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A Fable About Fulfilling Your Dreams and Reaching Your Destiny
by Robin S. Sharma

Our Synopsis:

Julian was a lawyer who achieved wealth and power through relentlessly overworking. He prioritized material wealth, and achieved his goals.
But after having an unexpected heart attack in the middle of a courtroom, he realized his need for spiritual awakening. So he sold all his possessions and traveled to India, searching for enlightenment.
He was led in his travels by a guru to an isolated tribe of sages called the Great Sages of Sivana.

Everyone at this Temple of Roses showed a radiant youthfulness and wisdom that defied normality. Under the tutelage of the temple’s head sage, Yogi Raman, Julian learned the secret of health, happiness, and purpose of mind, body and spirit.

Driven by his vow to spread his new wisdom to the western world, Julian returned to his law firm to share his new secrets with his old friend. That wisdom is as follows.

Yogi Raman’s wisdom is encapsulated in a simple fable, which is really a mnemonic device for remembering a collection of virtues, principles, and techniques.

Here is that fable:

You’re sitting in a silent, incredibly beautiful garden filled with spectacular plants. Savor the sensual delights of this garden and feel as if you have all the time in the world to enjoy this natural oasis. As you look around you, see that in the center of this magical garden stands a towering red lighthouse, six stories high. 

Suddenly, the silence of the garden is disturbed by a loud creaking as the door at the base of the lighthouse opens. Out stumbles a nine-foot-tall, nine-hundred-pound Japanese sumo wrestler who casually wanders into the center of the garden.

The sumo wrestler is wearing nothing but a pink wire cable covering his private parts.

As this sumo wrestler starts to move around the garden, he finds a shiny gold stopwatch which someone had left behind many years earlier. He slips it on, and falls to the ground with an enormous thud. The sumo wrestler is rendered unconscious and lies there, silent and still. 

Just when you think he has taken his last breath, the wrestler awakens, perhaps stirred by the fragrance of fresh yellow roses blooming nearby. Energized, the wrestler jumps swiftly to his feet and intuitively looks to his left. He is startled by what he sees.

Through the bushes at the very edge of the garden he observes a long winding path covered by millions of sparkling diamonds. Something seems to instruct the wrestler to take the path, and to his credit, he does. This path leads him down the road of everlasting joy and eternal bliss.

The Garden

The Virtue: Master Your Mind

The Wisdom: 

  • Cultivate your mind – it will blossom beyond your expectations
  • The quality of your life is determined by the quality of your thoughts
  • There are no mistakes – only lessons. See setbacks as opportunities for personal expansion and spiritual growth.

The Techniques:

  • The Heart of the Rose – In this mindfulness exercise, simply sit and stare at a rose. Being present with your thoughts, direct your focus, and when your mind wanders, simply return your attention to the object of your focus.
    This exercise can last from 5 minutes to 2 hours.
  • Opposition Thinking – Another exercise in Mindfulness, this also trains self-knowledge and optimism: When you notice yourself thinking uninspiring thoughts, replace them. Appreciate that just as easily as you allowed this gloomy thought to enter, you can replace it with a cheerful one.
  • The Secret of the Lake – Spend time every day, even if it is just a few minutes, in the practice of creative envisioning. You don’t need a lake, but having an environmental cue for this practice is helpful. Train your optimism and self-image by envisioning your fondest dreams frequently. Imagine yourself realizing your goals, and refine that vision.

Quote: 

“The secret of happiness is simple. Find out what you truly love to do and then direct all of your energy towards doing it.”

The Lighthouse

The Virtue: Follow Your Purpose

The Wisdom: 

  • The purpose of life is a life of purpose
  • Discovering and then realizing your lifework brings lasting fulfillment
  • Set clearly defined personal, professional, and spiritual goals, and then have the courage to act on them.

The Techniques:

  • The Power of Self-Examination – You will never be able to hit a target that you cannot see. Goal-setting is essential. Concentrate every ounce of your energy on self-discovery, and align your goals accordingly.
  • The 5-Step Method for Attaining Goals – 
  1. Clear Outcome
  2. Positive Self-Pressure
  3. Deadline
  4. Commit it to Paper
  5. Rule of 21 – Crystallize new habits by performing them for 21 days in a row.
  6. Bonus: Enjoy the Process

Quote: 

“Never forget the importance of living with unbridled exhilaration. Never neglect to see the exquisite beauty in all living things. Today, and this very moment, is a gift. Stay focused on your purpose. The Universe will take care of everything else.”

The Sumo Wrestler

The Virtue: Practice Kaizen

The Wisdom:

  • Self-Mastery is the DNA of life mastery
  • Success on the outside begins within
  • Enlightenment comes through the consistent cultivation of your mind, body, and soul

The Techniques:

  • Do the Things You Fear – Understand Fear as your own creation. Train yourself to tear down this wall as easily as you erect it.
  • The 10 Ancient Rituals for Radiant Living – life-changing results in only 30 days, if you set aside 1 hour of each day to practice these.
  1. Solitude – At least 15 minutes alone in a blanket of silence. Also, commune with nature daily.
  2. Physicality – Get active. Move your body daily.
  3. Live Nourishment – Eat live foods.
  4. Abundant Knowledge – Read selectively, at least 30 minutes a day. Explore and use your new knowledge as much as you can. It’s not what you will get out of books but rather what books will get out of you.
  5. Personal Reflection – Review your day. Figure out what is right and what is wrong in your days and in your life. Then set about making immediate improvements.
  6. Early Awakening – Start days early and on a theme of serenity. The 10 minutes before sleeping and 10 minutes after waking should only be filled with thoughts of serenity.
  7. Music – Enjoy some every day. Let it uplift and inspire you.
  8. The Spoken Word – Create and use mantras by habit. They have great potential to lift your self image. Create your own. Some examples: when you need to feel motivated, say “I am inspired, disciplined, and energized” a hundred times. For self-confidence, repeat “I am strong, able, and calm.” What you say to yourself is important.
  9. Congruent Character – Act in a way that is congruent to your true character. Act with integrity and be guided by your heart. The rest will follow.
  10. Simplicity – Live a simple life. Focus on your priorities and things that are truly meaningful.

Quote:

“The universe favors the brave. When you resolve to lift your life to its highest level, the strength of your soul will guide you to a magical place with magnificent treasures.”

The Pink Wire

The Virtue: Live With Discipline

The Wisdom: 

  • Discipline is built by consistently performing small acts of courage
  • The more you nurture the embryo of self-discipline, the more it will mature
  • Willpower is the essential virtue of a fully actualized life.

The Techniques:

Quote:

“Wage war against the weaker thoughts that have crept into the palace of your mind. They will see that they are unwanted and leave like unwelcome visitors.”

The Stopwatch

The Virtue: Respect Your Time

The Wisdom:

The Techniques:

  • The Ancient Rule of 20 – Time management. Ask yourself, “Is this task in the top 20% of my activities or in the bottom 80%?”
  • Have the Courage to Say No – You don’t need to do everything that calls for your time.
  • The Deathbed Mentality – Value your time very highly. Don’t waste a single moment of your life. Any day could be your last.

Quote:

“Time slips through our hands like grains of sand, never to return again. Those who use time wisely from an early age are rewarded with rich, productive and satisfying lives.”

The Yellow Flowers

The Virtue: Selflessly Serve Others

The Wisdom:

  • The quality of your life ultimately comes down to the quality of your contribution
  • To cultivate the sacredness of each day, live to give
  • By elevating the lives of others, your life reaches its highest dimensions

The Techniques:

Quote:

“The most noble thing you can do is to give to others. Start focusing on your higher purpose.”

The Path of Diamonds

The Virtue: Embrace the Present

The Wisdom:

The Techniques:

  • Live Your Childrens’ Childhood – Don’t miss  the real stuff of life in lieu of money, success, power, etc. There is much to distract us from what really matters.
  • Practice Gratitude
  • Grow Your Destiny

Quote:

“We are all here for some special reason. Stop being a prisoner of your past. Become the architect of your future.”