A useful insight:
Whoever seeks a way into the presence of Allah and the Abode of the Hereafter—indeed, whoever aspires to mastery in any science, craft, or position of leadership so as to become a model therein—must be courageous and bold, a ruler over his own imaginings, never a captive of his fancy. He must renounce everything other than his goal, be passionately devoted to it, know the path that leads to it and the paths that bar the way, possess a resolute ambition and an unwavering heart. Neither the blame of the blamer nor the reproach of the reproacher should deter him. He is often silent, constantly reflective, unmoved by the sweetness of praise or the sting of censure, attentive to every means that can help him. Opposition does not provoke him; his emblem is patience, and his rest is toil. He loves noble character, guards his time, and mixes with people only with caution, like a bird that snatches its grain among them. He governs his soul through hope and fear, yearns for the fruits of distinction above his peers, allows none of his senses to roam idly, and does not let his thoughts wander aimlessly through the tiers of creation.

The foundation of all this is to abandon habitual comforts and sever every attachment that comes between you and your aim. Ordinary folk say: to maintain proper decorum while still veiled is better than to cast decorum aside in pursuit of unveiling.

A useful insight:
Among those who engage in remembrance are some who begin with verbal invocation even while distracted; they persist until the heart becomes present, and then heart and tongue unite in remembrance. Others disapprove of beginning in heedlessness: they first grow still until the heart is present, then start the remembrance inwardly; when it gains strength, the heart draws the tongue to follow, and they are joined together in remembrance.