Hare Krsna Maharaja,

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. All glories to your mercy.

Maharaja, the past 2 1/2 weeks I have been 5-15 minutes late to Mangala arati. I find it harder to get up with the cold and with a temperature sensitivity due to health issues. I am thinking maybe I should try to get up closer to 3 AM instead of 3:30-3:45? If I still have this same job during Kartik, I will need to wake around 2:30-3 AM in order to chant Damodarastakam in the morning in the ashram, as normally that is after Guru Puja and I am at work at that time. Another problem I have had for the past year is only being able to rest 4 hours or less, sometimes 2-3 hours. I try to rest, but it takes an hour or two or more sometimes. 6 hours would be enough. Maybe someday 2 hours will be enough, but I am not there yet. I tend to go to Sandhya arati and afterward finish rounds if I haven't completed, or sometimes extra rounds or talking with devotees. Then after that the mind wants to keep going. My mentor advised to start winding down around 7:30 PM, not go to Sandhya, maybe read for an hour and bed by 8:30. Bed by 9 and sleep by 9:30 would make 3:30 AM work for waking.

               HpS - AGTSP.  "http://vedabase.com/en/sb/3/26/30" has a nice discussion about sleep.

I'm trying to manage my time between morning program until 6:30 AM, work 7-4, finish rounds, dinner, etc. As I find ways to manage time better, I hope to find more time to read... the mind has trouble focusing when reading often, but it is all so much nectar so I want to read more and more. So far I've read your book recommendations except for Prabhupada Lilamrta (LoB, NOI, Biography of Lord Chaitanya,Your Ever Well Wisher, and also re-read SoSR). I am starting on Srimad Bhagavatam and will shortly also start on Prabhupada Lilamrta, reading both side by side. I also may read a little Radha Damodara Vilasa in-between to hear of the pastimes of Their Lordships, though that isn't the focus of the book, Their pastimes are there and I want to hear.

Please forgive my lack of focus and attention on Krsna. I am failing so much but I am determined to try to improve, if by your mercy I am able. Gradually my mind is thinking less of other things, but it still has so many distractions. Somehow or other, it is my hope that by your mercy I will someday be able to think of Krsna cent percent of the time and no longer have disruptions of other thoughts.

I contacted the Houston temple and am working out arrangements for a place to stay. It may be a bit expensive for me with no ashram, but we will see how it works out. I hope to have your association soon! "The verdict of all revealed scriptures is that by even a moment's association with a pure devotee, one can attain all success." CC Madhya 22.54

I am excited... Kartik is soon, Lord Damodara's month! I miss spending Kartik at Gita Nagari...

HpS - AGTSP. Paoho. Just getting a little of your association it seems that you have a very disturbed mental condition. You seem to be very intelligent, but maybe harrassed by ghostly influences from previous life. This is challenging, but it also have incredible results when you overcome this. So, keep looking for good local asociation of devotees who can advise you from personal contact with you.