Dur-e Najaf Dara, OAM

When I realized that my intent was not evil, and that I was not a bad person, I could take stock of some pathways that I’d taken that were better than others. I saw how I could modify not just my behavior but my belief that I am as powerful as I allow myself to be. And as good or as bad as I allow myself to be. It’s a kind of management; a management of self. And then a contentment in the sense of success that comes with it. And of course, the success gets redefined. It has to be if you’re going to surrender to the belief that your intent should be managed and watched and re-examined. You have to be watchful, and mindful of yourself. And that’s the best citizenship you can have.

So, if you’re a mother, be a mother. If you’re a restauranteer, be a good restauranteer and see that there are many other forms of success and many other forms of capital. So, there’s social capital, and there’s spiritual capital. I had a restaurant called EQ because I was thinking of the Emotional Quotient in business. But there’s also a spiritual quotient. Right now, I’d say it’s probably sexual rather than spiritual ‘cause the pursuit is for sexual attainment. What people don’t realize is that the spiritual pursuit is very sexually fulfilling. 

There are still delusions that we are all driven by and affected by. And so I just say, “Be as mindful and as watchful as you can be, and great forces will be revealed to you in terms of your own power and the amazing power of other people.” They’re just in front of you; or in your own backyard. There’s that saying, ‘I went overseas to find myself, and found I wasn't there.’ Just the people in the room have as much to offer you as the people next door. And so I say that experience taught me that.