Clara Smith is currently studying at the University of Queensland and working as a civil engineer in Brisbane, Australia. Race walking is her passion and she continues her career as an elite athlete at the international level. She grew up in a spiritual environment and started Heartfulness Meditation at the age of 15, using the practices to balance her life while keeping a healthy mind under pressure.



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Clara Smith

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<h4><span style="color: #bd7e5e;">CLARA SMITH</span> represents Australia at the international level in athletics. Here
    she shares some personal tips for performance, including how to be motivated to exercise regularly, and how to
    create healthy habits.</h4>
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<p style="text-align: justify;">The difference between being the person you want to be and the one you are now is
    strikingly small. All those who perform at their highest level have one thing in common – their attention to detail.
    They develop exceptional habits and discipline, while others remain in their comfort zone. They are better at making
    small positive decisions in their daily life. This may not make a difference in a week, but months or years down the
    track these habits will become stronger, and the effect can be phenomenal.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Since neither habits nor discipline are acquired from birth, it is not a question of
    talent. It is a question of choice. Discipline is the foundation of success in any domain. It is waking up early, it
    is treating people the way you want to be treated, and it is doing the tasks you do not necessarily feel like doing.
    When we begin to view discipline as training rather than a punishment, we will be traveling on a very positive
    pathway.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">From my view, an endurance athlete is the perfect example of someone who unites the
    mind, body and heart into one. One of the reasons many people never get around to going to the gym is because they
    know the physical pain ahead and give up. If we take the approach from a regulated mind, however, we learn to fight
    the mental battle first which makes the physical one easier. In fact, many say the hardest part of a training
    session is getting out of bed and getting to the gym, whereas an athlete knows to be consistent. Once you begin,
    your body reacts naturally, and you push harder and harder until you reach 100%. An athlete knows that once you
    develop a routine it will get easier. Therefore, successful exercise starts in the mental ring.</p>
<p>So how do we achieve this mental stability?</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">One can have no greater mastery than mastery over oneself. For this we need two wings to
    fly, the spiritual and the material. By only mastering success in the material sphere there is one problem: success
    comes and goes. You may have a well-paid job, wealth and be a successful athlete. However, all of this can be lost.
    You might lose your job, your money, or you might get a career-ending injury. This is why many athletes become
    depressed after their sporting career and spotlight end, and they are left in a different space that is yet unknown
    to them, which is their inner self. Therefore we need to focus on who we are inside of us as well as our successes.
</p>
<p>Heartfulness Meditation and other techniques have helped me to improve my physical and mental wellbeing. There is a
    beautiful quote by William Penn: “True silence is the rest of the mind; and is to the spirit what sleep is to the
    body, nourishment and refreshment.” In addition to this, meditation actually causes our body to change on a cellular
    level. According to research published in Frontiers in Immunology, meditation has the ability to reverse molecular
    reactions in our DNA that lead to stress, poor health and depression. These new findings have created a shift,
    putting newfound power in our hands. By committing to 10 to 20 minutes of meditation every day we can improve our
    health, reduce stress, be more focused and have a greater sense of purpose.</p>
<p>My challenge to you is to step out of your usual routine and to try meditation to regulate the mind from thinking to
    feeling, and to unlock this untapped potential inside of you.</p>
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<h4 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ab6543;">The world is like a mountain,</span><br>
    <span style="color: #ab6543;">The echo depends on you,</span><br>
    <span style="color: #ab6543;">If you scream good things,</span><br>
    <span style="color: #ab6543;">The world will give it back,</span><br>
    <span style="color: #ab6543;">If someone speaks badly about you,</span><br>
    <span style="color: #ab6543;">Speak well about him,</span><br>
    <span style="color: #ab6543;">Change your heart to change the world.</span><br>
    <span style="color: #ab6543;">—SHAMS-I-TABRIZI</span>
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<h4 style="text-align: center;">Article by CLARA SMITH</h4>
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Unlock your untapped potential

<h4>CLARA SMITH shares with students who are in their final year at school how to achieve their goals.</h4>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Have you ever marvelled at the factors of human success and failure? Why is it that some
  who are born into poverty resign themselves to the situations of their birth, while others use this experience to
  redefine their future? Why do so<div>
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      <h4>
        <span style="color: #339966"
          >Self-help books may tell you to look inside to find happiness, but
          you can also find it by looking outside — as in outside the country.
          People from Central America to Scandinavia regularly rank among the
          happiest in the world.&nbsp;We’ll let you in on their secrets so you
          can try them yourself.</span
        >
      </h4>
      <hr class="vertical-space1" />
      <p style="text-align: justify">
        Researchers have studied happiness the world over. Organizations have
        even ranked countries on a happiness scale. So, what have the world’s
        most inquisitive minds discovered? Is there a secret to happiness?
      </p>
      <p style="text-align: justify">
        Is happiness spending time with loved ones, or spending time alone in
        nature? Is it losing yourself as you dance to music, or finding yourself
        while quietly meditating? The secret to happiness is actually all of
        these things, and more. It varies from country to country and culture to
        culture.
      </p>
      <p style="text-align: justify">
        In some cultures happiness comes from a tangible practice, like Tai Chi,
        which the Chinese have been practicing for centuries. For others, the
        secret lies in a philosophy that’s put into practice. Costa Ricans, for
        example, are guided by the idea of a simple, carefree ‘pure life’ known
        as
        <em>pura vida</em>.
      </p>
      <p style="text-align: justify">
        According to the annual
        <a
          href="https://worldhappiness.report/ed/2017/"
          target="_blank"
          rel="noopener noreferrer"
          ><em>World Happiness Report</em></a
        >, <a href="https://www.hometogo.com/norway/">Norway</a>
        is the happiest country, scoring highly in its approach to caring,
        freedom, generosity, honesty, health, income and good governance.
        Meanwhile, the
        <a href="https://www.happyplanetindex.org/"><em>Happy Planet</em></a>
        Index ranks
        <a href="https://www.hometogo.com/costa-rica/">Costa Rica</a> as the
        happiest country on Earth. While opposites when it comes to climate, the
        two countries apparently have one thing in common: happy citizens.
      </p>
      <p style="text-align: justify">
        Despite the many differences in what constitutes happiness in countries
        around the world, there are some common threads. The most notable has to
        do with material wealth, or rather, the lack of it. Few people, if any,
        around the globe find happiness through personal possessions and
        financial success. Rather, they tend to attain it by appreciating the
        little things in life and, more importantly, the people in their lives.
      </p>
      <p style="text-align: justify">
        We’ve shared some of the secrets and the research behind why they work
        for the people who practice them. They just might work for you, too!
      </p>
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      <p>
        <img
          alt="secret_to_happiness2"
          class="lazyload w-100 h-auto"
          src="https://hfn-strapi-bucket.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/secret_to_happiness2_inographic_img_scaled_0fc984decc.jpg?updated_at=2023-03-31T06:19:11.116Z"
        />
      </p>
      <p>&nbsp;</p>
    </div>me students elect to evade their schoolwork, yet others prioritise their academic
  progress? Does it simply come down to luck, acquired talent or human connections?</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Imagine being born into poverty and having no electricity, insufficient money and scarce
  portions of food and water. Imagine being told that your dream of having an education and acquiring knowledge is a
  fantasy. Imagine being cajoled into a destiny you do not desire, but you don’t let these notions confine you. Instead,
  your humble beginnings empower you and encourage you to change your fate. With this mindset you develop perseverance
  and the will to succeed.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">This is exactly what Maha Sinnathamby did. Without letting the circumstances of his
  birth entrap him, Sinnathamby attained an education at The University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia. This
  man of humble beginnings then used his newfound knowledge to convert a tract of futile bushland into the thriving
  metropolis that we now know as Springfield. He wisely devoted his success to one simple motto: “If the mind is
  intensely eager, everything can be accomplished – mountains can be crumbled into atoms.”</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">So what allowed Sinnathamby to achieve greatness? It was his perseverance and passion
  for long-term goals. This aspect of his mindset I will call ‘grit’.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Psychologist Angela Lee Duckworth deduced that grit is as essential as talent to achieve
  high accomplishments<sup>1</sup>. Her findings show that innate intelligence doesn’t always translate into
  achievement. In fact, the most accomplished people were, on average, only five points higher in IQ than the least
  accomplished.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The IQ test is a method used to differentiate intellectual ability. Considering this
  scale goes from 1 to 200, five points is inconsequential<sup>2</sup>. This suggests that there is another determining
  factor that contributes to success. Duckworth concluded that this factor is ‘grit’, an element associated with passion
  and perseverance, which are states of emotions set by the mind. Clearly, our mindset is a crucial aspect linked with
  success.</p>
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<h5 style="text-align: center;">By laying down a foundation of grit<br>
  and fine-tuning this instrument of the mind,<br>
  success will inevitably come your way.</h5>
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<p style="text-align: justify;">Our collective doctrine, however, is that our circumstances define our chance to achieve
  our goals. Many see their destiny as something which is dependent upon the variables of their formative years.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">So let’s take a moment to review how you are feeling today. Are you happy with your
  accomplishments? Are you on track to achieving your long-term goals? Are you in the right mindset to approach them? If
  you said ‘no’ to any one of these questions, do not worry, nothing is lost.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Scientists have come to the conclusion that most people have up to 50,000 thoughts each
  day and up to 80% of them are either passive or negative.<sup>3</sup></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Motivational speaker and psychologist, Tim Shurr, proposes two stratagems, incorporating
  mindful thinking and visualization<sup>4</sup>. Instead of focusing on what you don’t have, focus on what you can have
  and how to get it. The greatest secret ever told is that the quality of our life is determined by our thinking. Once
  your mind develops a lust, it will conjure a method of acquisition. Once your positivity is up to par, the next
  objective is imagery. Visualization is the art of mentally picturing yourself successful, as if you have already
  achieved your goal. The association of the pleasure felt with achieving this goal will serve as your figurative mentor
  to lead you down that path.</p>
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<h5 style="text-align: center;">So starting today, gradually maneuvre your thoughts<br>
  into a direction that will lead you to success.<br>
  Direct your thoughts towards the realization of the ideal<br>
  you have placed in front of yourself.</h5>
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<p style="text-align: justify;">So starting today, gradually maneuvre your thoughts into a direction that will lead you
  to success. Direct your thoughts towards the realization of the ideal you have placed in front of yourself. By laying
  down a foundation of grit and fine-tuning this instrument of the mind, success will inevitably come your way. As
  Sinnathamby sagely said, “The mind has to be made malleable like clay. Just as clay sticks wherever you throw it, the
  mind must be made to dwell upon whatever object you concentrate it.”</p>
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<h6 style="text-align: left;">1 Duckworth, A. L.,2007. <em>Personality Processes and Individual Differences</em>.
  Retrieved from Grit: Perseverance and Passion for Long-term Goals: https://www.sas.upenn.edu/~duckwort/images/
  Grit%20JPSP.pdf</h6>
<h6 style="text-align: left;">2 Raven, 2015. IQ test for free. Retrieved from IQ test:
  https://www.iqtestforfree.net/iq-scale.html</h6>
<h6 style="text-align: left;">3 <em>Control your mind</em>. (n.d.). Retrieved from Control Your Future:
  http://1106design.com/wp-content/ uploads/Pages-from-Lifes-Cheat-Sheet.pdf</h6>
<h6 style="text-align: left;">4 Shurr, T. (n.d.). <em>Conditioning Your Mind for Success.</em> Retrieved from Shurr
  Success Inc.: http://1106design.com/wp-content/ uploads/Pages-from-Lifes-Cheat-Sheet. pdf</h6>
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<h4 style="text-align: center;">Article by CLARA SMITH</h4>
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