This motivational teaching from Hinduism is a short excerpt from the article titled ‘Obstacles to Meditation’ by Swami Pavitrananda published in Prabuddha Bharata magazine November 2021 issue.
Every successful person, at one time or the other, is possessed with certain ideas. And when those ideas are in him, he does not think in terms of difficulties. He just plunges into it. He does not care – he does not think at all that there are difficulties. His earnestness is so great that he thinks he will be able to conquer all difficulties. So ideas, certain ideas, just allure him – drag him, as it were. And so a great deal of enthusiasm is created. Much energy – unexplored energy – will be released.
Each person has infinite energy within him. It is not simply a moral idea. Psychologists say that we normally do not utilize more than ten or fifteen percent of the energy that is latent in us. So when we have enthusiasm, then that latent energy comes forth, comes out and is utilized. You are not sure – you do not know how much energy is latent in you, because you do not see it, because you have no enthusiasm. And when enthusiasm has been created because of faith, you see the vision, you see the dream, with one-pointedness. That dream has become almost a reality with you in your mind. Before it become a fact in life it must become a fact in your mind. It is not idle imagination; it is active, creative imagination. That dream has become real in your mind already. That means in spiritual life you feel what your reality is. You almost perceive the ideal which is before you. That ideal has become very active in your mind or in your imagination or in your emotion.
Therefore, Swami Vivekananda emphasized that idea so much – to have faith in oneself. He said – you must have faith in yourself first, and then will come faith in God. In India, he exhorted – you might have faith in three hundred millions of gods and goddesses, but in you have no faith in yourself success will not come to you.
So, the first thing necessary is to have faith in oneself, and when there is faith, a great deal of energy will be generated or released.