Pir Vilayat Khan:

There are certain times in life . . . when you find yourself in a state of suspense, in a crisis where you know you simply cannot go on the same way you have so far. You don't know exactly yet how you are going to change, but you know that you have reached the stage where there must be a dramatic turn-around . . . I am talking about a change in the way you are thinking. It is during that instant of time, when you are free from the past and future, that you can make a pledge to turn over a new leaf. Like catching a fresh breeze at sea, this gives you the impetus to make a new start; with the suddenness of a boat changing tack, you can feel your life changing direction. Because from the moment you have made this pledge, you are a different person. You have strengthened yourself and now proceed by leaps and bounds. This will have a corresponding effect on your surrounding circumstances because the effects of the past have been interrupted by your pledge; the past has finally lost its power over you.