1 00:00:42,895 --> 00:00:49,655 All right, Gurpiari, Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh. 2 00:00:49,875 --> 00:00:50,764 How are you? 3 00:00:50,764 --> 00:00:51,724 you do that? 4 00:00:52,752 --> 00:00:53,455 How are you doing? 5 00:00:53,455 --> 00:00:55,514 We haven't seen each other in a week or so. 6 00:00:55,514 --> 00:00:56,677 How are you doing? 7 00:00:57,146 --> 00:00:58,418 I'm doing good. 8 00:00:58,418 --> 00:01:04,762 I'm a bit exhausted, admittedly, from all of the end of the year celebrations going on here. 9 00:01:04,762 --> 00:01:12,005 Like, I've basically been cruising from party to party for the last four days or something like that. 10 00:01:12,105 --> 00:01:15,688 So, I am a bit short on sleep, but I'm good. 11 00:01:15,688 --> 00:01:17,048 How are you doing, sir? 12 00:01:18,833 --> 00:01:22,152 Good, yeah, what do you think about all these end-of-the-year things? 13 00:01:22,901 --> 00:01:24,961 I like him. 14 00:01:24,961 --> 00:01:36,321 know, I actually, like here in Argentina, you know, like people are very friendly and like we make family and friends very easily here. 15 00:01:36,321 --> 00:01:44,141 So it's an opportunity for everyone to get together with the people they love and, you know, eat something, chat, you know, sort of catch up. 16 00:01:44,141 --> 00:01:46,721 I actually find it very pleasant. 17 00:01:47,722 --> 00:01:55,663 And anything in particular caught your interest in the last week or so? 18 00:01:56,494 --> 00:02:05,709 Yeah, that several of my friends and acquaintances broke up long time, like years long, recently. 19 00:02:06,107 --> 00:02:06,857 really? 20 00:02:06,857 --> 00:02:10,038 so, so, you know, that happens a lot. 21 00:02:10,038 --> 00:02:14,821 You know, everybody knows that happens a lot at Christmas time. 22 00:02:15,241 --> 00:02:18,722 And so like, yeah, no, this is a fact. 23 00:02:18,722 --> 00:02:32,426 And everybody knows that, you know, everybody talks with great affection about the hot, like in the United States, Thanksgiving and Christmas. 24 00:02:33,220 --> 00:02:35,419 Christmas family holidays. 25 00:02:35,587 --> 00:02:36,955 Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. 26 00:02:37,434 --> 00:02:50,266 And, but the truth is, is that other, not even other people, maybe it's the same people who even who have affection for it, is that people with families often talk about 27 00:02:50,266 --> 00:02:55,811 Christmas and New Year's as actually the most stressful times of the year for them. 28 00:02:56,452 --> 00:02:59,544 And you know, they have family visiting. 29 00:03:01,630 --> 00:03:04,352 and having to take care of family. 30 00:03:04,352 --> 00:03:11,020 But then also, there's a lot of love in these families, but there's also family dynamics, right? 31 00:03:11,020 --> 00:03:13,170 So, you know, stuff can happen. 32 00:03:13,170 --> 00:03:23,049 So there's often stress, and a lot of times, actually, people don't even, even though they pretend they do, they don't actually... 33 00:03:23,049 --> 00:03:33,416 enjoy it as much as people think, not everybody, but it's actually, because there's a lot of stress associated with it and it puts pressure on relationships and people have 34 00:03:33,416 --> 00:03:40,643 expectations of the event and how people should relate to it. 35 00:03:40,643 --> 00:03:43,134 And it brings out all this stuff. 36 00:03:45,452 --> 00:03:57,324 You I think things like Christmas and New Year's are presented as these, these unequivocally happy events, but actually, they trigger a lot of people 37 00:03:58,867 --> 00:04:07,463 people, I think, even get depressed sometimes when the reality doesn't match the expectation. 38 00:04:08,790 --> 00:04:18,087 Yeah, I would say that a lot of people get into a bit of a melancholy mood around these days. 39 00:04:21,890 --> 00:04:25,594 It's happened to me in the past actually. 40 00:04:25,594 --> 00:04:31,099 I had a stretch of a couple years where the holidays would come around. 41 00:04:31,687 --> 00:04:35,387 And for whatever reason, I wasn't very satisfied with my life. 42 00:04:35,387 --> 00:04:37,207 I wasn't happy with one aspect or another. 43 00:04:37,207 --> 00:04:42,827 And I would start thinking like, oh my God, another year where I didn't manage to do this or that. 44 00:04:42,827 --> 00:04:44,607 now the holidays are passing by again. 45 00:04:44,607 --> 00:04:51,147 And you start getting into this sort of weird loop of self-pity in a way. 46 00:04:51,847 --> 00:05:00,687 And it's very comfortable to indulge in that, especially because, and this might sound a bit silly. 47 00:05:01,958 --> 00:05:10,561 But there is also an aspect of rebellion about being grumpy during the holidays, I think, a little bit. 48 00:05:10,561 --> 00:05:13,691 You're not gonna cooperate with the festive cheer. 49 00:05:13,799 --> 00:05:16,119 Right, exactly, yes. 50 00:05:16,119 --> 00:05:17,223 There is a bit of that. 51 00:05:17,223 --> 00:05:20,113 There is something to being a Grinch for a bit. 52 00:05:21,749 --> 00:05:24,506 Well, I think the rebel part of it is... 53 00:05:26,474 --> 00:05:33,891 people real or imagined that people are telling them how they should feel and behave. 54 00:05:33,891 --> 00:05:37,395 And the response is, I'll feel the way I want to. 55 00:05:37,395 --> 00:05:41,789 Don't infringe on my right to feel the way I want to. 56 00:05:41,789 --> 00:05:45,503 You're insisting that I'm happy even though I'm not. 57 00:05:46,628 --> 00:05:47,071 Yeah. 58 00:05:47,071 --> 00:05:48,655 Yeah, yeah, yeah. 59 00:05:48,735 --> 00:05:59,489 Don't cause any waves, just feel happy, look happy, even if you're miserable because it's Christmas, so don't ruin anybody else's day. 60 00:05:59,489 --> 00:06:02,772 So everybody's kind of a little on edge. 61 00:06:04,098 --> 00:06:12,994 It's funny because when we put it like this, it sounds almost a bit uh Orwellian in a sense, know? 62 00:06:12,994 --> 00:06:25,832 Like everyone just sort of enforcing this status quo of uh artificial merriment because it's the season and this is how we are supposed to feel and please don't rock the boat, 63 00:06:25,832 --> 00:06:31,752 don't make a scene, don't talk about politics with your uncle, please just keep to yourself, you know? 64 00:06:31,752 --> 00:06:34,531 That's universal. 65 00:06:34,531 --> 00:06:36,739 And so he's the uncle too. 66 00:06:36,739 --> 00:06:37,914 It's always the uncle. 67 00:06:37,914 --> 00:06:40,904 It's always the uncle, yeah, for some reason. 68 00:06:42,227 --> 00:06:45,287 Yeah, yeah, don't talk to your uncle about politics. 69 00:06:45,667 --> 00:06:56,967 That's a universal rule. 70 00:06:58,527 --> 00:07:01,887 anyhow, so we diverge. 71 00:07:01,887 --> 00:07:04,087 We're talking about Christmas. 72 00:07:05,067 --> 00:07:10,395 Anything in particular came up this week that... 73 00:07:10,395 --> 00:07:18,507 in some way is interesting in itself, but kind of trips over the warrior saint theme. 74 00:07:18,507 --> 00:07:20,531 uh 75 00:07:20,531 --> 00:07:23,673 I got something to share that I think is interesting. 76 00:07:23,673 --> 00:07:31,299 So last night actually, I got together with two very dear friends of mine. 77 00:07:31,299 --> 00:07:36,692 I've known them for like 13 years or something like close to 15. 78 00:07:36,692 --> 00:07:41,275 We were bandmates when we were teenagers and we shared a lot of things. 79 00:07:41,275 --> 00:07:44,656 As I said, they're musicians, very talented guys. 80 00:07:45,388 --> 00:07:58,221 And yesterday we got together for the first time in many, many, many years in the place where we used to have our rehearsals when we were like teens, you know. 81 00:07:58,221 --> 00:08:09,071 And, you know, we just kind of started talking, you know, and sharing a little bit about the passage of time, you know, and we were just kind of tripping a little bit about how 82 00:08:09,227 --> 00:08:14,990 other younger siblings who used to be like tiny little kids like reaching my waist. 83 00:08:14,990 --> 00:08:21,215 Now they're both adults and they're going to university and like they share in the same table as us. 84 00:08:21,215 --> 00:08:31,608 And I think that's, you know, something else that probably shakes people up about this time of the year is well, the passage of time really, you know. 85 00:08:31,608 --> 00:08:35,870 Like makes you, this time of the year makes you very aware of the passage of time. 86 00:08:35,870 --> 00:08:38,512 It's like just sort of blaring it at you all the time. 87 00:08:38,512 --> 00:08:45,816 And like you said, like just like Christmas, you know, triggers people in this way, as you mentioned. 88 00:08:45,816 --> 00:08:54,461 I also think that this constant awareness of the passage of time, it triggers, well, a lot of, you know, anxieties about the future. 89 00:08:54,461 --> 00:08:57,403 It triggers insecurities that people are holding. 90 00:08:57,403 --> 00:08:58,623 It triggers. 91 00:08:58,850 --> 00:09:05,457 You know, sometimes it like, triggers people into action in other cases, but like it just sort of moves all sorts of things around. 92 00:09:05,457 --> 00:09:06,569 You know what I mean? 93 00:09:07,570 --> 00:09:11,099 So what happened in this case? 94 00:09:12,338 --> 00:09:13,212 Well... 95 00:09:15,421 --> 00:09:16,862 It was good. 96 00:09:18,003 --> 00:09:20,373 You know, like it's always good sharing with my friends. 97 00:09:20,373 --> 00:09:22,006 It always makes me happy. 98 00:09:22,206 --> 00:09:32,748 But it did get me thinking a bit, you know, about, okay, what am I doing to, you know, get my life a bit more together? 99 00:09:32,748 --> 00:09:38,140 You know, what am I doing to sort of go for the goals that I've set for myself? 100 00:09:38,140 --> 00:09:42,647 Because I mean, I'm young, but not a kid anymore either, right? 101 00:09:42,647 --> 00:09:43,828 and uh... 102 00:09:44,829 --> 00:09:49,594 I believe that all the life is not really linear. 103 00:09:49,594 --> 00:09:54,237 It's not like you can do all sorts of things at all sorts of times. 104 00:09:55,259 --> 00:09:58,451 I also think you got to take advantage of the time you have, right? 105 00:09:58,451 --> 00:10:01,093 Because you don't have much of it actually. 106 00:10:01,093 --> 00:10:03,706 It's not very much in the grand scheme of things. 107 00:10:03,706 --> 00:10:08,750 And it just sort of put me into this kind of plan of, okay, next year's coming. 108 00:10:08,989 --> 00:10:10,871 What are the things I want to do? 109 00:10:10,871 --> 00:10:14,604 Don't think about compensating for the things you didn't do this year or whatever. 110 00:10:14,604 --> 00:10:21,391 Just think about what's going to put your year more on track. 111 00:10:21,391 --> 00:10:26,435 I think that is the attitude that we should receive the passage of time with. 112 00:10:26,435 --> 00:10:32,741 We shouldn't take this as this omen of doom when the new year comes around. 113 00:10:32,741 --> 00:10:34,570 But I do think that... 114 00:10:34,570 --> 00:10:46,332 We can sort of, you know, take those emotions that it stares in us and sort of focus them into an actual, you know, well, focus on action, redundancy, but yeah. 115 00:10:47,333 --> 00:10:49,173 I don't know if this makes sense. 116 00:10:50,616 --> 00:11:08,703 Well, yeah, but I'm kind of listening to it from my own experience and my own observation that, you know, obviously many people, whether they talk about it openly or not, kind of 117 00:11:08,703 --> 00:11:11,544 react on some level to a new year. 118 00:11:13,205 --> 00:11:26,659 in kind of take an inventory of what happened in the last 365 days and or take inventory and going where do I want to go with this going forward? 119 00:11:26,659 --> 00:11:29,862 And there's people who give a lot of thought to it. 120 00:11:29,862 --> 00:11:35,426 Some people give almost none, but that's often associated with New Year's. 121 00:11:36,428 --> 00:11:41,081 I think there's often sadness about it rather than anticipation. 122 00:11:42,082 --> 00:11:42,946 and. 123 00:11:44,996 --> 00:11:53,955 And it's interesting, you know, because when I was younger, I thought this whole thing about New Year's resolutions was really helpful. 124 00:11:54,796 --> 00:11:57,687 And I used to, every New Year, I actually sat down. 125 00:11:57,687 --> 00:12:03,080 I personally, I'm sure there's other people too, I sat down and wrote about... 126 00:12:04,549 --> 00:12:07,431 what I want to accomplish in the coming year. 127 00:12:07,971 --> 00:12:14,107 I thought that was would be a helpful thing to keep me on target. 128 00:12:14,107 --> 00:12:19,742 But, like the gymnasiums, everybody signs up in the beginning of January for the gymnasiums. 129 00:12:19,742 --> 00:12:21,613 And that business knows something. 130 00:12:21,613 --> 00:12:29,430 Because I know people who work in that business is that there's a zillion people who are signing up in January. 131 00:12:29,430 --> 00:12:31,131 But by 132 00:12:31,363 --> 00:12:34,970 In the February, 95 % of them. 133 00:12:36,569 --> 00:12:36,894 right? 134 00:12:36,894 --> 00:12:40,034 they make all their money signing people up in the beginning of January. 135 00:12:40,034 --> 00:12:43,034 We know that because I'm kind of a gym rat. 136 00:12:43,034 --> 00:12:48,354 And so I'd go to the gym and me and my buddies would always laugh at all the people coming in. 137 00:12:48,354 --> 00:12:51,414 We knew that every first week in January. 138 00:12:51,494 --> 00:12:54,854 It'd be like 10 times as many people. 139 00:12:55,034 --> 00:12:58,054 But we all knew that almost none of them would stay. 140 00:12:58,294 --> 00:13:02,234 And there's always every year maybe one or two would stay, you know. 141 00:13:03,194 --> 00:13:04,986 And it... 142 00:13:05,122 --> 00:13:11,578 It kind of goes to the, this strategy, know, talking about some of the. 143 00:13:13,251 --> 00:13:18,693 concepts involved with the warrior saint ideal of Guru Gobind Singh. 144 00:13:19,614 --> 00:13:33,300 Something I really relate to is that really the well, it's based on living a very high character, virtuous life, very noble life, which involves many qualities, many, many 145 00:13:33,300 --> 00:13:36,211 virtues, you know, to live the noble life. 146 00:13:36,211 --> 00:13:36,889 But 147 00:13:36,889 --> 00:13:51,529 The one virtue that always kind of appears, you know, when everything is sifted out and it kind of, the cream rises to the top, is that the most common uh virtue that's talked about 148 00:13:51,529 --> 00:13:52,620 is commitment. 149 00:13:55,345 --> 00:14:03,525 people making an effort to get together with family for things like Christmas, people making New Year's resolutions. 150 00:14:03,525 --> 00:14:07,265 They're all kind of in somehow in the family of commitment. 151 00:14:07,525 --> 00:14:14,612 So everybody, even people who are not that committed, kind of realize that that's... 152 00:14:15,336 --> 00:14:22,752 good thing to do, they don't know quite how to go about doing it, even though they can recognize that it's very valuable, you know. 153 00:14:22,752 --> 00:14:29,058 So the people are signing up to be in the gym, so they're committing themselves to getting in shape for the new year, right? 154 00:14:29,058 --> 00:14:31,379 Which lasts usually two weeks. 155 00:14:33,420 --> 00:14:43,707 And so I've had my adventures with commitment in my life, and it's always held like a central place in my life. 156 00:14:44,619 --> 00:14:51,947 walking on the path of Guru Gobind Singh and the path of the Khalsa, really you're trying to improve that virtue in particular. 157 00:14:51,947 --> 00:15:07,063 You're trying to become a more more committed person because there's some faith there that if I really master this virtue, that this will... 158 00:15:07,063 --> 00:15:10,115 open up the gates, you know, sort of speak to heaven. 159 00:15:10,115 --> 00:15:17,169 know, this is that everything can be accomplished directly or indirectly by mastering the virtue of commitment. 160 00:15:17,169 --> 00:15:25,394 So at the new year, everybody kind of kind of knows that that's a really good thing to do is to commit in the beginning of the year. 161 00:15:25,394 --> 00:15:34,971 But the question is, is it if all these people are committing in the beginning of the year, why is it that they basically 162 00:15:34,971 --> 00:15:45,577 97 % of them actually within two weeks have already forgotten what they've committed to, let alone actually accomplish it. 163 00:15:45,897 --> 00:15:52,230 You know, so they said, I'm going to do this, but they basically abandoned that pretty quickly. 164 00:15:52,230 --> 00:15:55,151 Yeah, not everybody, but most people. 165 00:15:55,151 --> 00:16:01,004 So it's not like they don't see value in being a committed. 166 00:16:01,070 --> 00:16:06,274 living a committed life, like having New Year's resolutions and planning I'm going to do this. 167 00:16:06,274 --> 00:16:11,267 So even on a very pragmatic level, they see value in this. 168 00:16:11,727 --> 00:16:18,293 OK, but it lands up that they're only able to kind of hold on to that for a couple of weeks. 169 00:16:18,293 --> 00:16:27,512 Or I'm doing a wedding and in every wedding everybody on paper, you know, theoretically thinks I'm... 170 00:16:27,512 --> 00:16:30,573 I'm signing on for the long haul. 171 00:16:30,573 --> 00:16:33,476 I'm gonna commit to this relationship for life. 172 00:16:33,476 --> 00:16:47,062 And I'm having this event to basically publicly state this, that this is something that is an honorable goal, that that's a good goal to commit your life to make a life with another 173 00:16:47,062 --> 00:16:47,582 person. 174 00:16:47,582 --> 00:16:49,343 And you're gonna keep that. 175 00:16:49,343 --> 00:16:54,259 But we know that the divorce rate's probably at least 50%. 176 00:16:54,368 --> 00:17:09,013 So at least half the people have not, without assigning blame, at least half those people weren't able to complete that commitment, even in some cases for very long. 177 00:17:09,013 --> 00:17:13,397 And so it would seem to me that... 178 00:17:15,309 --> 00:17:21,456 The intention, I think, is sincere, but the strategy's not too good. 179 00:17:22,438 --> 00:17:24,731 And they actually don't know how to do it. 180 00:17:24,731 --> 00:17:27,824 uh 181 00:17:29,086 --> 00:17:31,397 I think it's largely a matter of strategy. 182 00:17:31,397 --> 00:17:34,068 Yeah, I do. 183 00:17:34,988 --> 00:17:44,683 yeah, that it's a matter of strategy, the ability to actually complete the intention, not just with commitment, but with anything. 184 00:17:44,683 --> 00:17:49,057 So in other words, you want something to happen, right? 185 00:17:49,057 --> 00:17:52,859 And the question is, at the end, 186 00:17:52,859 --> 00:17:57,082 I mean, so you want something to happen at this point in time, right? 187 00:17:57,183 --> 00:17:59,746 And now we're like 50 years later, whatever it is. 188 00:17:59,746 --> 00:18:02,278 And the question is, did it happen? 189 00:18:02,278 --> 00:18:07,724 So, I really wanted to be rich, but you know, I'm, I'm poor. 190 00:18:07,724 --> 00:18:08,655 How did that happen? 191 00:18:08,655 --> 00:18:09,756 I wanted to be this. 192 00:18:09,756 --> 00:18:11,117 I wanted to be that. 193 00:18:11,338 --> 00:18:14,081 I wanted to be with this person and whatever. 194 00:18:14,081 --> 00:18:14,861 So 195 00:18:15,348 --> 00:18:19,748 At the beginning of the year, I'm writing down, this is what I want to do this year. 196 00:18:19,748 --> 00:18:30,748 But then it's a year later, if I actually looked at this piece of paper, I actually didn't accomplish any of the things that I said that I was going to do. 197 00:18:32,168 --> 00:18:43,868 So without feeling bad about myself, how is it that I decided that I was going to accomplish this in this year? 198 00:18:44,356 --> 00:18:54,763 And within weeks or maybe days of making that intention to myself or to other people, I basically abandoned it. 199 00:18:55,644 --> 00:19:05,812 And I would say that it has to do with the strategy of being successfully committed. 200 00:19:06,073 --> 00:19:08,135 That nobody taught any... 201 00:19:08,135 --> 00:19:11,477 People are telling people that commitment 202 00:19:12,413 --> 00:19:15,373 is a valuable tool, right? 203 00:19:15,373 --> 00:19:23,073 But they don't actually teach people how to be committed because they're not committed themselves. 204 00:19:23,413 --> 00:19:37,394 So there's not that many people, like for instance, in my lifetime, it's actually been rare that I have met a person that I have perceived has been super committed. 205 00:19:37,874 --> 00:19:39,054 Okay. 206 00:19:39,914 --> 00:19:41,026 And 207 00:19:41,076 --> 00:19:42,108 has achieved that. 208 00:19:42,108 --> 00:19:49,743 And it's the thing that I'm the most ambitious to be, is to be a person of commitment. 209 00:19:49,743 --> 00:19:53,897 I actually personally want to master that virtue. 210 00:19:53,897 --> 00:20:01,042 And I'll do anything in my life to give myself the opportunity to master the virtue of commitment. 211 00:20:01,042 --> 00:20:06,437 So for me, it's very conscious, it's a very conscious decision. 212 00:20:06,469 --> 00:20:07,399 and intention. 213 00:20:07,399 --> 00:20:14,521 it's not just that, okay, I'm committing to own a factory in the next year, whatever. 214 00:20:14,521 --> 00:20:21,803 It's like I'm actually more interested in the commitment itself than the goal. 215 00:20:22,663 --> 00:20:34,897 You know, so the end result, because assuming that I achieve what I put my mind to and my energy to, then it's not like 216 00:20:34,897 --> 00:20:36,128 That's the end of my life. 217 00:20:36,128 --> 00:20:39,849 I'm still on the planet, so I'm going to commit to something else. 218 00:20:40,610 --> 00:20:44,931 So my life is nothing but a series of commitments. 219 00:20:45,512 --> 00:20:46,602 That's all my life is. 220 00:20:46,602 --> 00:20:49,553 I'm committing to this, I achieve that, I commit to that. 221 00:20:49,553 --> 00:20:57,197 And uh there's a flow to this that all of these things are actually going in a certain collective direction. 222 00:20:57,197 --> 00:21:02,873 So I understand that people decide in the beginning of the year what they're going to put their energy to, but 223 00:21:02,873 --> 00:21:10,249 Nobody's actually told them how to do that, how to actually be, how to, what are the tools of being committed? 224 00:21:10,249 --> 00:21:23,589 And so these new year's resolutions actually in general, they may work for some people, but they generally don't is because all that they are, are kind of a well-intentioned, 225 00:21:23,589 --> 00:21:25,930 self talk, but 226 00:21:26,050 --> 00:21:28,830 they really don't know still how to do it. 227 00:21:28,830 --> 00:21:31,770 Okay, so there's things they have to do. 228 00:21:31,770 --> 00:21:36,750 They don't know the building blocks of what's actually involved. 229 00:21:37,270 --> 00:21:48,690 so, so that is, and then, you know, I think that some of the people who are disappointed and a little depressed at the end of the year, 230 00:21:49,691 --> 00:21:54,455 they are subconsciously disappointed about where their life is at. 231 00:21:54,455 --> 00:21:56,937 And the year kind of marks it here. 232 00:21:56,937 --> 00:22:04,021 I'm at the end of another year and I'm still not where I want to be in life. 233 00:22:04,021 --> 00:22:12,686 OK, so I'm going I'm going to make a resolution that this year is going to be different. 234 00:22:13,827 --> 00:22:16,068 But usually that's not enough. 235 00:22:17,064 --> 00:22:19,711 You know, they still don't have a strategy. 236 00:22:21,488 --> 00:22:22,530 Right. 237 00:22:23,456 --> 00:22:25,234 Yeah, no, no, no, no, no. 238 00:22:25,875 --> 00:22:43,424 part of being a cult suffer instance is that we understand from the person who put this way of life out, Guru Gobind Singh, is that there is actually a way to train yourself. 239 00:22:43,745 --> 00:22:47,507 You know, it's not like, you know, it's not a matter of belief. 240 00:22:47,507 --> 00:22:52,389 is a real difference is that unlike 241 00:22:53,945 --> 00:22:57,086 some other religions and I'm not criticizing any other religions. 242 00:22:57,086 --> 00:23:03,528 I'm just kind of making a philosophical statement is that it's not a matter of faith. 243 00:23:03,528 --> 00:23:04,676 It's just not a matter of faith. 244 00:23:04,676 --> 00:23:07,057 It's just not a matter of like, I believe something. 245 00:23:07,057 --> 00:23:10,089 So everything is going to be okay. 246 00:23:10,930 --> 00:23:20,412 And, the Chinese, when you're in China, the Chinese talk about that as magical thinking and it's not hard. 247 00:23:20,412 --> 00:23:20,882 Yeah. 248 00:23:20,882 --> 00:23:23,553 The term magical thinking, which is 249 00:23:24,613 --> 00:23:28,355 not hard to argue with that some of this stuff is magical thinking. 250 00:23:28,355 --> 00:23:28,855 Okay. 251 00:23:28,855 --> 00:23:40,732 It's not like I don't have faith in God and things like that because I do, you know, but there's this thought that if I just believe something that everything is magically going 252 00:23:40,732 --> 00:23:48,096 to be, but it's, I think it's more nuanced than that because I think that's in a very, a very necessary piece. 253 00:23:48,096 --> 00:23:53,884 I'm not denying that, but you kind of have to train yourself 254 00:23:53,884 --> 00:23:55,962 to be a certain caliber of person. 255 00:23:55,962 --> 00:23:57,402 And so... 256 00:23:59,429 --> 00:24:10,656 On this path, we're taught how to train ourselves to be successful, meaning that we're going to accomplish what we want to do. 257 00:24:10,656 --> 00:24:19,801 We don't have to be sad because we're actually going to accomplish it and we are not going to have any excuses, not to ourselves or other people, because we're actually going to 258 00:24:19,801 --> 00:24:20,881 come through. 259 00:24:20,963 --> 00:24:22,755 So it's not like a resolution. 260 00:24:22,755 --> 00:24:28,874 I was talking to somebody the other day and they were quite overweight. 261 00:24:30,136 --> 00:24:38,748 So they're telling me that they made a New Year's resolution to lose all this weight. 262 00:24:41,008 --> 00:24:44,976 So I said, how many years have you made that resolution? 263 00:24:45,920 --> 00:24:48,054 And they're going, I make that resolution every year. 264 00:24:48,054 --> 00:24:50,008 I said, but you're still overweight. 265 00:24:51,339 --> 00:24:54,888 Right, bit harsh, I gotta say. 266 00:24:54,888 --> 00:25:03,574 Uh, yeah, but, with nothing but a smile on my face and love in my heart, actually, I just, I'm not, I'm not saying it critically. 267 00:25:03,574 --> 00:25:07,526 I'm not saying it condescendingly, right? 268 00:25:07,947 --> 00:25:14,471 I'm just stating something kindly with a smile on my face and shrugging my shoulders. 269 00:25:14,471 --> 00:25:19,368 And really what I'm saying is, I feel you, but your strategy is not working. 270 00:25:20,797 --> 00:25:21,378 Right. 271 00:25:21,378 --> 00:25:24,660 And basically the proof is in your belt size, right? 272 00:25:26,317 --> 00:25:29,449 That it doesn't mean you're a bad human being. 273 00:25:29,449 --> 00:25:44,143 It just means that your strategy is every year promising to yourself something and getting increasingly frustrated because, but you keep doing the same thing and you haven't lost 274 00:25:44,143 --> 00:25:45,133 anything. 275 00:25:45,274 --> 00:25:45,754 Okay. 276 00:25:45,754 --> 00:25:47,225 So I'm not saying you shouldn't lose weight. 277 00:25:47,225 --> 00:25:48,356 I'm just saying that 278 00:25:48,356 --> 00:25:57,536 The strategy of making a New Year's resolution has proven to be empty because you're still heavy, too heavy. 279 00:25:57,536 --> 00:25:58,536 All right. 280 00:25:58,696 --> 00:26:08,056 So they asked me an interesting question because they actually weren't upset at me because they could see that I'm not coming from a place of criticism. 281 00:26:08,596 --> 00:26:13,316 I'm coming from a place of, and I'm not even coming from a place of sympathy. 282 00:26:13,896 --> 00:26:14,576 Okay. 283 00:26:14,576 --> 00:26:17,496 I'm just coming from a place of humor. 284 00:26:17,610 --> 00:26:20,221 and irony, okay? 285 00:26:20,221 --> 00:26:22,101 And we're people. 286 00:26:22,101 --> 00:26:26,352 So yeah, yeah, it doesn't mean that they're a bad person. 287 00:26:26,352 --> 00:26:32,744 It doesn't mean that they're, I mean, it just like, you know, I see your strategy and your strategy's not working. 288 00:26:32,744 --> 00:26:38,306 So if plan A's not working, how about going to plan B, right? 289 00:26:39,186 --> 00:26:46,966 So the person was kind of acknowledged that what I was saying was true because they could see there was no 290 00:26:46,966 --> 00:26:52,969 animosity behind my comments, but they're going, then what should I do? 291 00:26:55,071 --> 00:26:57,653 I said, that's an easy one. 292 00:26:57,653 --> 00:26:59,097 Just lose the weight. 293 00:27:00,674 --> 00:27:06,419 And they're going, well, I don't know how. 294 00:27:06,840 --> 00:27:08,421 I'm going, yes, you do. 295 00:27:09,112 --> 00:27:10,363 Of course you do. 296 00:27:10,483 --> 00:27:11,584 Eat less. 297 00:27:13,468 --> 00:27:18,168 You know, this reminds me of this... 298 00:27:18,168 --> 00:27:21,828 It was a post on Twitter or something like that, I believe. 299 00:27:21,828 --> 00:27:27,088 It was a conversation between, I think it was a mother and her child. 300 00:27:27,688 --> 00:27:40,372 And the kid said something like, when I grow up, I want to be an astronaut, a paleontologist, and I don't know, a scientist or something like that. 301 00:27:40,496 --> 00:27:43,064 And the mom goes, well you gotta study a lot for that. 302 00:27:43,064 --> 00:27:45,651 And she goes, yeah but it's just three things. 303 00:27:47,344 --> 00:27:56,565 you know and it's like as you say sometimes it's like it's just the thing it's simple you know know you know where it goes it's just you're beating around the bush 304 00:27:56,565 --> 00:28:11,617 you know, you, I think that you just mentioned knowingly or unknowingly one of the foundational principles of how to actually be a committed person that people don't pay 305 00:28:11,617 --> 00:28:13,038 enough attention to. 306 00:28:13,038 --> 00:28:16,240 And of course we're around a lot of people. 307 00:28:18,040 --> 00:28:24,493 who their energy and their attention is so dispersed. 308 00:28:25,557 --> 00:28:29,204 And there's a time for that if you want to just get. 309 00:28:30,988 --> 00:28:34,028 comparative information so you can make a choice. 310 00:28:34,028 --> 00:28:38,610 But at some point, a committed person chooses one thing. 311 00:28:40,568 --> 00:28:46,888 one person, one career, one, you know, they're not distracted. 312 00:28:46,888 --> 00:28:59,548 So you can have various interests as a committed person, as I do, but all those interests have to serve your singular purpose. 313 00:29:00,108 --> 00:29:04,328 So you can have all this, but everything's got to be going in the same direction. 314 00:29:04,328 --> 00:29:06,228 Very few people have mastered that. 315 00:29:06,228 --> 00:29:10,519 In fact, people who tend to have all these interests 316 00:29:10,519 --> 00:29:19,319 tend to be very frustrated, unsuccessful people because their mind is going in all these different directions. 317 00:29:19,379 --> 00:29:25,879 They don't want to have to give any of their interests up. 318 00:29:27,279 --> 00:29:38,559 But that is actually incorrect thinking because nobody is suggesting they have to give up even one of them. 319 00:29:38,559 --> 00:29:40,321 Even if they want to. 320 00:29:40,321 --> 00:29:48,321 about, like, sorry to interrupt you there, but it's about integrating them all rather than just giving them up. 321 00:29:48,757 --> 00:29:52,800 Which is a very calc way of looking at things. 322 00:29:53,621 --> 00:30:05,210 That's what that's what it is that you're you're focused on what you know you need to do what you were sent here to do and you could take all these things and they can serve you 323 00:30:05,210 --> 00:30:08,042 accomplishing what you were sent here in life to do. 324 00:30:08,042 --> 00:30:14,056 Or it could that kind of thinking can be used to lose weight. 325 00:30:14,606 --> 00:30:23,710 It's just kind of like my objective is to lose weight and I can mobilize anything that I know about towards that end. 326 00:30:23,710 --> 00:30:35,485 But at the end of the day, you, to be a committed person, you have to merge yourself with the achievement itself. 327 00:30:36,145 --> 00:30:39,478 Meaning if you decide to lose weight, 328 00:30:40,076 --> 00:30:41,418 It's already done. 329 00:30:41,681 --> 00:30:46,973 It's already done because you're not actually going to accept any other out. 330 00:30:49,110 --> 00:30:49,966 Right. 331 00:30:50,744 --> 00:30:52,095 It's a way of thinking. 332 00:30:52,095 --> 00:31:00,759 So if you doubt it even a little, if you let doubt come in, then you're undermining your objective. 333 00:31:00,759 --> 00:31:02,289 Cause that's all that doubt does. 334 00:31:02,289 --> 00:31:14,499 If you decide that this is what I am going to accomplish, whatever that is, then you have to train yourself as a warrior saint in this case. 335 00:31:14,499 --> 00:31:26,101 That's like being a warrior saint is you have to train yourself that whatever comes out of your mouth, will come to be because you said it. 336 00:31:26,101 --> 00:31:33,381 So if I say, I'm gonna lose 20 pounds, you can consider that done because I said it. 337 00:31:33,381 --> 00:31:37,192 And there is no way in my life 338 00:31:37,192 --> 00:31:40,674 that I am not going to do what I say. 339 00:31:41,936 --> 00:31:44,618 And it has nothing to do with losing weight. 340 00:31:44,618 --> 00:31:54,086 It has to do with the fact that I honor my own word so much to myself that I'm not willing to disrespect myself. 341 00:31:54,086 --> 00:32:02,280 If I said it, it's my responsibility to the sacredness of that word that I'm actually going to accomplish this. 342 00:32:02,280 --> 00:32:04,044 Very few people think this way. 343 00:32:04,044 --> 00:32:09,313 Just making a resolution, I'm going to lose so many pounds, doesn't mean anything. 344 00:32:09,354 --> 00:32:14,693 What means something is if I actually say it, it has to happen. 345 00:32:15,292 --> 00:32:18,457 I do want to bring something into this. 346 00:32:18,457 --> 00:32:24,805 It's not a counter argument per se, but it's just like an observation about how these things interact. 347 00:32:24,805 --> 00:32:32,683 Because you can very much set your mind to something and be absolutely 100 % focused and decided on doing that. 348 00:32:35,101 --> 00:32:45,756 And then some life circumstance can come upon you and either derail or outright prevent you from doing the thing. 349 00:32:47,782 --> 00:32:54,029 And you know, like, I wonder about, you know, what's the warrior saint take on this? 350 00:32:54,029 --> 00:33:01,655 You know, like when some like just this massive obstacle just comes and, you know, blocks the railroads, so to speak. 351 00:33:02,154 --> 00:33:05,526 Well, I'm really glad you brought that up because... 352 00:33:07,378 --> 00:33:23,955 In the end, what I'm suggesting here is that to be a master of this virtue of commitment, that you realize that it has many angles to itself. 353 00:33:24,315 --> 00:33:25,136 Okay. 354 00:33:25,136 --> 00:33:30,177 And so when I was talking about, I'm saying it. 355 00:33:30,198 --> 00:33:35,580 So my intention is that there's no way it's not going to happen. 356 00:33:36,044 --> 00:33:40,127 Okay, that's one necessary aspect of it. 357 00:33:41,027 --> 00:33:46,670 But there are other aspects to it and to totally master this virtue. 358 00:33:47,631 --> 00:33:53,274 You have to see things on many different levels and how they interact. 359 00:33:53,274 --> 00:34:04,019 Okay, and even sometimes how things could be opposite things that happen at the same time, which is what people refer to as paradox. 360 00:34:04,019 --> 00:34:05,749 that things are paradoxical. 361 00:34:05,749 --> 00:34:09,910 How could it be this and this because these things seem to be opposite. 362 00:34:09,910 --> 00:34:16,592 But you have this mastered at such a level that you understand the different aspects. 363 00:34:16,592 --> 00:34:18,653 You understand the paradoxes. 364 00:34:18,653 --> 00:34:24,654 You understand this from every angle because you've mastered every angle of this virtue. 365 00:34:24,654 --> 00:34:31,117 So you bring up a really important point because these things do work together. 366 00:34:31,117 --> 00:34:32,897 So let's say 367 00:34:34,063 --> 00:34:38,354 that I am committed to an objective, all right? 368 00:34:38,354 --> 00:34:39,336 But. 369 00:34:40,338 --> 00:34:43,518 It's not just that I'm going to make it happen. 370 00:34:43,518 --> 00:35:01,359 Part of being a committed person, is that if you're by nature or by achievement, a very committed human being, you need the ability of not only finishing what you started, 371 00:35:01,925 --> 00:35:06,018 you have to have the ability to commit to the right thing. 372 00:35:07,260 --> 00:35:07,880 Okay? 373 00:35:07,880 --> 00:35:18,910 So I could be committed, let's say I love that woman, I'm gonna marry that woman, nothing is gonna stop me from marrying that woman. 374 00:35:19,351 --> 00:35:19,752 Okay? 375 00:35:19,752 --> 00:35:26,076 I can't imagine living without her and I'm gonna do whatever I can do to marry that woman. 376 00:35:26,357 --> 00:35:29,019 That's what a committed person... 377 00:35:29,052 --> 00:35:44,290 would say, but a really committed person would only commit to that woman if they understood that that was the right commitment to make, not the wrong commitment. 378 00:35:44,290 --> 00:35:52,874 So in the end, lot of these commitments don't work out because God's protecting us. 379 00:35:53,555 --> 00:35:54,205 That 380 00:35:54,205 --> 00:35:59,757 Actually, I'm very committed, but I'm not committing to the conscious thing. 381 00:35:59,757 --> 00:36:01,568 I'm being led by my desires. 382 00:36:01,568 --> 00:36:07,021 So in other words, there's another part of me that is not sufficiently developed. 383 00:36:07,021 --> 00:36:19,606 So I'm very much into accomplishing what I put my mind to, but there's other aspects of my being that are less developed and they're causing me. 384 00:36:19,606 --> 00:36:21,188 to not see things clearly. 385 00:36:21,188 --> 00:36:29,158 So even though I have the ability to finish the job, my actual reason for pursuing it is full. 386 00:36:31,390 --> 00:36:35,911 And so that's not in the end going to work out. 387 00:36:35,951 --> 00:36:43,353 That's not going to work out because it's good that it doesn't work out even because it's not meant to be. 388 00:36:43,533 --> 00:36:46,395 You may be heartbroken, but it's not meant to be. 389 00:36:46,395 --> 00:36:49,736 so commitment is like a state of mind. 390 00:36:49,736 --> 00:36:58,954 It's a state of being that you're going to finish what you start that you're going to do what you say, but 391 00:36:59,002 --> 00:37:08,636 If you're not sufficiently developed as a person, your choices are going to be, as they say in Spanish, chueca. 392 00:37:09,157 --> 00:37:13,008 That, which means crooked, means crooked. 393 00:37:13,008 --> 00:37:25,564 So you're very passionate and you're throwing everything into accomplishing something, but the object of your energy is not well placed. 394 00:37:26,067 --> 00:37:29,538 In fact, in some cases, it is self-destructive. 395 00:37:30,159 --> 00:37:47,585 And so to really be like the highest model of commitment, you would also have to have the wisdom to commit to the proper thing because we know you can accomplish it, you know? 396 00:37:47,585 --> 00:37:55,844 And so for instance, we know in the world there are people who are very successful and have 397 00:37:55,844 --> 00:38:00,206 actually accomplished what they put their mind to. 398 00:38:00,407 --> 00:38:07,771 But what they put their mind to was actually destructive to other human beings and to themselves. 399 00:38:08,212 --> 00:38:15,603 So they had the ability, yeah, well, we know, we don't even have to talk about politics here because we can easily. 400 00:38:15,603 --> 00:38:16,823 yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, 401 00:38:18,014 --> 00:38:30,372 Right, right, right, but generally speaking, politics would be a good area to describe people who nobody can deny that they've actually achieved something that only could be 402 00:38:30,372 --> 00:38:36,856 achieved with like absolute commitment to that goal, okay? 403 00:38:36,856 --> 00:38:44,460 But it'll land up that even if they get what they want, they're gonna be of great harm to themselves and to others. 404 00:38:44,977 --> 00:38:52,482 Okay, so I consider that to be a committed person, but only in one aspect of what it is to be committed. 405 00:38:52,482 --> 00:38:59,426 Because a truly committed person actually makes the correct choices about what to be committed to. 406 00:38:59,526 --> 00:39:08,991 Because it's dangerous to have the ability to achieve whatever you put your mind to if you put your mind to destructive things. 407 00:39:10,386 --> 00:39:14,519 You know, this is a very rich point you're bringing here. 408 00:39:14,519 --> 00:39:22,625 And in fact, I want to bring something from a little bit back in the conversation because I think like we can sort of integrate this. 409 00:39:22,625 --> 00:39:34,445 Earlier, you were talking about, you know, these cases of people like this dispersed interests and how the ideal thing is not to give them up or to switch them out for other 410 00:39:34,445 --> 00:39:35,295 things. 411 00:39:35,295 --> 00:39:39,197 but to find a way to integrate them into a single thing. 412 00:39:39,197 --> 00:39:53,182 And I think that is actually, and I'm sorry if I'm like just repeating something you said, but that actually facilitates commitment, you know, because I'm going to give you a 413 00:39:53,182 --> 00:39:55,783 personal example, if I may here. 414 00:39:55,783 --> 00:40:02,950 Like I started teaching some several years ago, teaching English. 415 00:40:02,950 --> 00:40:11,225 started when I was 18 years old and I got the opportunity to do it at the institute where I studied English myself. 416 00:40:13,009 --> 00:40:21,547 And the thing about the job is that it got me the chance to bring together a lot of things that I am already into. 417 00:40:21,547 --> 00:40:23,439 Like, I love talking with people. 418 00:40:23,439 --> 00:40:28,262 love, you know, discussing several different areas of knowledge. 419 00:40:28,262 --> 00:40:30,785 You know it, we talk about all sorts of things here. 420 00:40:30,785 --> 00:40:31,635 I love reading. 421 00:40:31,635 --> 00:40:32,646 I love literature. 422 00:40:32,646 --> 00:40:34,107 ah I love music. 423 00:40:34,107 --> 00:40:35,428 I love the arts. 424 00:40:35,428 --> 00:40:38,640 You know, I did a bit of theater as well, you know, so. 425 00:40:38,736 --> 00:40:52,041 like teaching gave me a sort of opportunity to take all of these sort of disparate areas and interests and bring them together into a single thing through which I make a living 426 00:40:52,041 --> 00:40:56,972 and also provide something of value to other people as well. 427 00:40:56,972 --> 00:41:03,034 And that has actually made it very easy to be committed to the idea of being a teacher. 428 00:41:03,034 --> 00:41:04,850 you know, because it just like, 429 00:41:04,850 --> 00:41:11,582 it just everything fits together very well and the end result is good so I would 430 00:41:11,582 --> 00:41:12,573 a great point. 431 00:41:12,573 --> 00:41:13,604 That's a great. 432 00:41:13,604 --> 00:41:19,470 Now I'm only interrupting because I, I'm afraid of going over that. 433 00:41:19,470 --> 00:41:20,150 Right. 434 00:41:20,150 --> 00:41:37,195 Because I think that you bring up a brilliant point that people don't understand is that in the end, it's hard to give what's necessary for a very big commitment, unless it's very 435 00:41:37,195 --> 00:41:38,626 important for you. 436 00:41:40,134 --> 00:41:44,154 and it's healthy and make you happy. 437 00:41:44,535 --> 00:41:58,875 The bigger the goal that you're aiming for by definition will require more commitment if it's very easily achievable goal. 438 00:41:59,205 --> 00:42:01,156 and it's not worth much. 439 00:42:02,906 --> 00:42:06,409 then it doesn't require that much commitment. 440 00:42:06,409 --> 00:42:18,962 But if it's a very big goal that has huge implications that will be very challenging and there's many obstacles, it'll require more commitment because you're facing more 441 00:42:18,962 --> 00:42:19,643 obstacles. 442 00:42:19,643 --> 00:42:22,755 But if the end game 443 00:42:24,733 --> 00:42:35,333 is so nutritive to your existence, you'll be willing to do it. 444 00:42:35,454 --> 00:42:41,299 So we know from personal experience that the 445 00:42:41,839 --> 00:42:49,958 The bigger the goal, usually the more obstacles, the more obstacles, the more commitment, the more grit, the more... 446 00:42:51,574 --> 00:42:54,025 tenacity it will require. 447 00:42:54,769 --> 00:43:01,661 more willpower, willpower is needed because the obstacle, the enemy is more more fierce. 448 00:43:01,661 --> 00:43:06,682 The bigger the goal is more to really apply yourself to, you know? 449 00:43:06,682 --> 00:43:20,817 So it's much less likely that people are going to be willing to sacrifice greatly for something that's not that of that much reward to their soul. 450 00:43:21,484 --> 00:43:26,624 you'll hear people say they have somebody's got commitment issues. 451 00:43:26,984 --> 00:43:27,984 OK. 452 00:43:28,618 --> 00:43:30,079 You'll hear that at least in English. 453 00:43:30,079 --> 00:43:32,570 have, oh, they have issues with commitment. 454 00:43:32,570 --> 00:43:34,930 That's why they're not married. 455 00:43:35,971 --> 00:43:37,121 That's why they're not married. 456 00:43:37,121 --> 00:43:38,453 They've got commitment issues. 457 00:43:38,453 --> 00:43:43,565 Or the person doesn't, they're not a committed, you don't trust them. 458 00:43:43,565 --> 00:43:45,316 They're not a committed person. 459 00:43:46,816 --> 00:43:48,337 Okay, you hear that? 460 00:43:48,657 --> 00:43:54,783 Yeah, but I've realized that neither of those things are true, that they don't exist, that they're just imaginary. 461 00:43:54,783 --> 00:43:58,025 There's no such thing as an uncommitted person. 462 00:43:58,025 --> 00:44:05,270 There's no person on the planet who has commitment issues, that it's totally imagined. 463 00:44:05,270 --> 00:44:06,951 It doesn't exist. 464 00:44:08,173 --> 00:44:10,215 what lacks is... 465 00:44:11,319 --> 00:44:13,121 what do people value? 466 00:44:13,121 --> 00:44:15,145 So in other words, I know this. 467 00:44:15,145 --> 00:44:25,900 I've learned this, a very good example is that I know people who, the thing they get the most enjoyment in in life is going out drinking with their friends. 468 00:44:26,021 --> 00:44:27,642 That's a fact. 469 00:44:27,696 --> 00:44:31,095 very committed to going out to the bar with their friends. 470 00:44:31,095 --> 00:44:44,683 every Friday night you can find them in the bar and they're actually committed to being in the bar with their friends drinking because that's where they get their pleasure and 471 00:44:44,683 --> 00:44:48,966 there's nothing that's going to keep them from not being in the bar on Friday. 472 00:44:50,387 --> 00:44:52,698 Right, it is a commitment. 473 00:44:52,698 --> 00:44:59,602 I'm just using this as an example is that it's not, it's not just that people aren't committed. 474 00:44:59,602 --> 00:45:14,123 It's that like what you said is that there's not clarity what they're willing to sacrifice for, what they're willing to basically defer their pleasure for. 475 00:45:14,223 --> 00:45:17,325 So what is it that they're committing to? 476 00:45:17,465 --> 00:45:18,166 Okay. 477 00:45:18,166 --> 00:45:19,106 So 478 00:45:19,356 --> 00:45:25,871 and how to achieve them because it's pretty easy just to go to the bar every Friday night. 479 00:45:25,871 --> 00:45:28,113 That doesn't take a lot of commitment. 480 00:45:28,113 --> 00:45:29,054 Okay. 481 00:45:29,054 --> 00:45:42,614 But if they're deciding that they don't have a job and they actually want to own a bar and they want the bar to be the most successful bar in that city, okay, that takes a lot more 482 00:45:42,614 --> 00:45:43,745 commitment. 483 00:45:44,346 --> 00:45:44,766 Okay. 484 00:45:44,766 --> 00:45:48,829 There's a lot more obstacles than that than just going every Friday night. 485 00:45:48,829 --> 00:45:50,009 to the bar. 486 00:45:50,030 --> 00:46:05,263 So people are committed in certain ways to certain things, but to really commit yourself to something that's a very big goal, which will ask a lot of you. 487 00:46:05,964 --> 00:46:11,428 If you're a master of commitment, you know the price you're going to have to pay. 488 00:46:11,709 --> 00:46:17,613 You're conscious, you know, if you're a very committed person, you always know what the price is. 489 00:46:18,197 --> 00:46:24,142 Okay, and you don't make that promise unless you're willing to pay that price. 490 00:46:25,324 --> 00:46:32,449 But you know that before you even make the purchase, you know, okay, I'm going to, I'm going to commit to this. 491 00:46:32,449 --> 00:46:36,112 It's a very high goal, very high goal. 492 00:46:36,553 --> 00:46:37,844 I know what the price is. 493 00:46:37,844 --> 00:46:39,675 I know what I may lose. 494 00:46:40,096 --> 00:46:45,180 I may lose things that are precious to me, but I'm going to make that purchase. 495 00:46:45,180 --> 00:46:45,985 I'm going to 496 00:46:45,985 --> 00:46:49,588 by that, I'm going to do whatever I have to do to get that. 497 00:46:49,588 --> 00:46:55,313 So it's got to be worth it to me to sacrifice that much for that object. 498 00:46:55,313 --> 00:46:55,754 Right. 499 00:46:55,754 --> 00:47:06,282 And so in the end of a person is a very conscious person and is sufficiently evolved as a human being. 500 00:47:06,602 --> 00:47:10,305 They would also by implication. 501 00:47:12,376 --> 00:47:18,407 understand the value to them of something that they would sacrifice something for. 502 00:47:18,407 --> 00:47:21,068 it basically good for their body? 503 00:47:21,068 --> 00:47:22,809 Is it good for their emotions? 504 00:47:22,809 --> 00:47:24,649 Is it good for their soul? 505 00:47:25,649 --> 00:47:34,962 Okay, a person's not conscious, the average person, let's say, let's say they're very committed, far as making just money, okay, which is fine. 506 00:47:34,962 --> 00:47:40,613 I'm not making a value judgment, but let's say they're only conscious, they want to get money, 507 00:47:41,097 --> 00:47:43,378 and they want as much money as they can. 508 00:47:43,817 --> 00:47:47,530 And they're willing to break the law even to do it if they have to. 509 00:47:47,530 --> 00:47:50,541 All right? 510 00:47:50,541 --> 00:48:05,650 Because they, from some experience in their life, they have this hope or belief that when they reach that goal, when they've accumulated so much of these financial resources, that 511 00:48:05,650 --> 00:48:08,853 they're going to feel a type of euphoria. 512 00:48:08,853 --> 00:48:10,844 that's worth their efforts. 513 00:48:11,886 --> 00:48:17,390 That the money will give them a certain euphoria, okay? 514 00:48:17,390 --> 00:48:29,570 And that they value the euphoria of feeling whatever that feels like, that they're willing to pay whatever price, even if it means selling their soul to the devil, as they say, to 515 00:48:29,570 --> 00:48:32,483 get it, because they want that euphoria. 516 00:48:32,483 --> 00:48:36,773 So people are committed to things, but they're not always the right things. 517 00:48:36,773 --> 00:48:50,647 I guess going back to your original challenging question, which was a good one, is that you're implicating the question of not just the ability of a person to accomplish 518 00:48:50,647 --> 00:48:59,624 something, which is the common knowledge of commitment, but I am suggesting a much deeper definition of commitment. 519 00:48:59,624 --> 00:49:11,131 including many aspects that we haven't even talked about, but one of the key aspects is the ability of a committed person to commit to the right things that are going to be 520 00:49:11,131 --> 00:49:21,687 healthy to their being, their health, their spiritual well-being, their psychological well-being, and also will be a benefit to those around them. 521 00:49:22,888 --> 00:49:25,538 So that's part of the equation. 522 00:49:25,538 --> 00:49:32,374 thought, I was just going to say we're talking about, you know, in synthesis applying discernment to commit. 523 00:49:34,754 --> 00:49:39,757 Even more than that, that it's all part of the same thing. 524 00:49:39,757 --> 00:49:41,818 That that's part of commitment. 525 00:49:41,818 --> 00:49:50,902 Part of commitment is naturally committing to things that are worth committing to. 526 00:49:51,564 --> 00:49:52,648 Right. 527 00:49:52,836 --> 00:49:53,574 Right. 528 00:49:53,574 --> 00:49:57,914 But that involves integration. 529 00:49:58,915 --> 00:50:08,175 Maybe you're right using the word applying discernment, again, getting back to a word used before, it really involves integration. 530 00:50:08,635 --> 00:50:18,955 That if you're a very committed person, you're aware of how other virtues interplay with the virtue of commitment. 531 00:50:19,005 --> 00:50:20,946 So that's at your disposal. 532 00:50:20,946 --> 00:50:30,519 You realize that that commitment, raw commitment by itself is actually dangerous. 533 00:50:31,920 --> 00:50:35,462 It's out and out dangerous because you have the ability. 534 00:50:35,462 --> 00:50:36,942 It's like amoral. 535 00:50:36,942 --> 00:50:45,946 It's like you're talking about amoral, not immoral, not bad, amoral that basically 536 00:50:45,946 --> 00:50:52,088 you're applying your ability to have that level of willpower. 537 00:50:52,888 --> 00:50:53,429 Okay. 538 00:50:53,429 --> 00:51:02,192 And you could apply that to something that is very helpful to you and everyone around you. 539 00:51:03,413 --> 00:51:10,397 Or you can apply that same willpower to something that could destroy other people's lives and your own life. 540 00:51:10,397 --> 00:51:18,806 it into, you know what, like it's always bringing films to mind, but have you seen Scarface with Al Pacino? 541 00:51:19,118 --> 00:51:19,965 Yes. 542 00:51:20,526 --> 00:51:31,754 I think Starface is an excellent example of a story of a protagonist with absolutely incredible willpower applied to the worst possible thing that he could apply that 543 00:51:31,754 --> 00:51:36,048 willpower to because the guy gets everything he wants. 544 00:51:36,048 --> 00:51:37,870 He gets everything, you know. 545 00:51:37,870 --> 00:51:45,366 But it destroys him completely and his family and he brings nothing but ruin to everything around himself. 546 00:51:45,818 --> 00:51:49,234 But he got everything he wanted. 547 00:51:50,042 --> 00:52:02,138 Well, you know, it's interesting that it is a good place for us to end today because I think there's going to be many future conversations that land us in the commitment 548 00:52:02,578 --> 00:52:06,900 stadium, so to speak, because that's where we play the game, you know. 549 00:52:06,900 --> 00:52:10,082 But I'll end this talking about your thought. 550 00:52:10,082 --> 00:52:12,843 as we've done, basically, this is about New Year. 551 00:52:12,843 --> 00:52:17,865 Basically, this is where you had brought up New Year's resolutions and 552 00:52:17,979 --> 00:52:23,192 And so you can see that it connects to the base of what we're foundation. 553 00:52:23,552 --> 00:52:29,055 It still goes back to commitment is that I have known people in the mafia. 554 00:52:29,195 --> 00:52:30,235 Okay. 555 00:52:30,496 --> 00:52:31,516 Okay. 556 00:52:31,516 --> 00:52:33,317 I know people in all walks of life. 557 00:52:33,317 --> 00:52:35,230 I'm very outgoing person. 558 00:52:35,230 --> 00:52:46,256 So I landed up tripping over just about anything and including I I've known people in the mafia and what I've been and I was surprised back then but now I'm not surprised now is 559 00:52:46,256 --> 00:52:46,986 that 560 00:52:47,904 --> 00:52:53,719 And I think some of the people in the mafia were even surprised in how much they admired me. 561 00:52:53,719 --> 00:53:02,726 Because I actually got a lot of positive feedback from people in the mafia, people looking up to me, right? 562 00:53:02,826 --> 00:53:07,330 Because they viewed me as being a really committed person. 563 00:53:08,785 --> 00:53:11,350 which is a good trade for a mafioso. 564 00:53:12,112 --> 00:53:26,860 Right, but they had, and I think that's true, although they may have had a more limited view of what that word means than I do, but we were in agreement with at least one 565 00:53:26,860 --> 00:53:32,556 important aspect of it, and that is that you're gonna do what you say you're gonna do. 566 00:53:34,423 --> 00:53:47,126 and that you are who you say you are, and there's no misunderstanding about that, and you will sacrifice, you're ready, willing, and able to sacrifice your own well-being, even 567 00:53:47,126 --> 00:53:53,883 your life, for whatever you're trying to achieve, and you understand what the cost is. 568 00:53:53,883 --> 00:53:59,682 They could see that in this way, I thought very much like they did, and that I was a very... 569 00:53:59,682 --> 00:54:05,340 actually a very good role model for what they basically would teach in their own troops. 570 00:54:06,288 --> 00:54:08,159 Wow, right. 571 00:54:08,319 --> 00:54:15,135 okay, but it's kind of a curiosity that I doing this in a very different way than they're doing it. 572 00:54:15,135 --> 00:54:22,011 And even they could recognize that, but they had some grudging respect for this because they couldn't deny it. 573 00:54:22,011 --> 00:54:29,898 And likewise, I admired that part of them that they were displaying that 574 00:54:30,031 --> 00:54:38,045 I could see that in a way, I could trust them in a way that I couldn't trust other people. 575 00:54:39,640 --> 00:54:42,320 even though their objectives were different. 576 00:54:42,420 --> 00:54:46,820 So I have a little more of a nuanced view of that. 577 00:54:47,060 --> 00:54:50,420 So it's not just that they're good or bad people. 578 00:54:50,420 --> 00:55:04,740 It's just kind of like, to me, they're actually, to get as far as they got to in their chosen line of work, they had to actually be very committed people. 579 00:55:04,740 --> 00:55:08,976 And some of them actually are very religious, oddly enough. 580 00:55:09,832 --> 00:55:14,611 It's my understanding that a lot of guys go to church on Sunday. 581 00:55:14,997 --> 00:55:16,247 That's right. 582 00:55:16,528 --> 00:55:17,709 That's right. 583 00:55:17,709 --> 00:55:33,218 And to other people, it's very confusing, but it's not confusing to them because they basically value respect, honor, commitment, the things that we're talking about within 584 00:55:33,218 --> 00:55:33,818 religion. 585 00:55:33,818 --> 00:55:40,601 So they actually see religion as confirming the human characteristics they value. 586 00:55:41,167 --> 00:55:50,552 And so this very much dovetails into your concern back in the conversation about really kind of inferring. 587 00:55:50,552 --> 00:55:54,434 can be very committed, but what if you're committed to the wrong things? 588 00:55:54,434 --> 00:56:08,602 So I would say that I would agree that the people that we're talking about right now are actually virtuous in some way, but there's something lacking there that 589 00:56:08,856 --> 00:56:18,804 makes it very hard for them to understand that the things that they are committed to are not healthy for them personally or the people around them. 590 00:56:20,376 --> 00:56:34,021 so I would say that what we're really aiming for is a certain type of conscious and refined sense of commitment, not just raw commitment, you know? 591 00:56:34,021 --> 00:56:47,326 And, and so this whole thing, when we talk about the Khalsa ideal is that commitment's a very big thing, but it's really, in addition to that, it's kind of the 592 00:56:47,652 --> 00:56:53,269 intersection of many high human qualities that all work together. 593 00:56:54,759 --> 00:56:55,651 Right? 594 00:56:56,662 --> 00:56:57,161 Right. 595 00:56:57,161 --> 00:57:03,354 takes a tremendous amount of commitment to actually live commitment. 596 00:57:03,354 --> 00:57:06,455 it's like it's like a double injection of commitment. 597 00:57:06,455 --> 00:57:08,696 It's like you're committed to be committed. 598 00:57:08,976 --> 00:57:09,716 You're committed. 599 00:57:09,716 --> 00:57:11,497 You're committed to master. 600 00:57:11,497 --> 00:57:14,819 You're committed to be a master of commitment. 601 00:57:14,819 --> 00:57:22,373 And if you're a man of truly a master of commitment, then you are called so you're you're 602 00:57:22,373 --> 00:57:24,773 you're a saint in the truest example. 603 00:57:25,593 --> 00:57:27,753 And you have all these qualities. 604 00:57:28,233 --> 00:57:29,953 And that is a wrap. 605 00:57:30,412 --> 00:57:31,353 That's a wrap. 606 00:57:31,353 --> 00:57:32,673 Okay, so we land up here. 607 00:57:32,673 --> 00:57:37,293 Listen, there's so many things for us to talk about. 608 00:57:37,293 --> 00:57:48,453 And I'm glad we talked about this at the end of the year because it's a good conversation revolving around really like the theme of resolutions, New Year's resolutions. 609 00:57:48,953 --> 00:57:55,042 and suggesting that they're okay, what's even better is actually doing something about it. 610 00:57:55,848 --> 00:57:58,448 Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, there we go! 611 00:58:00,141 --> 00:58:01,655 Yeah, because you know, 612 00:58:03,167 --> 00:58:10,821 person who's really committed doesn't have to make any formal new year's resolution. 613 00:58:10,821 --> 00:58:15,754 They actually make a resolution every time they wake up in the morning. 614 00:58:16,494 --> 00:58:19,757 You know, it's no such thing as a new year's resolution. 615 00:58:19,757 --> 00:58:25,370 the first thing you have to do every day when you wake up is to remind yourself who you are. 616 00:58:27,771 --> 00:58:28,464 you girl. 617 00:58:28,464 --> 00:58:33,775 if you don't, if that's not the first thing you do in the morning, then you can kiss that day goodbye. 618 00:58:34,776 --> 00:58:40,199 Because you probably not be you that day, you'll probably be somebody else. 619 00:58:40,199 --> 00:58:48,702 But if the first thing you do in the morning is to remind yourself who you are, what you're about, what you're committed to, which is all the same thing in the end of the day, 620 00:58:48,702 --> 00:58:50,663 that's probably going to be a very good day. 621 00:58:50,663 --> 00:58:52,924 Challenging, but productive. 622 00:58:54,528 --> 00:58:57,150 Anyhow, hey have a great new year. 623 00:58:57,902 --> 00:58:58,874 Yeah, for sure sir. 624 00:58:58,874 --> 00:59:01,401 You too have a very happy new year. 625 00:59:01,401 --> 00:59:07,276 Send my congratulations to your wife as well and we're going to be talking in a few days. 626 00:59:07,945 --> 00:59:09,499 Okay, love you very much. 627 00:59:09,499 --> 00:59:13,447 Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh.