I have a sort of blanket answer that has little to do with spirituality, but instead with our daily lives in today's world. Everyone is busy these days and so much is expected of us. We are to be the perfect parents, perfect work-mates, perfect neighbors, the best of friends, eat the right diet, exercise, be the most considerate of spouses, the best employee and on-and-on. Of course, we need personal time too, to try reaching for our spiritual goals, but the trouble is most of us have little time for it, and the clock is always ticking. It has just become human nature, with many of us, to cope with it all by using shortcuts wherever and whenever we can. This pace of modern life also has many people not thinking about their spiritual goals until late in life, and then finding themselves with not many years left.

Because that is the first step to deciding if we want to apply what we learn, and put it into practice. From that first book, or the first meditations, we are open to continuing that path or not. Our desire makes us take the first steps towards what we hope to achieve and from there, if we desire to continue with that particular course of action, and by continuing to move forward with more such actions and thinking, or finding that it takes us to others, we can move forward. We may start with the thought of, "Read this book and achieve enlightenment," which can be applied to any book, for example the Bible, but it all takes a degree of persistence, and continual exploration - nothing can be learnt in one fell swoop, and living and learning is always an ongoing process.

Well, an short cut is simply what it is. An short cut is an shorter way that will take you to the place you are trying to go too. Now if there were other things to accomplish along the way like go to the store and on your way stop by the dry cleaner and pick up the cloths than drop off a book at the library than drop by the grocery store and bring some ice cream back which will melt if you don't get it here in time, and must be back home for when the children are out of school.

Than that is an whole another story what I am saying when it comes to your journey it depends on what you are trying to accomplish and how you suppose to accomplish it. But there are always short cuts and some are even better than the long distance you are traveling it depends on what the short cut is and how well you use it and will you learn as much and retain what you learn an experience along the way; and are you happy with the results? What dangers or pit fall lie along the way.

Example I am going down town. I have an choice to walk, drive, take the bus, the train, jog, ride an bike or etc. Now the goal is to get down town. All of those ways will allow me to get there some shorter time, some shorter distance, some will leave me very tired, hungry, wore out, thirsty; some I will be rested, refreshed, some will allow me to save an lot of time and energy, most I will have to spend money so it will affect my finances, others will effect my physical body but in the end I will get there down town. It will not have taken anything away from the journey of getting down town it just a fact of how I want to enjoy the journey and what knowledge I might gain on the way may be an more pressing problem along with getting to the disternation of the journey.

For if I am in the car I can still stop along the way and ask question and take in the scenery still. So maybe it is how do you want to arrive from your journey and are you in a hurry to get there. You can arrive cool, relaxed, refreshed, tired, hungry, thirsty, uncomfortable.

So, the short cuts are not the problem it is how quickly you are able to go, what way are you able to travel in life, how are your finances, how is your open mind, your health, and will you get there with your character,your soul, principals intact or if you had to switch out some or discard them all together and add some more are you happy with your choice and I like to say can you look at your self in the mirror in the morning and like what you see on the inside and outside than if the answer is yes the journey was worth it and you are an better person for it but if the answer is no than you have lost a part of yourself that was right an good and you may not be able to get that back but get it back you must try?

Its your journey and its your life but you must be able to keep everything balanced than and only than will you be happy and forfill along the way. Balancing life, health, relationships, spiriuality, finances, career, job, business, work, family life, charities, responsibilities, love, friends, and time for self. The very importance of the journey is not the end results but the enjoyment of gathering the knowledge along the way your spirit will let you know when you are forfilling it is to you and right.

Always rememebr that everything you read, see or hear is not right, truthful but an lie or half-truth in disguise.

For if you get an gut feeling along the way that something doesn't feel right than STOP and check and see what is wrong and if you can't fix it or strighten it out than get out of it all together. Than start anew.

It took me over two years to realize that where I'm going is..nowhere.

If someone said back then that I would be meditating, believe in aliens and entities I would Laugh my ass off.

So I personally started from a point of improving my dating life. I made a decision, right then and their that I'm tired of what was going in my life and I conciously wanted a change.

I honestly think that that impulse, that one thougt set in motion series of events that enabled me to get where I am today. But the problem with me was that I wasn't satisfeid with quick fixes. I think I was masking my fear of actually doing what I could be doing to overcome it but instead I was procrastinating.

"I'll do it after I read one more book" or "I wonder what this guy thinks about it." I got so caught up that one thing leading to another, instead to getting laid I feel my mission in life is to help my fellow men to wake up to there true potential and start leaving live as an beautiful adventure.

Is it over the top? Is it selfish for me to think that I can change the world by changing myself? Well, to be honest, I don't care. Right now I care only about myself. And so should YOU!

Our mission in life as individuals is to become the best versions of ourselves as we possibly can. That's the ONLY real thing you HAVE to do in life. Anything else is arbitrary. Of course many people will start making excuses "I can't quit my job even dow it drains most of my life energy" or "I HAVE to be in a relationship with this or that person".

The truth of a matter is that you really don't HAVE to do anything except being the best possible version of yourself. Then you TRULY make a diffrence. Then you radiate light, radiate vibration that other people can "rub of" off and give them the opoturnity to change themselves.

We are getting close to the treshhold. 2012 will be the end of the world, but in a sence that our paradigm will cease to exist. New laws of living will come forth and for those who won't be preapared it's gona be a horrific time.

Stop making excuses for yourself. Be bold, be bold. Look for people who inspire you and then inspire others by showing them your example. That if YOU can change then so can they.

But stop forcing people to do so. Don;t let your ego get in the way of your true work. That is one of the challenges of this kind of work.

After you start to change and start to release all past emotions you may feel a kind of superiority over others who do not. You may stop nagging them, forcing them to change.

Who are you to judge that a begger on the street doesn't desarve to be their? We all hae certainf themes, cartain roles to play out and as soon as we stop being righteous, being enlightened ones, saying instead of showing by exapmle how you can change and how you can live, nothing will change. You will just get caught up in another game with your ego.

So leave the judgement alone. Leave your expectations alone. Stop hoping for a magic pill. Their is none. If there was one way there would only be one person! Don;t invalidate someone elses journey just because it's diffrent then yours. What you insisit persists, what you accept changes.

And most of all, "lighten-up". Be En-lightened. On yourself and your fellow men. Play, laugh, cry, have sex.Stop judging yourself. Please.. Do it for yourself, YOU make the whole diffrence in the world.

P.S. See Bashar at youtube.