Another aspect of nourishing soul is ability to stay focused on present, to live in present. Many years ago in 1960s, I was writing a book called The Psychology of Self-Esteem. I was a young man at time, in my thirties, and one day I was sitting at my typewriter, impatient for book to be finished, thinking that my life would really begin to unfold only when this book was finished. Yet I intuitively knew that something was wrong with this line of thought. So I asked myself what I thought I would be doing when book was finished, and I immediately answered, "Planning next book." And when next book was finished? "Planning book after that." I saw that my life, first and foremost, was about writing: that was and is my passion. So, in middle of writing The Psychology of Self-Esteem, I finally realized "This is it. This is my life. If I can't enjoy it now, every day, there is no reason to believe I'll be better able to enjoy it in future, after seventh, eighth, or ninth book."

That realization was a turning point for me. The impulse to focus on future can be quite strong. It's natural to look ahead. Yet I realized that key to happiness lay in enjoying process, not just final result  because greater part of my life was going to be spent at level of process and not at stage of contemplating finished product. So now I bless each day I can get up and go to my computer and sit down to write and know and love fact that this is what my life is about.

I believe that earning your living doing something you enjoy is one of very best ways to nourish yourself. But even if you are employed at something that is not your ideal work, it is important to find ways to take as much pleasure in it as possible. Living in present moment can make ordinary activities more interesting and joyful, you may be surprised, if you only look, at what you will find. If you try to stay connected with why you are doing what you are doing, for example, then even parts of your life that aren't especially exciting can become more meaningful. Sometimes I have to go to an event that doesn't especially interest me. I've learned to tell myself, Make this experience as happy for yourself as you possibly can. Once that becomes a conscious purpose, it's amazing how imaginative one can become. Life becomes infinitely more interesting.

Nothing I am saying about importance of living in present denies value of being concerned with future. We want to keep in mind our goals, what we're moving toward, and to see progression and direction that underlie our activities. We need to be able to plan for future without sacrificing present, and enjoy present without making ourselves oblivious to future. Obviously, we cannot control every single aspect of our life. We are not omnipotent. But we do have an enormous degree of responsibility for shape our life takes. We have many options about how we will respond to events. We are not passive spectators, but active contestants in drama of our existence. We need to take responsibility for kind of life we create for ourselves.

How do we nurture soul? By revering our own life. By treating it as supremely important. By reaching for best within ourselves. By learning to love it all, not only joys and victories, but also pain and struggles.

This just goes to say that anyone who joins in company of a like-minded group will have a big chance of being influenced by personality of that group. So what can you do if you're surrounded by people who deviates from your way of thinking?

You can't just avoid them. They'll think of you as a snob. Don't change way you treat them, but simply learn how to shield out pessimistic comments or suggestions. Sometimes, they will dictate you to do what you are against to do. Be firm with what you believe in. Do not let them affect your decisions. You know that you can do what they thought would be impossible. If you have to suffer ridicule, so be it. You will have last laugh anyway.

Moreover, you should be with people who have same principles and ideologies as you do. You will be more encouraged to continue your dreams if you have a support group or mentor who will prod you to pursue your goals despite setbacks.

When I was starting my internet endeavors, no one (and I mean not even one) of my relatives and friends believed me. But I did not let their discouragement stop me from becoming successful.

I remained firm in my quest to make a living online. I made friends with respected internet marketers who shared same vision as mine. They have also experienced same treatment from non-believers; but they have proven that what mind can conceive, it can achieve. Through their help, I was able to put aside my doubts and achieve my goals.

You have power to make your dreams a reality. Now show world what stuff you are made of.