What are Character and Qualities?

Overcoming obstacles and challenges requires the development of certain characteristics and qualities. These are traits or attributes that define an individual's personality, behavior, and worldview. Every individual possesses a unique set of factors that have been shaped by their life experiences, environment, and culture. The ability to recognize and cultivate positive characteristics and qualities in oneself can lead to personal growth and success in various aspects of life. Karma yoga views characteristics and qualities as ways to progress along the pathway to soulful growth, self-realization, and prosperity. According to yoga, we all possess what are called “gunas." These fall into three categories. The first is purity, goodness, and kindness, as well as wisdom, compassion, love, and harmony. The second is the quality of activity and restlessness. It is associated with ambition, passion, greed, and desire. The third is the quality of laziness and inertia. Its characteristics are ignorance, laziness, depression, and apathy. Karma means work, and we must work diligently to cultivate kindness and harmony while eliminating restlessness and laziness. Let’s get to work. END: To overcome obstacles, we need to cultivate positive characteristics and qualities within ourselves. This can lead to greater self-awareness, inner peace, and soulful growth. To bring more positive attributes into your life, align yourself with and focus on developing honesty, generosity, kindness, and humility. How we create and use these characteristics determines the outcome of our lives. We are here on Earth as curious souls to learn and understand life, and with that comes the development of human characteristics. EGO: Flip your palms up and extend your index finger outward – the symbol of your ego. The ego protects us, and when balanced, can bring us strength and endurance, but it can also lead to low self-esteem. Building strong characteristics can help us to overcome the ego’s low self-esteem. Low self-esteem often leads to a need to be right or self-important. If this arises, pull your finger and place your thumb on top, take a breath, and connect with your soul. The soul will encourage you to control the four great passions — deceit, greed, anger, and pride — and to cultivate characteristics such as honesty, generosity, kindness, and compassion. This will bring harmony and peace to your life. Who wouldn’t want that? Remember, we are here on Earth as curious souls to learn and understand life. To overcome obstacles, pay attention to your character—it matters. Namaste~ may you walk the path of life with health, happiness, and peace. Doctor Lynn For books, classes, consultations and more http://www.doctorlynn.com

NINE OBSTACLES to Overcome - if you want to succeed

At the core, we are pure, simple, and unique, but life presents many obstacles. It takes continual practice to overcome and master life’s obstacles. When presented with obstacles, we can see obstacles from the soul’s point of view or the ego. The ego will fight, blaming others and the world for life's obstacles, but the soul sees these as opportunities to learn and master life. The nine obstacles are: Ill health, boredom, and apathy, doubting oneself, being scattered and careless, doubting one’s progress (comparing ourselves to others), uncontrolled cravings and desires, allowing the stress in our lives to lead to burnout, getting caught in the Maya or illusion of life, and failing to practice—nothing can be achieved without continual practice. The key to overcoming obstacles is to be aware of them and, when they arise, approach them from the soul's perspective rather than the ego. It isn't easy and will take continual practice, so let’s begin. END: At the core, we are pure, simple, and unique. Life will present us with many obstacles. It takes continual practice to overcome and master life’s obstacles. Try to see them from the soul’s point of view. We are here to master our karma, and the only way to do this is to consciously become aware of the obstacles preventing us from finding the most important things in life: health, happiness, and peace. Then, remove the obstacles and live in harmony with life. EGO: Flip your palms up and extend your index finger – the symbol of the ego. When confronted with obstacles, the ego immediately goes into survival mode. It fights within itself to be right and, when faced with obstacles, begins to blame others in the world for its struggles. Pull your finger in and place your thumb on top. Take a breath and surrender to the soul. No one goes through life without struggles. Each obstacle allows us to find our strength, stay open and flexible, and maintain our balance even when the world seems against us. For the soul knows everything is temporary, everything changes, and what might appear as an obstacle today might be an opportunity tomorrow. It all depends on how we view the world. Namaste ~ may you walk the path of life with health, happiness, and peace Doctor Lynn For books, classes, consultations, and more http://www.doctorlynn.com

The Ninth Obstacle—An Inability to Maintain Continual Practice

Continual practice means to remain steadfast and committed to something. If you want to succeed or master anything, you must practice, practice, and continue to practice. Without practice, nothing can be achieved. If you wish to achieve a state of vitality, happiness, and peace, you will need to focus on your health, your self-worth, and seeing life for what it is: an opportunity to learn, know, and master your karma and thus master your life. This focus requires constant practice. Otherwise, we get careless and distracted by cravings and desires. Everyday life will present you with obstacles to overcome. That is why you must practice finding balance, strength, flexibility, and peace. It takes work—that’s karma! Let’s get started. END: Even after you have succeeded and mastered something, you must continue to practice. Karma yoga is a lifelong practice because it is about how you live your life. Practicing karma means continually making conscious choices every moment you live. The most important things in life are your health, happiness, and peace. Each of these takes continual practice. So, practice daily taking care of the most important things in life: your health, happiness, and peace in the body, mind, and soul. EGO: Flip up your palm and extend out your index finger, the symbol of the soul. The ego thinks of itself as the master, forgetting that it is the reflection of the true self filtered through the mind. Karma teaches that the true self is selfless. However, when filtered through the perceptions and attitudes of the mind, it tends to become selfish. It often gets caught in the illusion of life, boosting its importance. It sometimes thinks it has all the answers and is perfect, so there is no need to continue to practice and learn. Pull your index finger in and place your thumb on top. Take a breath and surrender to the symbol of the soul. At our core (our soul), we are our selfless essence or our true self, which is pure, simple, and unique. It’s independent of the body and the mind, yet it depends upon the body-mind for its existence here on Earth. Life will present us with many obstacles. It takes continual practice to overcome and master life’s obstacles. So, every day, practice, practice, practice, and keep practicing. Namaste ~ may you walk the path of life with health, happiness, and peace Doctor Lynn For books, classes, consultations and more, visit http://www.doctorlynn.com

The Eighth Obstacle—Getting Caught in the Illusion of Life

Getting caught in the illusion of life means having a false impression of life as being a certain way, a false sense of security, and a false sense of importance. The eighth obstacle, Maya, means illusions or boundaries. Competing in life requires a strong body and a steady mind, but success requires something more profound: a sincere and intellectual understanding of Maya. We have all heard the saying that the world is an illusion and nothing is real. But that is not true. Everything around you is real. Believing that we all see the world through the same set of eyes and from the same experiences is the illusion. We see the world through our perspective, forgetting that everyone has a unique view of the world. We may share a common reality, but how we experience and perceive life is unique to each of us. The illusion is in believing that how we perceive the world is the only view. The world is real, made up of experiences through which we might gain actual knowledge of what yoga calls our Purusha, our authentic being, known as the soul. This is your character and virtues—let’s get to work. END: We often look to the material world to define us. It is not the material world that defines us, but what defines us is what we do with it and how we do or do not let it build character, values, and virtues. The only permanent thing is what you cultivate within. Money, health, happiness, possessions, and relationships come and go, but the virtues you build within you carry through each incarnation. The world is real—how we perceive the world is an illusion. So, work to develop virtues within. Know the world is real and then use it as a great opportunity to build acceptance, tolerance, compassion, and understanding, and you will overcome the obstacle of illusion. It takes work to separate yourself and see the world for what it is—an opportunity to master your karma. Remember, everything in the world is real and ever-changing. Nothing in life is permanent except the characteristics and qualities you develop and retain. Wealth, material things, world peace, technology, emotions, and feelings are all constantly changing, but what you create within carries with you from lifetime to lifetime. Be peaceful, kind, and generous. EGO: Flip your palms up and extend out the index finger—the ego. The Maya, or illusion, believes everything is ego-related and real from the ego's perspective. You are here to use the world, but do not be used by it. Pull your finger in and place your thumb on top, symbolizing the soul. Take a breath and surrender to your soul. You are a steward of life, so use it wisely. To overcome Maya, detach and observe life without indifference. Withdraw and reflect with an objective point of view. Remove your emotional attachment, and you will discover clarity. You will then begin to understand why you are here and what you are here to learn. See every problem and decision as an opportunity to learn, know, and master your karma, and thus, you master your life. The world is not an illusion; it is made of real things and experiences so that we might have the opportunity to discover, define, and refine our Purusha, our authentic being, known as the soul. Your life cannot be understood through intellectual interpretation. Life can only be understood through experiences. See the experiences for what they are: opportunities to lift the veil of illusion so that you might learn, know, and master your karma. Namaste~ may you walk the path of life with health, happiness, and peace. Doctor Lynn For books, classes, consultations, and more, visit http://www.doctorlynn.com

The Seventh Obstacle—Doubting One’s Progress

Doubting one's progress means questioning or comparing one's life to others. Why is someone else more successful, more innovative, or more evolved? Have they made more progress in life than we have? We live in a world where others may be more successful and move down life's path faster. We doubt our progress. Have you ever questioned where or what you are doing with your life and wondered if you were on the right path? Questioning is a byproduct of the obstacle of self-doubt. When you doubt yourself, you doubt the progress you've made. Karma, however, teaches us that we are all on our paths, and the markers of the material world do not indicate how far we have progressed soulfully. The soul is here to turn deceit, greed, anger, and pride into truth, generosity, kindness, and humility. Awareness of this and taking this direction puts you further down the path than someone ignorant of what progress means. Awareness does not mean that you cannot be wealthy and powerful. What you do with your energy is the true marker of progress. Regardless of where you are, if you are working on being honest, generous, kind, and humble, you are making progress. It takes work—that's karma. Let's get started. END: Everyone faces doubt in varying intensities—from a subtle whisper to a loud emotional shout. Doubt can remind us to return to our most basic truth—love. Where there is true love, there is no doubt. Doubt can teach us a thing or two about ourselves and the world. We have an opportunity to see where we lack trust and, as such, can make a different choice. When we become aware of doubt, we connect to a deeper part of our being—a place of stillness and peace. Here, we connect with the soul or our essence, and it is here that we truly discover our progress along life's path. Trust and love yourself and be honest, generous, kind, and humble, and you will make tremendous progress in life. EGO: Flip your palms up and extend the index fingers, the symbol of the ego. Doubt, at the core of the ego, is a fearful emotion. The ego shouts at us to take charge, fearing not being accepted, rejected, or loved. It doubts its self-worth and questions its progress. Pull your index finger in and place your thumb on top, the symbol of the soul. Take a breath and surrender to your soul. When we surrender to the essence of our being, our soul, we discover that each path is unique. Comparison and competition do not fit into the soul's mission. The soul is here to help us quiet the mind and see the world for what it really is—an opportunity to discover trust, generosity, kindness, and humility within ourselves. When we discover these qualities within, we have no need to doubt ourselves or our progress. We often climb hills only to slide down or climb to the top of the mountain, only to realize we climbed the wrong mountain for the wrong reason. So, we must come down and begin a new climb. Navigating life takes continual practice. Sometimes, we get it right, and sometimes, we don't. But we need to keep practicing to achieve trust, belief, and love for ourselves. Namaste~ may you walk the path of life with health, happiness, and peace. Doctor Lynn For books, classes, consultations, and more http://www.doctorlynn.com

The Sixth Obstacle—Feeling Heavy and Burnt Out

We all experience exhaustion, stress, and overload from time to time, so karma reminds us to pay attention to these feelings, slow down, and bring some balance and harmony back into our lives. This is how to overcome the obstacle of becoming burnt out. Being energetic, enthusiastic, happy, and focused is hard when faced with heavy feelings and exhaustion. The basis of life is energy, and what we do with our energy determines whether we survive or perish. To overcome feeling heavy and burnt out, we need to balance our energy, body, mind, and soul, which leads to harmony. It is so easy to get caught up in the dramas and stressors of life and let them lead us to exhaustion. But the irony of life is that for all our outward strivings and all the dramas, in the end, the sum total always adds up to zero. We take none of the dramas, problems, and stressors when we depart this world. What we do take is the compassion, understanding, and kindness we give to ourselves and others. This requires flexibility, strength, balance, and inner peace. Let’s get started. END: The irony of life is that for all our outward strivings and dramas, the sum total always adds up to zero. What we take as we depart this world is the compassion, understanding, and kindness we give ourselves and others. Life is all about our experiences, and how we use our energy in each of these experiences determines whether we live a life of harmony or strife, with the heaviness and dramas that lead to burnout. EGO: Flip your palms up and extend your index finger, symbolizing your ego. The ego constantly strives to excel, be important, and consume. It wants acceptance and love. All of this comes from the Citta or the perceptions we hold in our minds. They keep us in a constant state of fluctuation, making it easy to get burned out. Pull your finger in and place your thumb on top. Take a breath and surrender to your soul. The soul sits back and watches as the mind, the ego, or the “I” strives to feel important and always be right. Once you begin to control the “I”(ego) and see it for what it is: our desires, cravings, distractions, worries, and self-doubt, you can then begin to take control over your thoughts and exercise your free will. There is nothing wrong with the world. It is here for you to use it. You can make it a peaceful and harmonious place or a heavy, dramatic, and exhausting place where you become stressed and burnt out. The antidote to feeling heavy and burnt out is living a balanced and harmonious life. Namaste ~ may you walk the path of life with health, happiness, and peace. Doctor Lynn For books, classes, consultations, and more http://www.doctorlyn.com

The Fifth Obstacle—Unbridled Cravings and Desires

There is nothing wrong with having desires. We are hardwired to seek pleasure; without this, we could not survive. We all desire to live a better and healthier life. But when desires become unbridled and obsessive and lead to cravings that distract us from our karmic work, they become obstacles to a successful life, which means having health, happiness, and peace in your body, mind, and soul. When we have cravings and desires, they bind us and drive us to satisfy them. Once satisfied, we become somewhat peace¬ful until the next craving or desire arises. Cravings keep us in the perpetual cycle of discontentment. Karma teaches us to work on disciplining the subconscious mind so we might draw the thoughts found in the conscious mind into it. Here, we can produce genuine contentment and peace. How? Quiet the mind and observe. The whole point of karma is learning to be content and at peace with what comes into your life and what goes out while observing and learning life’s lessons. When you have genuine happiness and are not attached to anything, you control cravings and desires, allowing you to control your life. Nothing in the world binds you. Yoga reminds us that if we can control the Chitta (fluctuations) in our minds, we can control everything. END: Be content with who you are, body, mind, and soul. Contentment is an inner peace independent of any external force. It means to be independently happy and satisfied no matter what enters or exits your life. When content, you are at peace with yourself and the world. Removing cravings and finding satisfaction is easy when at peace with yourself and the world. EGO: Flip your hands up and extend your index finger, symbolizing your ego. The ego wants acceptance and importance. It sees those with powerful titles and expensive cars and houses as more important than it is, so it craves these things. It believes that these things symbolize acceptance, happiness, and success. And although power and wealth can make it appear that one’s life is more important and easier, in the end, we take none of this with us. Cravings and desires can take on an addictive nature. Desires scatter the life force and keep us in the perpetual cycle of seeking pleasure but ultimately finding pain. Pull your index finger in and place your thumb on top. Take a breath and surrender to your soul. You are connected with your soul when you are truly content and happy. Here, it matters not what comes into your life or what leaves your life. The soul finds joy and appreciation in experiencing life as it is in each moment. Namaste~ may you walk the path of life with health, happiness and peace, Doctor Lynn For books, classes, consultation, and more http://www.doctorlynn.com