How to Succeed

"I've got a theory that if you give 100 percent all of the time, somehow things will work out in the end." -- Larry Bird

One of the most common questions posed to me is - not surprisingly - how to achieve success in life and work.

What is fascinating to me, and also a bit frustrating, is the number of people who actually seem to be interested simply in success as an end goal, and are not at all interested in how it is achieved. Quite frankly, the majority of people I encounter seem to want the equivalent of winning the lottery. And rather than pursuing a wise and balanced course of action towards achieving success in work and life, these individuals waste a spectacular amount of time and energy looking for that quick fix. The problem with this "lottery" approach to winning in life is that, at the end of any period of time spent chasing the highly elusive overnight success, you are no wiser, wealthier or better off than when you began. However, if you work towards building your mind and your skills to new heights every day, if you pursue ongoing education and experience, you will find yourself continuing to excel. At the very least, after a period of time you will be better able to determine your next most productive course of action.

I recently received a letter from a young woman who described feeling unhappy and unfulfilled by her work. She felt she was highly intelligent and was surprised to find herself broke and living back home with her parents. In her letter, she went on to explain that she had enrolled in classes related to her career, but had dropped out because she was frustrated at being "so much more intelligent" than her instructors. Instead of increasing her education in any area of study, she had begun reading ads in the back of new age magazines and was now considering selling various health remedies as a way to make a lot of money quickly (at least, according to the advertisers). Finally, she wrote that she didn't like to be around other people due to her sensitive nature. She felt she had reached certain spiritual heights where being around average, world-focused people had become too unpleasant.

I scarcely knew where to begin responding to this woman's complaints. First of all, intelligence is not marketable; it's simply an advantageous starting point. Smart and educated are two different things. Smart and employable are two very different things. Of course, success doesn't come only from having developed certain skills. It also requires intent, tenacity and hard work. If you are serious about achieving high goals in work or even in spiritual endeavors, you need to apply yourself. Regardless of how worthy you are - or feel you are - anything of value in life requires effort, striving.

This reminds me of a story about the great spiritual master, Ramakrishna. He lived in India in the early 20^th century and is considered one of the most extraordinary saints to have ever walked the earth. In his youth, he was deeply attracted to the pursuit of God realization. He was also uniquely able to experience exalted spiritual states. Nevertheless, he entered into studies with teachers of a number of different pathways, applying himself with amazing discipline and effort to the methods described to him. Not content to learn how to attain liberation through a single Way, he experienced realization through all the pathways he studied and practiced. Surely, he could have recognized that he was more evolved than his teachers and just wandered off into the mountains feeling better than everyone around him. Instead, he recognized that his potential and his abilities were not yet aligned and he humbly sought instruction and guidance from others.

I think that if Ramakrishna himself could have the humility to learn about spirituality - something he was largely born knowing - we can all consider seeking instruction and guidance from those who have proven to be, at least at the moment, slightly further along than we are in these areas.

In the Bhagavad-Gita (considered the Hindu bible), the enlightened teacher Krishna tells his disciple Arjuna, "Work done with anxiety about results is far inferior to work done without such anxiety, in the calm of self-surrender...They who work selfishly for results are miserable."^§ The key to success, as well as to finding peace, is to respect each moment of action for itself. As I write in Mastery At Work, if we focus on bringing the best of ourselves to our present activity, the outcome will inevitably be the best that is possible. However, if we expend energy and attention focusing on a particular outcome, we inevitably neglect to some extent our immediate actions, resulting in a less desirable, less impressive outcome.

As we direct our energy towards bettering ourselves every day, improving our minds, increasing our skills and experience, while focusing as best we can on bringing our best to every action, we will evolve. This type of discipline raises consciousness and allows us to mature professionally, emotionally and spiritually. Living this way, you simply cannot fail. The success you have envisioned for yourself will come eventually. Until then, a different and powerful form of success, a day-to-day championing of spirit and achievement, will be yours.

By building your strength in the material world, you make it possible to live in it, ferociously and enthusiastically. By working hard and pursuing goals with humility, you increase - rather than decrease - your capacity to survive and thrive amongst other individuals, regardless of their level of purity or awakening. So if you find yourself, like the young woman who wrote to me, becoming weaker, more frustrated, more unhappy, and less financially stable, and yet remain confident of your unusual intelligence and superiority over others, perhaps you might want to reflect more carefully upon the obvious reality of your situation. It might be time to consider Ramakrishna's story - and the stories of other remarkable individuals. Read accounts of men and women, both spiritual and worldly, who managed to surpass their peers and achieve great things in life. You will undoubtedly find that none of the individuals remembered by history achieved their success overnight. They didn't win the lottery or benefit from get-rich-quick schemes. They won their greatness through tremendous personal effort and unwavering pursuit of their goals. But the real prize is never actually manifesting any particular outcome. Rather, it is the knowledge, clarity and peace that come from goals sought wisely and a life well lived.

Nicole Grace
September 2006

"No man ever wetted clay and then left it, as if there would be bricks by chance and fortune." -- Plutarch

§ "The Song of God: Bhagavad-Gita." Translated by Swami Prabhavananda and Christopher Isherwood, Penguin Books, 1972.

Satori Sciences is pleased to offer a new, extraordinary workshop that can increase productivity, improve work quality and contribute to a significant decrease in stress.

"When I was working on Wall Street, I would often head over to Trinity Church at lunchtime and, after munching a quick bite on the way there, would spend 30 - 45 minutes sitting quietly in one of the small wooden chairs of their tiny meditation room. This tranquil time, however brief, gave me a tremendous respite from the intensity of my day. Leaving the darkened, hushed interior of the church, I would make my way back to the office, replenished and ready to take on the challenges of the office with a renewed energy, balance and enthusiasm. I know many others that have found unique ways to renew their energy during their lunch break, some who found a quiet place to visit, as I did. With layoffs, threat warnings and increased pressure to break productivity records, it is an appropriate time for us to offer this very special new training for corporations and individuals: Peace Meal." - Nicole Grace

Peace Meal is a 45 minute-long meditation seminar, designed to accommodate busy workers on a tight schedule! During the workshop period, one of our exceptional master instructors, each with over 12 years experience of enthusiastic discipline, will teach participants stress-release exercises and non-denominational meditation techniques, as well as provide one or two guided meditation sessions. Held in your corporate offices, or in an outside location provided by Satori Sciences, the workshops will begin promptly at 12:10 p.m. or 1:10 p.m. and will conclude promptly at five minutes before the hour, ensuring attendees have time to return to their offices after their lunch hour has ended.

The only limit on participation is the size of the room provided. We recommend scheduling a series of four consecutive, weekly meetings at minimum to ensure that the participants have time to practice the techniques on their own, while learning how to integrate the material into their daily lives.

For more information about these sessions, or to schedule a meeting at your location, please contact our sales headquarters: info@satorisciences.com or 800-384-8815.

This unique half-day workshop provides attendees with a powerful introduction to meditation and mindfulness, taught by instructors with a minimum of 12 years of training and discipline in this art. The regular practice of quieting the mind has been proven to significantly reduce stress and feelings of negativity, as well as increase intellectual capacity and problem-solving abilities. The Art of Meditation offers a practical, non-denominational approach. (The Art of Meditation can also be combined with our Three-Fold Path to Mastery seminar for a transformational 1 1/2 day experience.)

During the powerful 4-hour session, attendees will learn:

• Several extremely effective techniques for quieting the mind
• Mindfulness
• Avoiding The Passion Reaction
• How to incorporate meditative practice into each day

Read new press and reviews about Mastery At Work!

New Connexions Magazine - "Editor's Picks"
"Combining spiritual techniques with business practices, Nicole Grace recognizes that leading an impeccable working life helps us to achieve personal growth. Her secret key to success—work as a spiritual practice and spiritual practice as work. Whether you work on Wall Street or as a street vendor, Grace’s techniques of 'acting as if,' detachment, and focusing like a warrior will help you to create a fulfilling work and personal life."

USA Book News
Mastery At Work is an enlightening and informative new book that is transforming the way people think about life and work. Drawn from proven business strategies and ancient spiritual teachings, Mastery At Work presents practical techniques anyone can embrace and use to work more productively and with greater skill, as well as to lead an uncommonly joyful life, regardless of daily circumstances. Based on The Three-Fold Path to Mastery philosophy created by the author, Mastery At Work describes the pathways that can lead to a life of success, expertise, balance and fulfillment. ["USA Book News covers unique books from both the mainstream and independent press. We look beyond the best-seller lists to find fantastic books that are worthy of attention."]

Balanced Living Magazine
Nicole Grace is one extraordinary woman: a former Wall Street executive and an ordained Buddhist monk and a black belt in karate and a former symphony orchestra violinist! More important, however, is the fact that her accomplishments are demonstrations of the program she proffers in her first book, Mastery At Work. Drawn from her experience in multiple spiritual disciplines, including martial arts, Grace distills her impressive 18 Keys into a Three-Fold Path (Soft Skills, Professional Skills and Continuous Improvement). Taken together, they comprise a powerful life-way, as appropriate for the longtime seeker as it is for the spiritual novice.

Almost all of us work, and work (especially nowadays) can be fraught with difficulties: lack of meaning, lack of security and frustrating relationships, to name a few. Grace, through this prism of work, is providing the public at large a process into deeper experience and understanding. This is a book you can give to anyone as an ultimate, self-guided, personal-growth method, whether or not they’ve ever uttered the word spirituality. To the degree that they embody and express the 18 Keys, they will open inner doors, and what they learn and experience will find its outer reflection. Mastery At Work is a book about mastery of life. It belongs on every bookshelf.
- David Langer

For more information about our life-changing, career-inspiring seminars, click here: http://www.satorisciences.com/seminars/index.html