life is wandering aimlessly, hitting roadside bumps and getting bruised. Your life dreams and goals are in ashes.
It’s time to rekindle that fire once burnt in your youth. It’s as simple as - Start the fire, kindle the fire and, of course, keep it going.
Step # 1 Start the fire:
How do I start the fire? What would you do if money were not an object? Well, key is to become free of debt. I’ve realized that long time ago when I was working to pay for the things that I’d purchased on the numbness and kept attitude of - “I owe, I owe, it’s off to work I go.” Sadly, I was not alone. Countless people work to pay for things that elevated their stature in their social circle. They ascend their rank in the eyes of others who value material possessions as touchstone of success. As my material possessions grew, deep inside, I felt a wind storm that ceased my inner fire. In reality, I was trading success defined by others for the inner fire that kept my enthusiasm and spirit for the success of my own. I asked myself, What would I do if money is not an issue? By asking this question, I found that my passion was to own and develop real estate and not to work as an Engineer for a fortune company.
Step # 2 Add kindle, or it will dwindle:
Now that you’ve learned and lessened the debt, your mind has rejuvenated with enthusiasm for the passion of your life. Enthusiasm was derived from the Greek root entheos, meaning inspired by God.
Kindle your fire with fuel of enthusiasm to burn it brighter inside your mind. When I was young, life taught me a great lesson about the power of kindle. I once took part in the bike race through the mountains of western India. It was a beautiful day with brimming sun and tender wind. In few hours, clouds gathered and wind blew with vehemence. I was terrified to lose respect from those who wanted me to win. Regardless, I ran into a house nearby and asked for shelter. I was warmly welcomed by kind hearted strangers. They closed the windows and doors and light up the fire. It rekindled the fire that was on the verge of dwindling in my heart. I learned that no matter how difficult external circumstances we face, if we kindle our heart, we can rejuvenate spirit and enthusiasm for things that inspire us. What promising passion did you leave behind because it didn’t fit others’ expectations of you? It does not matter what others expect from you. What matters most is what you expect from yourself solely based on your passion. Quit doing something that fits into the norm set by others ignorant of your own ambitions and lofty life purpose. I’ve felt that by doing what I like, I attract abundance of enthusiasm to kindle the fire.
Within every desire is the seed and mechanics for its fulfillment.
-Dr. Deepak Chopra, Chopra Center.
Step # 3 Let’s Keep it going:
Now that you’ve rekindled your inner fire, keep it going with sense of purpose. By awaking everyday knowing what goals to pursue, to fulfill lofty goals of life, we tend to immerse ourselves into things that we enjoy from within. We tend to loose track of time. We tend to ignore the failures of the past and challenges of the future. We are at our best as we only focus on the small task at hand, giving it every ounce of our attention and focus. We develop kindness and gratitude towards the beauty of life. I now feel infinitely more energized serving my goals than when I worked for someone fulfilling their goals.
Where are you in life?
The secret to success is constancy to purpose.
-Benjamin Disraeli (1804-1881) British politician and author.
To Your Success,





Well… I’m proud to say that I’m doing pretty good! I love the work that I do and I get to only work for as much as I want to (Silicon Valley startup but I only work part time). I get to spend time with my kids and travel a lot. I am having fun with my blog. And, yes, I do lose myself and forget everything when I ski (can’t wait for winter).
Of course, there’s always room for improvement. But I am officially out of the rat raced and from where I am, the rat race seems like a very bad place to be.
Vered - MomGrind’s last blog post..How to Promote Your Blog, Or: Give Me Some Digg Luv
Hi Shilpan,
This is so true. When we find our fire, our passion, time becomes irrelevant. I love when that happens. For me, blogging is one of my passions.
Barbara Swafford’s last blog post..Blogging - Year One - Lesson Twelve
These ideas inspire further reflection. If a person has a nightmare during the night, or feels that life itself seems like a nightmare, then this is the universe’s way to shock us into awakening. Its like a bolt of lightening from the part of you that knows the truth of what you want, of your true potential, to the part that denies or doubts who you really are. Our own abilities and awareness can be greatly expanded. What we sense about ourselves isn’t wrong or ‘the enemy.’ The physical world bombards us with messages about what we should do, know, have and do. These views don’t have to rob you of what you sense about yourself inside. Sit back and listen. You’ll be amazed at how you redefine success.
Hi Shilpan - this is excellent advice. It has taken me a long time to be able to begin to fully break away from what others want me to do. It certainly makes you feel better though.
The material possessions thing was far easier, as I don’t like shopping. But as you mentioned, so many people work the whole week then waste the rest of the week spending their hard earned money on junk. It just seems so pointless.
Cath Lawson’s last blog post..The Pros And Cons Of Outsourcing Your Life
Shilpan,
Thank you for reminding me to stay true to my inner self.
I think it can take a life time to discover what truly inspires us - so it’s important to stick with things that we start, even for a while. It can be dangerous to keep moving from one passion to the next, never devoting ourselves to anything.
How do we distinguish our true passions for our false ones?
David | beplayful’s last blog post..Best of April (with link love)
Shilpan, this was a great read. I have to spend some more time here. According to your article I still have some inner fire and that’s always good to know when you do a self check. No. 1 on your list is really crucial for me though and I’m working on that this year. I’ll be done with my debts, but they really do hold you back and this paying for stuff just to be accepted or show off is really old. Your stuff does not define who you are as a person,well it shouldn’t.
Valerie’s last blog post..Everything You Always Wanted to Know About WordPress (But Were Afraid to Ask)
You found me at a perfect time in my life!! I am going to take the time and light a fire… Acutally, I am going to take the time and relight one that needs it! Thank you so much!!
Following your joy is so important. It can be a scary thing to do, but I believe it is the only way to live a meaningful and successful life.
Michael Miles’s last blog post..Why write a mission statement?
Hey Shilpan! Yep’s I have done something that re-ignited the flame in building friendship this evening by playing a round of LAN gaming with my frens from Winning Everyone. Haha.
Interestingly, that outing was organized at the very last minute, and frm the 3 of us became 4, and found 2 more, while getting another chance to stumble onto a friend while he was jogging past us.
It’s great to do things that get the inner fire burning. You never know what cool stuffs will birth forth from inside.
Daniel Richard | Winning Everyone’s last blog post..Happiness Friday: To Enjoy Every Minute and Second of Sleep
Well put, Shilpan. Debt is an anchor to the past that prevents us from living now. Eckhart is talking about this as inner purpose. I describe it as awakening the dragon or tiger.
I agree that a clear heart is a key element in expressing your passion. But the passion itself arises further down in the gut. Where a lot of people experience holding.
Theres another side to this - that energy is there. If we are not expressing our passion, it turns within. We instead experience anger, or fear, or anxiety. This is repressed passion. We also may see it expressed as will or force. What Hawkins called Power vs Force.
Our culture in the west has not been so good at teaching us to express passion. Thus we see the high incident of stress and heart disease.
Finding our passion is moving into purpose, moving into the flow. It is meaning in life. It is the remover of obstacles. Expressed we feel it in the heart as satisfaction, happiness and love.
Davidya’s last blog post..Bab’Aziz
@Wow! I’m both humble and grateful to see more comments as this blog grows. BIG thanks to all of you for that.
@Vered -
I know that you have abundance of talent and balanced life. I’m both happy and proud to have you as a friend.
@Barbara -
You’ve hit nail in the head with - When we find our passion, we lost track of our time. There is always a loss when we gain something. While blogging, I’m least worried about time.
@Liara -
Just fabulous. It’s difficult to add anymore substance to your thoughts. Deep inside, a purpose is held like a secret. When we get others to define our life, we also become oblivious about power of our own thoughts to unlock that secret.
I’m thankful for the insightful comment.
@Cath -
Debt is a death wish for all of us if we even make an attempt to find true purpose. It’s like a prison without any hope of freedom. Well said.
Shilpan’s last blog post..3 Simple Steps to Kindle Your Inner Fire
@David -
I agree that by abandoning one passion for another, we are making it abundantly clear that we have yet to find our true passion. Your remarks are so inspiring that I’m thinking to do my next post just on that. I’ll for sure let you know.
@Valerie -
I’m glad to know that this article is helpful. My intent is to make you pause and reflect upon what you are doing on a daily basis and ask - is this really what I’m born to do?
@Dolores -
I applaud your boldness.
@Micheal -
Well said my friend. Without joy, we are not fully immersed with our mind, body and soul into whatever that we embark on.
@Daniel -
I’d love to know how your team performed?
@Davidya -
What can I say? You’re the genius when it comes to getting inner vision of life. It’s is enlightening to know the destructive nature of passion not fully expressed in our life. I always learn new angle about the subject when you respond. Kudos !
Thank you all for your comments,
Shilpan
Shilpan’s last blog post..3 Simple Steps to Kindle Your Inner Fire
Hi Shilpan: I completely agree that if you focus on what others define as success your inner fire goes out. We should all remember that each of us is here for a purpose, and that we must fulfill that purpose to feel complete. Dada J.P. Vaswami was here in Panama a couple of days ago and I heard him speak. He said that each one of us has to fulfill our own particular duty. Very nice post.
Marelisa’s last blog post..12 Tips for Having a Happy Birthday!
Hey Shilpan, you have a great knack for putting people in your shoes. I love the wind story. I do need to do what is right for me and stop trying to please others. I think we are ingrained to be this way by our parents. Who can blame them. When I have children I would like them to do as I ask too. Hopefully I will teach them to follow their own heart too.
Plain and simple - there needs to be a balance to everything.
Karl Staib - Your Work Happiness Matters’s last blog post..8 Great Leadership Tips from the Dallas Cowboys Assistant Head Coach
@Marelisa -
Good to see your comment on this blog. I’m ceaselessly amazed at how people allow others to define what’s right for them. It’s completely against freedom of thoughts and speech.
@Karl -
Thanks for the kind words but what I’ve written happens in our lives everyday yet we do not learn lessons from those daily, seemingly mediocre events. Life teaches us everyday the power of the creator. It’s up to us to learn from it. Big thank you for the Digg.
Thanks
Shilpan
Hello Shiplan,
Great article about using the analogy of the fire. I enjoyed it. I also like the story that you shared about your time in India with point #2. It’s heartwarming!
Evelyn
Evelyn Lim | Attraction Mind Map’s last blog post..Positive Affirmations: 4 Ways To Programming Through Water
Evelyn,
We have power to focus with purpose to achieve unbound success as you are constantly showing on your blog with the Silva method. I firmly believe that once we hear our own desire, sky is the limit to what we can conceive and achieve.
Thanks
Shilpan
Shilpan’s last blog post..3 Simple Steps to Kindle Your Inner Fire
Whenever I feel that my inner fire is being extinguished I think about my children and see the world in their perspective. This usually gives me a good kick on the butt.
As Robert Forst stated:
…The wood is lovely, dark and deep
But you have miles to go before you sleep
And miles to go before you sleep.”
While I would like to just chill out, I cannot afford to do so. I have to keep my fire burning because I have 6 people in my life that depend on my fire to keep them warm.
Chris’s last blog post..On Choices: A Father’s Advice To His Children
Chris,
Well said my friend. Our inner fire keeps us in perspective. It gives us and guides us with a unique vision that empowers our mind to go miles and miles without sleep. Thanks for the comments.
Shilpan
I was pleased to read this post this morning. I recognize some of the Pantajali’s quote so it was nice to read more of it.
So far, I feel my inner fire beginning to grow. It’s exciting and invigorating and I can’t help but try to share that feeling with my loved ones - intent on helping them find their own. So far its catching on with a few so its fantastic
Your advice about focusing on the task at hand is important. Once I began implementing that into my life it really helped me on so many levels.
Beautiful post Shilpan!
JEMi | Tips for Life, Love, You’s last blog post..What Keeps YOU Young?: An InMyHeels/Lipton FUJI Crosstown Bike Giveaway!!!
Hey Shilpan!
Look at all of those comments - wow! I wanted you to know I was here but really haven’t much to say that wasn’t already said. Keep up the good work!
@JEMi -
I’m witnessing your enthusiasm for the blogging and the positive vibe that you are creating in the blogsphere. It’s remarkable for all of us.
@Lori -
Thanks for the kind words. You’ll always be my dear friend regardless where I end up in a year or two with this blog.
Thanks
Shilpan
I think it can all be summed up in these tw points:
1. “It does not matter what others expect from you. What matters most is what you expect from yourself solely based on your passion. Quit doing something that fits into the norm set by others ignorant of your own ambitions and lofty life purpose.”
Why do we insist on being like everyone else???? God made us unique for a reason and we will only be happy if we follow our uniqueness.
2.”What would I do if money is not an issue?”
Where am I?
I’m living my passion - I’m fulfilling my purpose and it fills grand!!! I think we have to periodically rekindle our passion. We all go through spells when our flame flickers a bit, but with a vision in front of us, it’s easy to rekindle.
Jennifer’s last blog post..Drumroll, please……..
I just relized I hadn’t changed my sign in info here to my new blog. Oops.
BTW Shilpan - I dugg this post.
I have one waiting to be dugg at the Positivity Blog:
http://www.positivityblog.com/index.php/2008/05/05/six-steps-to-become-assertive-and-nice/
It’s one of my very best ones! It’s a very practicle useful post that I know everyone could benefit from so I’m trying to get the word out.
Jennifer’s last blog post..Six Steps to Become Assertive (and Nice)
Shilpan,
Great article! Sorry it has been so long since I have posted. Having a passion is the most important thing to have. I hope your success continues to grow!
Tad
Tad’s last blog post..Slow Down Time
Hi Shilpan,
I stopped by here after responding to the kind comments that you left on my blog the other day. I am very glad I did! I love your words of inspiration and passion. I will be a regular reader from now on! It looks as if you are building an exciting community in the blogging world. Good luck to you!
Wendi Kelly’s last blog post..Listening
@Jennifer -
I draw a great deal of inspiration from your words of wisdom. You are a friend that I call “Pearl of the ocean of blogging.”. Thank you.
@Tad -
You are also a friend who has inspired me merely few months back when I was alone drifting in this vast ocean of blogging without a definite purpose. I’ve found one now and that is to make difference in as many lives I can. Thank you for the friendship.
@Wendi -
You have a beautiful blog and graciousness that I was impressed with. It is with friends like you, I’ve been inspired to go where I’ve never been before. Thank you.
Shilpan
Shilpan’s last blog post..Another Guest Post: 6 Ways to Attract Negative Vibes and Responses