Posts Categorized: Spirituality

Life is paradoxical. We have high intense activity at one end and complete calm on the other. At times it seems distressing, at times joyful. Some phases are utterly chaotic while others are orderly. We love some people the most in our life, while we hate others to the hilt. We fast and abstain from certain food and activities on some occasions and indulge in them on other days. We are charitable and forgiving on some days, but stingy and punitive on other days. Our moods swing haywire. Our response to similar situations varies with times. We are unpredictable in our conduct. We are both open and secretive.

Spirituality fixes this dilemma. It helps us to realize that while human instincts and universe remain polarized between opposing forces, one can sustain blissful living through right balance. Daily interventions help. The very thought of accepting that what we cannot change is solacing. Attempt to change what we can for the larger good, without clinging to desire for fruitful outcome, is uplifting. Thus emerges the phenomenon of coexistence of unchangeable and changeable. God has blessed us with discretion to differentiate between the two and accept and act accordingly. Our actions thus should remain Insulated from agitation and desire. If only we do what we should, with such sense of detachment, our journey in life is peaceful.

It may be difficult to exactly apportion success in life to each ingredient, but hearing those who hit the top, it is clear that they do not speak of college degrees as key attributes to their success. Many refer to childhood learning from their parents, being the first influence on them, as single major reason for success. Research says that characteristics in a 26 year old are similar to those possessed by him at a pre-school age of 3 years. It is not that education does not matter, it instils knowledge and enforces belief and confidence yet leadership positions on top in all institutions need characteristics that are beyond teachings of universities. Interestingly even money cannot buy these. Fifteen such qualities are listed below.

1. Courage

Courage is among the most important attributes of great leaders – courage to dream big, courage to tread onto the unknown and courage to take bold decisions.

2. Creativity

Creativity requires stillness of mind and imagination and triggers new neural networks. Some people have it in them, most don’t. With their antennas up all the time, universe sends them new ideas. Creativity can be aimless at times yet may end up serving the world.

3. Calm / Emotion management

Ups and downs in life are common and so are daily hurts. Few keep calm in all situations and steer their life ahead to achieve goals without agitation.

4. Common sense

Common sense is rare and an uncommon trait, requires deep understanding of people and situations and triggers matured response to situations and people, knowing exactly what to say and do and when.

5. Compassion

People can feel it in their dealings with others and it makes them willing to reciprocate similarly. Compassion makes the world a better place and happier to live in.

6. Spirituality

Spirituality helps to differentiate between good and bad, keeps the course of life on the righteous path, restraints one to pursue convenience.

7. Sense of humour

People with sense of humour lighten the environment, energize and cheer the surrounding with their presence.

8. Resilience

Life offers hardy situations. Resilient rise after each fall in life and fight all obstacles till the end.

9. Empathy

Empathy makes us wiser in our connects, it sweetens relations.

10. Etiquettes

Etiquettes and mannerisms always appeal and lend finesse and class to personality.

11. Humility

Humble in society have least number of enemies. They waste no time regretting their tongue. They evoke support from all corners.

12. Gratitude

While yearning and ambition are understood, thankfulness for all one has got in life is a great quality. Gratitude also means giving credit to others for your achievements, it motivates self and others.

13. Commitment

Grit and commitment are decisive in choosing between quitting and pursuing. To persist is to succeed.

14. Loyalty

Faithful adherence to norms and devotion to a cause in good and bad times evokes appreciation and reciprocity from friends and colleagues.

15. Happiness

If we see water from the desert it offers us mirage. World is like a desert. Happiness dependant on external objects and situations is illusory and temporary. It’s source is within us, we need to turn inwards and meditate. Status, money or education without happiness become meaningless. Happiness is the goal both at work and home. Happy men create happier world.

Please suggest and add the characteristics that you think are missed out, to the list above.

Super- Consciousness, nature and material make the world. Super-Consciousness undergoes no change while nature including material keeps changing. Our soul is what we normally call our consciousness. It is a part of Super- Consciousness. When it comes in connect with the body it can be misled to believe it’s purpose as fulfilment of human desires. Thus confusing itself to be the mind and the body, it could suffer outcomes of action. On the other hand, it may remain oblivion to doings of mind and body and be just an observer. Mind could draw inspiration from it and treat actions as mere duty without getting affected by the outcome. Thus our consciousness assumes one of the two states at any given point in time indicating it’s closeness to either the Super – Conscious or the body. When body pursues an act, the soul can either feel attached or completely detached to such activity. “Your right is unto duty and not fruit thereof, let not the fruit of action be thy motive nor let thy attachment to inaction” reads Bhagwad Geeta ( 2,47).

Action is split into three categories:

1. Forbidden – unlawful
2. Attached – driven by outcome
3. Detached – driven by duty alone

Principle of cause and affect shall apply in any case, but if the mind is focussed on outcome, it would fail in focus and total concentration in the act. Also would it elevate or sulk depending on the outcome, favourable or otherwise and thus lose equilibrium.

Let us apply this to an employee’s role in office.

1. Indiscipline, cheating, defying learning and norms are an example of Nishidha Karma (forbidden acts).
Outcome: Damage and loss to the company, employer would terminate contract someday.

2. Hard work with eyes set on promotion, sacrificing long term gains for immediate benefits at times ( for example manipulation by sales team to oversell stocks to earn month end incentives) are examples of Sakaam Karma (desire – prompted acts).
Outcome: Promotion and monetary gains at job. Current compromises could emerge as future problems. Desires keep mounting, so does agitation within, but it does result into mental and material growth.

3. Hard work with full dedication without expectation of fall-outs, thus considering every act an affair between oneself and God is an example of Niyatam Karma (duty driven acts).
Outcome: Health and peace are maintained. In addition to mental and material growth, one grows spiritually.

Moral: One needs to keep self-talking the teaching by Lord Krishna in Geeta and continue practicing Niyatam Karma (duty driven act). This would benefit one’s own self and society in general.