Thoroughness is the quality of taking pains to do things carefully and completely. I cultivate it by properly completing every detail of a task before I consider it finished. The opposite is cursoriness.§
Comparing the actions of one who is thorough to one who is cursory§ |
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|---|---|---|
Situation§ |
Thoroughness§ |
Cursoriness§ |
Faced with your first article assignment for a magazine, you…§ |
spend extra hours researching everything others have said on the subject.§ |
sit down and in two hours produce an incomplete piece that is factually flawed.§ |
Mom asks you to wash the dinner dishes, so you…§ |
clean them, and instead of letting dishes dry by the sink, towel dry them and put them in the cupboard.§ |
wash the dishes as she asked, but leave them wet and do not clean the sink afterwards.§ |
The family assigns you the duty to plan a picnic, and you…§ |
Google the perfect spot, make a menu, shop for ingredients and then purchase a special basket just for style.§ |
put bread and cheese in a cardboard box and tell everyone to meet in the car.§ |
Gurudeva explained: “Finish that which you begin. Finish it well, beyond your expectations, no matter how long it takes. If you are going to do something, do it well, no matter if it is a simple task or a complicated one. If you’re going to read a book and intend to finish the book, then read the book, finish the book, and understand what it had to offer you, for that was the purpose for reading it.”§
“A tremendous will is needed on the path of Self Realization, of drawing the forces of energy together, of drawing awareness away from that which it is aware of constantly, of finishing each job that we begin in the material world, and doing it well. Make everything that you do satisfy the inner scrutiny of your inner being. Do a little more than you think that you are able to do.”§
ASSIGNMENT: During these two weeks, after you have seemingly finished a task, reflect if there is anything you have left undone, and then do it, completing the work in every detail.§
Date you began this assignment ____________________§
MY THOUGHTS ON THE BENEFITS OF THOROUGHNESS: 
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