Sri Karmayogi often says that reward comes not in proportion to our abilities or talents, but according to our status and personality. Intelligence, memory, hard work, skill, capacity, knowledge, etc. however great they really are, are partial endowments. But values such as honesty, punctuality, kindness, integrity, etc. will directly raise the level of one’s Personality-there by increasing the prosperity. Values are spiritual skills. Invoking the Spirit, living by the standards set by the Spirit – a life of values – will strengthen one’s Personality.

Conditioned values or cloistered virtue as Sri Karmayogi calls it, is enough to attain fair amount of success in material life. We also know that, and we are programmed for that. It is evident from the fact that we always appreciate the truth, good person and values even though we could not adhere to one. Often, we promise or desire to change with great guts and conviction only to find that within a few days that enthusiasm to change has almost completely dissipated. The core of the issue is that, although our intentions are good, the way in which we use our determination to direct those intentions is subject to both individual and collective conditioning. When our values and the ways in which we use them come from the ego permanent shift is difficult.

It should be based on aspiration to change for Mother, or it should be based on gratitude to Mother for all that She gave to us. Or sincerity to Mother by not going away from Her protection by doing thigs that She do not like.

Sri Karmayogi asks us to first analyse and have clarity on where to change or shift. For that, we have to understand our swabhava. We cannot say we do not know that.

• Because We know our own mind.
• We know what attitudes Mother wants us to accept.
• We know generally mind’s constitution or how the mind is constituted, and we know how Mother wants the mind to be conscious.
• Out of the several aspects, we have to choose one and try to change the mental attitude from our own attitude to what Mother wants, fully understanding the nature of the mind that Mother speaks about.

First checking- in a given situation –what is my choice: what is Mother’s choice-selecting Mother choice –can only bring Mother’s values to implement-which increase values and the personality. If I cannot select Mother’s choice in given case -analysing that decision-

• On Mother’s point of view or job point of view.
• On circumstances point of view.
• On where my faith rides over faith on Mother.
• Or Is it fear of approaching a new project.
• Or fear of failure.
• Or fear of learning a new skill or an attitude.

Or Is it because fear of making other know my true self. – (I may be termed as silly, stupid).

The greatest part is that – Sri Karmayogi is  not asking us to change all of a sudden in all parts. In all these books, Appa advocates to try “shift” as a small token act in small area.

This is based on the principle that:
One- who- can execute a small act can do a big one.
Or we can say
One- who- cannot execute a small act cannot execute a big one.