You may have heard of the phrase "God helps those who help themselves". It is a statement of practical reality. Something similar might be "the harder I try, the luckier I get." In other words, hard work and effort are needed before we can even think of getting some results. Also, it's not enough to sit back and expect miracles if we don't make the effort to at least look in the right place.
A fool might be drowning and pray to God for help. And when someone arrives to assist, the fool will say "no need of your help because I'm waiting for God to save me".
Even if we believe in miracles, or in the power of positive thinking, or the philosophy of think and grow rich, or even the profoundly successful healing of Dr Joe Dispenza who teaches that we simply need to meditate on healing for it to succeed - even if we believe in all of those views, still we will achieve our goal sooner by actually physically making the effort.
The goal might need a miracle because it's so huge. Our target may be so high that we struggle to imagine achieving it. Nevertheless, whether that goal is mastery of day trading or mastery of self-realization and yoga, both require undeviating determination to succeed.
Patience and determination are said to be the primary foundational traits required by us to succeed in these goals of wealth mastery via day trading or consciousness mastery via yoga and meditation.
I have tried for years to master both and still I struggle. I have given up on numerous occasions in my attempts at mastering both day trading and yoga mediation. The goal of both seems impossible to grasp. Or it feels like it might take many lifetimes. I feel so foolish and incompetent at both, despite the years of attempts and all the knowledge in theory of technical analysis and meditation techniques.
My own mind is my greatest obstacle, pulled by fear and greed, attachment and aversion. To succeed at either it may require one to lock in and retreat to the cave, in a manner of speaking, in order to increase focus and eliminate distraction. If you are serious about mastery then sometimes this is the only way.
Yet who really wants to make the sacrifice of giving up everything else to attain the goal of wealth through day trading or enlightenment through yoga and meditation? What to speak of trying to succeed at both. Yet sometimes we have to become fanatical in our lifestyle choices to really achieve mastery.
Any top athlete will tell you that you have to almost give up everything else and focus only on your practice if you really want to make it to the top of your game. And to make this sacrifice means you need to desire the goal more than anything else. Either because you know it will bring out the best version of yourself, or because there is nothing more important to you in life.
Without this type of dogged determination, we will remain amateurs and hobbyists in our chosen fields. And that's fine, if you're talking about origami or kite flying, or something like that. But if you're talking about the real goal of life or financial freedom, then nothing short of single-minded determination is going to help you succeed.
Other than that I also believe in miracles. However, the secret appears to be aiming high, making the effort, and also having faith in yourself and also the fact that attention and effort tends to attract luck, opportunity or success, as well as possibly mercy and miracles.
Do you want it enough? Are you able to focus your attention with intention to the degree that you will be the center of the whirlwind that brings everything together in order to manifest that ultimate goal which you really desire?
Bhagavad Gita ch 6:24
स निश्चयेन योक्तव्यो योगोऽनिर्विण्णचेतसा ।
सङ्कल्पप्रभवान्कामांस्त्यक्त्वा सर्वानशेषत: ।
मनसैवेन्द्रियग्रामं विनियम्य समन्तत: ॥ २४ ॥
sa niścayena yoktavyo
yogo 'nirviṇṇa-cetasā
saṅkalpa-prabhavān kāmāṁs
tyaktvā sarvān aśeṣataḥ
manasaivendriya-grāmaṁ
viniyamya samantataḥ
SYNONYMS
saḥ—that yoga system; niścayena—with firm determination; yoktavyaḥ—must be practiced; yogaḥ—in such practice; anirviṇṇa-cetasā—without deviation; saṅkalpa—material desires; prabhavān—born of; kāmān—sense gratification; tyaktvā—giving up; sarvān—all; aśeṣatah—completely; manasā—by the mind; eva—certainly; indriya-grāmam—the full set of senses; viniyamya—regulating; samantataḥ—from all sides.
TRANSLATION
One should engage oneself in the practice of yoga with undeviating determination and faith. One should abandon, without exception, all material desires born of false ego and thus control all the senses on all sides by the mind.
PURPORT
The yoga practitioner should be determined and should patiently prosecute the practice without deviation. One should be sure of success at the end and pursue this course with great perserverance, not becoming discouraged if there is any delay in the attainment of success. Success is sure for the rigid practitioner. Regarding bhakti-yoga, Rupa Gosvāmī says:
utsāhān niścayād dhairyāt tat tat karma-pravartanāt
saṅga-tyāgāt satovṛtteḥ ṣaḍbhir bhaktiḥ prasidhyati
"The process of bhakti-yoga can be executed successfully with full-hearted enthusiasm, perseverance, and determination by following the prescribed duties in the association of devotees and by engaging completely in activities of goodness."
As for determination, one should follow the example of the sparrow who lost her eggs in the waves of the ocean. A sparrow laid her eggs on the shore of the ocean, but the big ocean carried away the eggs on its waves. The sparrow became very upset and asked the ocean to return her eggs. The ocean did not even consider her appeal. So the sparrow decided to dry up the ocean. She began to pick out the water in her small beak, and everyone laughed at her for her impossible determination. The news of her activity spread, and at last Garuḍa, the gigantic bird carrier of Lord Viṣṇu, heard it. He became compassionate toward his small sister bird, and so he came to see the sparrow. Garuḍa was very pleased by the determination of the small sparrow, and he promised to help. Thus Garuḍa at once asked the ocean to return her eggs lest he himself take up the work of the sparrow. The ocean was frightened at this, and returned the eggs. Thus the sparrow became happy by the grace of Garuḍa.
Similarly, the practice of yoga, especially bhakti-yoga in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, may appear to be a very difficult job. But if anyone follows the principles with great determination, the Lord will surely help, for God helps those who help themselves.
Reference: Bhagavad Gita As It Is, translation and commentary by Swami A. C. Bhaktivedanta, original Macmillan 1972 edition, freely available at www.prabhupadabooks.com.
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