The OM Game is fun – only Allies, no Conspirators….!

On the spiritual path the very fact that you are aware and are paying attention to your feelings and thoughts is evidence of progress.

A key tenet of spirituality is patience. So, progress is slow but sure. Look for the signs when you are on the path. Aren't you now aware that you are angry when you lose it with someone? Aren't you now conscious when you worry that you must fall back on faith? Aren't you seeing every misunderstanding as an opportunity to forgive? On this path, Life will test you. If you resolve to conquer your anger, you will find more situations that make you angry come your way. If you are willing to anchor in faith, each moment, each event will question that choice. Instead of giving up, instead of feeling frustrated, take Life head-on. Life loves those who dare it. Instead of reacting with 'Oh! No! or OMG! or DAMN!' say, 'Well, that's interesting' or 'Stay alert, this is a ploy by Life' or just 'Aha!' every time you are challenged. When you refuse to get cowed down by it, Life will celebrate you.

Remember this is a mind game. And you can call it OM - Only Mind! The more you play it, the better you will be at it. At first, it will appear that the mind possesses you. No doubt. But soon you will reclaim it and own it. The OM game will now mean (your) Own Mind!! In this game, you are the Star. And everyone around you is either a Conspirator or an Ally. Your goal is to make them all – the Conspirators – Allies. And you do that by being loving, caring, forgiving and trusting. So, when someone continues to treat you badly, like a door mat, don't be your typical self and say, 'How dare you?' Say to yourself, 'Well thank you. You are now an Ally who's going to get me to increase my OM score, my Ally count!'. When you start playing OM, you may have few Allies: maybe just your immediate family. With each passing day, you will rejoice and revel in seeing that Ally count move up. The guy who brushed past you brusquely you in the check-in queue at the airport is an Ally. The boss who denied your vacation request is another Ally. The irate cop on the street who abused you is an Ally too. And so, you go on, making more Allies. Within 21 days of playing OM, you will find your mind now seeing everyone as an Ally. Nobody is a detractor or Conspirator. In fact, your network of Allies will be growing faster than facebook's user base! It's fun. Play OM! Make Allies. Keep a log of your increasing Ally score. Watch Life celebrate you!

(PS - An important clarification and disclaimer: The OM Game is just a practical methodology to train the mind in loving, caring, forgiving and trusting; it does not refer to or reflect on or take away from the actual significance of the Sanskrit word 'om', pronounced as 'aum', which is integral to all spiritual quest.)