Sometimes one feels a desire to “take it easy.” This is not wrong; to get away from everything now and then gives a person a chance to think about what life is all about. Most people are floating along on the current of custom and fashion. They have never actually lived their own life; they have lived the life of the world, and where has it gotten them? So it is wise now and then to remove yourself from everyday considerations; to calm your mind and try to understand what kind of person you are and what kind of person you want to be. And remember, the truest testimony you can find is the testimony of your own conscience, the discriminative voice of the soul. Whatever your conscience says, that is what you are. Think of the power of the conscience of Jesus. His accusers spat upon him and crucified him and yet he said, “Father, forgive them.” That kind of discrimination is the only power that will bring light on your path. Whenever there is an overwhelming desire in your heart to pray for a certain thing, use your discrimination. Ask yourself, “Is it a good desire or a bad desire for which I seek fulfillment?”
Extract from the book “Man’s Eternal Quest” by Sri Sri Paramahansa Yogananda.