
When I lived as a monk, my guru (Sivaya Subramuniyaswami) taught me a phrase he coined: ‘Where awareness goes, energy flows.’ It's probably one of the most important things I’ve learned. First, we have to learn that awareness and the mind are two separate things. Second, our mind does not wander; our awareness moves within the mind. If you are a person whose awareness races through the mind all day, then your energy is also flowing all over the place. Most people allow this to happen and perpetuate this habit by practicing it all day. Life is a manifestation of where you direct your energy. When you can concentrate your awareness toward one thing, you begin to direct your energy toward it, and that thing starts to manifest in your life.