“Don’t Let Perfection Destroy the Good in Doing”

A Wonderful Hypnotherapy Workshop

When the Hypnotique Circle (Madras) conducted a hypnotherapy workshop in July 2024, we were among the first to register. The workshop featured two renowned experts: Anthony Jacquin, who provided thorough training that transformed us into confident and effective hypnotists years back, and Pradeep Aggarwal, who taught me Hidden Resource Activation, a technique that has since delivered remarkable results for my clients. As expected, the workshop was nothing short of amazing.

The Unexpected Gift

During the session, a lucky draw was held, and I won the opportunity to receive free hypnotherapy sessions with Anthony Jacquin. I was over the moon! When we connected online for the session on August 8th, Anthony asked what I wanted to work on. I shared that, despite always doing my best in everything, I often feel a lingering inner doubt, thinking, “I could have done better.” He then conducted a wonderful session that left me feeling lighter and better.

The Proof

Yesterday, we attended a birthday party, and during a game for the ladies, the MC asked me to sing a couple of lines from an old song. Now, this was serious. While I excel in many areas, singing has always been my Achilles' heel. My ears aren't attuned to the nuances of music, and when my daughters (both amazing singers) try to correct my pitch, I struggle to understand their guidance. Not being able to sing is my one true regret. Decades ago, during a visit to Nagarcoil for a ‘Nadi Shastra’ reading, I asked about my next life. The answer was that I would be born as a singer, indicating that this unfulfilled wish will carry over into my next life.

Returning to the party, when the microphone was suddenly thrust into my hand, only one old Hindi song came to mind, and to my own surprise, I started singing. I was calm and composed, and I sang with confidence! Later, my husband remarked, “When you started singing, I thought you might struggle, but you actually did a decent job.”

Back at home, it hit me—this newfound confidence was the result of Anthony’s session. His words, “Don’t let perfection destroy the good in doing,” had truly resonated with me. My heart was filled with gratitude toward him. According to Vedanta, "You can realise God if doer disappears while doing Karma" and I think I was pretty close!

Serendipities

Meeting Swamini Vimalananda

                                                                            In 2017

Although I’ve titled this “Serendipities,” I firmly believe that nothing in life happens by chance. During a short vacation to Valparai in 2017, we also visited Coimbatore. My husband, who had been deeply inspired by Swamini Vimalananda's talks, was eager to meet her in person. We were fortunate enough to secure an appointment, and he posed a question that had often been the subject of our family discussions—a question we had “agreed to disagree” on: “Which is more powerful, destiny or karma?”

Swamini Vimalananda responded with a simple yet profound analogy: “Look at my hand,” she said. “I can bend it forward at the elbow—this is karma, something you can actively do. But I cannot bend it backward—this is destiny, the limitation imposed by past karma.”

Our conversation was so enriching that we decided to stay overnight at her ashram and attend her meditation session the next day.

Meditation Demystified

                                                         

When we heard about her meditation retreat from August 9th to 11th, 2024, in Bangalore, we eagerly signed up. The experience was soul-enriching. Swamini Vimalananda explained that meditation is not an action, not a special type of action, and not a form of worship—it is a natural state of being. True meditation is effortless self-awareness. The truth of the Athma (soul) remains constant, regardless of belief. When one realizes the Athma, the experience is the same for everyone, though the paths to that realization may differ. The Athma is already present, here and now; all that is needed is awareness, not effort. However, certain preparations are necessary to reach that stage of realization.

An Unexpected Blessing

The meditation group was small, allowing us to interact closely with the other participants. One of them was Dr. Sweta Prakash Adatia, a passionate and highly knowledgeable stroke neurologist. It was a joy to engage with her, listening to her insights and experiences. Dr. Adatia has developed protocols and programs for stroke care in India, the UAE, and the UK. She currently works at Gargash Hospital in Dubai, UAE.

I highly recommend listening to her talk on “TheNeuro-Science of Mantras” to get a sense of how inspiring it was to be in her presence and hear her speak!