Weeks had passed since I’d last seen Gideon. I hardly had time to miss him, and besides, I knew that he would soon turn up again.For the moment I was busy employing my new insights. Many were the times during this period when I reasoned that I was going to change my world and myself once and for all. But just as many times, I fell by the wayside. Either I was distracted by events that appeared to be overly important or just simply gave up after an initial outburst of enthusiasm.

The secret,it seems, is persistence — the ability to stick with tasks and see them through despite obstacles. It is also necessary to be kind to oneself. I knew that sooner or later I would encounter a problem that would give me an excellent opportunity to practice what I’d learned from Gideon. I was becoming tired of reacting to circumstances instead of responding to them,a subtle but important distinction. React and you are a slave to events and circumstances. Respond and you are the master.

It wasn’t too long before the opportunity arrived.

As a rule, it’s not the big tests that brings us the most aggravation. It is the accumulation of many small annoyances added together that, most times, make life miserable. This day, I must have issued an order for all the petty irritations of the universe to report to me for duty. It must have been done at a subconscious level, because I felt it would take a certified idiot to consciously desire such a thing.

In any event, I needed to go to the supermarket. Even with the aid of lists and proper planning I found myself visiting the supermarket much more often than necessary. As I pulled into the parking lot, an old pick-up truck

raced ahead and claimed the one vacant spot that I’d staked out as mine. Nevertheless, I settled for another spot and parked. I got out, locked the car door and began walking toward the supermarket entrance. A sudden honking and the sound of squealing tires made me jump out of the way of a car that was moving much too fast. To say the least, by this time I was slightly agitated.

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Article Source: http://www.discoveryarticles.com/authors/4/John-Harricharan

Article Tags: New Age Spirituality  Religion And Spirituality  Spirituality Information