The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari

mental disease," Julian added surprisingly. "If you suffer from this
weakness, make it a priority to stamp it out quickly. An abundance
of willpower and discipline is one of the chief attributes of all those
with strong characters and wonderful lives. Willpower allows you
to do what you said you would do, when you said you would do it.
It is willpower that allows you to get up at five in the morning to
cultivate your mind through meditation, or to feed your spirit by a
walk in the woods when a cozy bed beckons you on a cold winter's
day. It is willpower that allows you to hold your tongue when a less-
actualized person insults you or does something you disagree with.
It is willpower that pushes your dreams forward when the odds
appear to be insurmountable. It is willpower that offers you the
inner power to keep your commitments to others, and, perhaps
even more importantly, to yourself."
"Is it really that important?"
"Most certainly, my friend. It is the essential virtue of every
person who has created a life rich with passion, possibility and
peace."
Julian then reached into his robe and pulled out a shiny silver
locket, the kind you might see in a museum exhibit on ancient
Egypt.
"You shouldn't have," I joked.
"The Sages of Sivana gave this gift to me on my last evening
with them. It was a joyous, loving celebration between members of
a family who lived life to the fullest. It was one of the greatest, and
saddest nights of my life. I didn't want to leave the Nirvana of
Sivana. It was my sanctuary, an oasis of all that was good in this
world. The sages had become my spiritual brothers and sisters. I
left part of myself high in the Himalayas that evening." Julian said,
his voice growing soft.