Books, to me, are sacred objects. I love to surround myself with them. The wisdom and teachings contained inside the covers seem to permeate the airspace, leaving one feeling a sense of wonder, contentment and peace… all at the same time.

So, it’s no surprise that while I love to read, I also do not want to desecrate these sacred tomes by underlining or highlighting passages I find inspiring. Instead I use those handy small post-it notes stuck to the margin of the page with little notes penned on them.

Recently a book called down from the shelf in my office while I was awaiting inspiration for this month’s editorial. Focal Point was written by one of my favorite authors, Brian Tracy. As I flipped through the plethora of post-its, my eyes lit on a passage, “The highest human good is peace of mind. In fact, you can measure the success of your life at any given time by your level of happiness and peace of mind, by how good you feel about yourself and the world.”

These two sentences struck a chord in me because happiness and peace of mind, to me, are my definition of success. A happy person, although perhaps not rich in the world of material wealth is rich beyond measure in areas not tabulated by any physical worldly means. Oh, I am beginning to like this! I read on as Brian continued, “Peace of mind is possible only when you feel completely satisfied and content inside. Peace of mind comes when you follow your intuition, your inner voice, and you do and say the things that feel exactly right for you…Intuition is one of the greatest gifts of humankind. Every great thinker has been amazed at this wonderful power. And the more you listen to your intuition, the better and more accurate it becomes. The more you listen to your inner voice, the louder and clearer it becomes in guiding you to make the right decisions in each area of your life.”

Are you at a crossroads in your life where you need to make an important decision? Is there something on your “to do” list that needs attending to? Are there loose ends that need resolving? Here, in these passages, Brian gives us the key to the answers we are seeking, listen to your intuition, listen to your inner voice.

So, how do you get in touch with that inner voice? The best way is through the practice of meditation or going into the silence.

As I’m pondering this, another post-it beckons. On that page, I read, “One of the great spiritual practices is that of solitude and contemplation. Many people have never tried the practice of solitude, but it is an extraordinarily positive experience.

“If ever you desire an answer to any question, a solution to any dilemma, or the resolution to any difficultly, practice solitude. Go and sit quietly by yourself, with no noise or distractions, for sixty minutes. It has been said that men and women begin to become great when they begin to spend time alone with themselves, listening to their inner voices.”

Reaffirming the value of listening to those voices, Brian continues, “During this period of solitude, your mind will clear. After about thirty minutes of quiet contemplation, you will feel calm and relaxed. You will feel happy and peaceful. You will feel at one with the universe. And then, at a certain moment, as you sit there, ideas and insights will begin to flow through your mind.”

“Whatever your current situation, the right answer for you will come to you at exactly the right time in exactly the right form. When you arise from your period of solitude and take action on that answer, you will find that it is exactly the right thing to do. This is the height of spiritual perception and spiritual connection.”

And to sum it up, Brian gives us something to reflect on as we step into this new year and begin to set our goals and visions for the year ahead.

“You have within you, right now, all the talents and abilities you could ever want or need to achieve any goal or dream you can set for yourself.

“When you begin to live in truth with yourself and others and trust your inner voice, you will make your life something truly wonderful and inspiring.”