Apprehension, doubt, fear and impatience are some of the other factors that enfeeble the resolve by making a person pessimist. The world has a relative existence. Every phenomenon here has both positive and negative aspects and one can have positive or negative attitude towards any circumstances. If we become adept in optimistic thinking, our inner strengths go on increasing and so does our determination. On the contrary, if we allow ourselves to remain in the grip of pessimistic thinking only, the power of determination progressively weakens. The counsel of Master Mahashaya, a disciple of Sri Ramkrishna Paramhansa, is very pertinent in this connection. Master Mahashaya was among the closest disciples of Sri Sri Thakur. His spiritual faculties had developed fully by the blessings of the guru. Once a novitiate of Belur Math wished to know from him the secret of spiritual life. In response, Master Mahashaya said: "Listen son, if you have ever to know how much spiritually evolved a person is, examine how much developed his power of determination is". Master Mahashaya then proceeded to outline some important guidelines for increasing this power. These are: (1) Accept your failures with grace and maturity. We become unsuccessful for want of firm determination. So, after every failure, make an intensive introspection. Instead of foisting your shortcomings on others, accept them and rectify. (2) Grow tall in the real sense. This means that you should enlarge your virtues rather than ego. Increase in will power will be a natural corollary. (3) Welcome the tests and trials God puts us to. Believe it, every suffering in life comes to improve our ability. If the sufferings are faced stoically and dealt with correctly, inner determination grows. (4) Learn the proper mode of dealing with antagonists and bad persons. As long as we are in this world, we will have to learn to deal with all kinds of persons including those who are our opponents and are malicious. Be magnanimous and tolerant in your behavior towards them too. Concern yourself only with the positive aspects of their lives; keep aloof from the negative ones. (5) Start tapa. It plays a big role in augmenting the power of determination. Regimens of fasting (upavas), tasteless food (asvad) and silence (mauna) etc lead to rapid growth in mental resolve. In this process, there is crucial importance of tender emotions. Those, whose emotions are God-oriented, their resolves never remain unfulfilled.

- courtesy Akhand Jyoti