There are no short cuts in life

I was flipping through a random book yesterday.  I admit that I didn't actually read the book so I will refrain from passing judgment on the book itself.   The thought that kept flashing in my head was this:
"There are no short cuts.  You have to do the work for change to happen.  No one else can do it for you."

The little section I read from the book claimed that by having someone shine a lamp with different color gems on to you that it would "activate" your chakras.   The chakras are energy centers in the body.  Without writing an essay about chakras right now I just want to say that they are part of the subtle body, "located" along the spinal column.   For example, someone with a blocked heart chakra might hold on to resentments and anger, etc.  

I know it's not what you want to hear... God knows it's not what I want to hear but there are no short cuts. You have to do the work to change. No one else can do it for you.  Believe me I've tried.  There are thousands of people who claims to have the power to heal us.  There are thousands of products that claim to make us happy and healthy.  If only the claims were true. 

The cold, hard truth is that the only way anything changes is if something changes.  A few months back I went to hear a swami give a talk.  His web-site (isn't that hilarious - the swami's web-site...HA) said that he was a realized master who had to power to transmit shaktipat.   My understanding of shaktipat is that by the grace of the guru he/she lays his hands on you and awakens your kundalini.  You instantly become enlightened.   Who doesn't want that?!

Why the heck would I want to chant mantras 100,000 times per syllable to reach enlightenment?  That would take a long time.  Who wants to practice forgiveness over and over to open our heart chakra? 
Why would we want to do the work when we could go to one of the thousands of  "healers" in yoga-land who claim to have the power to do it for us?

Because there are no short cuts.  You have to do the work for change to happen. No one else can do it for you.   At least if you want real, lasting results.   During his talk,  the swami did say that a true master would only give shaktipat to a sincere student who has done the work.  He also said that the effects of shaktipat would only be temporary if the student didn't do the work.

Trust me.....simply wearing a chakra gem necklace or mala beads will not awaken kundalini and make you enlightened anymore than simply having a treadmill standing in the corner of your room make you lose weight.   Believe me I've tried.

There are no short cuts.  You have to do the work for change to happen.  No one else can do it for you.  If you want to open your heart chakra...practice forgiveness.  Open your heart with compassion to all those you encounter throughout your day.  Do this over and over no matter how often someone hurts you. Then perhaps you'll feel the vibrations of the heart chakra.