The age of instant gratification has done a number on our schedules. It started with business people wanting to provide better service by being more available for customer requests. Longer hours, faxes, pagers, cell phones, mobile computers, and more have become commonplace in the push to be better than the next guy.



Of course, everyone feels the effects of this, as family members are no longer as available to our families as they are to their jobs. Now virtually everyone carries a cell phone in order to maintain contact with the important people in their lives. One more thing that has to be taken care of right now.

And then there are the expectations we have about our place within society. It looks like everyone else is succeeding except us. We have to keep up, buy the new toys, wear 'better' clothes, drive a 'hot' car, and so on. We just wouldn't feel right not being a part of the 'in crowd'. Take out a loan if you don't have the cash. Put it on plastic and work harder.

But look at where that is taking us. Spending more money just creates the need to work longer hours. Which in turn creates the feeling of being more stressed and less capable of handling the tasks that are before us.

There comes a time when you just have to realize that you can't do everything you want to do. There just isn't enough time to do all of it, so you have to choose. What do you let go of to make room in your day for the rest?

Do you really have to give up something? Couldn't you just figure out a way to work 'smarter'?

Working smarter is great, but is based on one basic idea. You don't have to do everything. You only have to do the more important tasks and let the rest go. It's the old 80-20 rule. 80% of the results you want can be obtained with only 20% of the effort. And the last 20% of the results you want will take 80% of the effort.

Eventually it boils down to what are the most important things in life.

Is it really important to be popular with the in crowd? Is it important to outperform everyone else in the department? Do your customers really need you 24/7? Or is it important to spend time with your family, your friends, and your self?

Some of the happiest people I've ever known were those with very simple lives. Yes, some of us would be extremely bored living simple lives, but that is only until we learn just where the satisfaction these people are getting is coming from.

When life is simple, you have time to do all sorts of things you don't have time for now. And one of those things that we don't have time for now is to return to our spiritual center.

For many of us, returning to our spiritual center sounds like one of those things that should mean a lot, but we don't really understand the significance of it. It's like sex, or love. Until you experience it, no-one can explain it to you.

And it really is like sex, and also like love. There is an experience of being enfolded within something greater than anything else you've ever experienced. Returning to your spiritual center is like receiving a big hug from God, which sparks an emotional reaction that completely overwhelms your senses. It is the ultimate 'high'. One good hit and you're flying for hours. But unlike drugs, returning to your spiritual center doesn't have any physical side-effects.

How often should you return to your spiritual center? The simple answer is "Every day". At least once a day, you would benefit tremendously from contact with your spiritual source. Your health would improve, your outlook on life would improve, and your ability to reach your goals would improve.

A more complex answer would be "Once". In all sincerity, if you were able to stay spiritually centered, you would be able to do much more with less effort. This is difficult to do, and requires much training.

But whether you are able to stay spiritually centered or not, returning to center will improve every aspect of your life. And the more you return to center, the more you will benefit in many, many ways.