Do you want to become more successful? Will one more degree help you attain it? When Mark Zuckerberg asked Steve Jobs what he should do to achieve success, he advised him to go to an ashram in India. What did Steve Jobs get in India that is not available in the best universities of the world?
The Bhagavad Gita is a guide to self-management. It helps you understand yourself and identify your purpose. Your mindset and attitude play a pivotal role in success. Mark Twain said, “The two most important days of your life are the day you were born and the day you understand why.”
Why are there only pockets of excellence in a sea of mediocrity? Exceptionally talented people have fragile attitudes. Brilliant scientists cannot control their anger, and skilful sportspersons are mercurial. Is it possible to tap into perfection always?
Do you make choices arbitrarily and act on impulse? Or are you rational and discerning? You have two most wonderful gifts – choice of action and intellect. You are constantly making choices, from simple, everyday choices to important, life-changing ones. The intellect guides you to choose wisely. The mind opts for instant pleasure. The intellect picks deferred gratification. Anything that gives joy in the immediate present leads to sorrow in the end. And that which is painful in the beginning yields everlasting happiness. Let the intellect be your guiding light in life. Fortify and strengthen the intellect.
Contentment is the precursor to success. As long as you have the attitude of grabbing and profiteering you are discontent. When you shift to giving and contributing, you are at peace. Think of yourself, you are disgruntled and depressed. Think of others, you are content and fulfilled.
When the mind is calm, the intellect is sharp and actions brilliant. You gain success. What disturbs the mind? Desire and ego. They stand between you and success, and between you and happiness. Learn the art of managing desires, upgrading them and finally eliminating them to attain perfection.
The Bhagavad Gita gives the prescription of perfect action which enables you to achieve effortless excellence. Do you jump out of bed, looking forward to one more day to pursue your passion or do you wake up depressed? When you leverage your talent for profit you become mediocre. Dedicate your actions to a higher cause and you achieve success. The most successful people work for an ideal beyond themselves. And when you offer your talent in gratitude to the divine Force that gifted it to you, perfection flows.
We are strongly entrenched in feelings of separateness. Rise above superficial differences and focus on the common factor that binds us all. Then you see the best in others and they give of their best too. Drudgery changes to revelry and together, you achieve outstanding success. Happiness multiplies. You celebrate others’ achievements as if they were yours. But your love must be guided by the intellect. You may love all animals equally but should express your love judiciously. You can shower your pet dog with love. You cannot do the same with a lion! A good parent loves the children at all times but disciplines them, and even punishes them, when necessary.
Knowledge is of the essence. Knowledge of the transient and impermanent nature of the world. Find the anchor of permanence within and you will become objective. You will enjoy the world, but not depend on it. And you will be in a constant state of bliss, irrespective of what the world offers. Just as you find pleasure in every kind of movie – comedy, tragedy, and even horror!
Finally, the lure of the infinite beckons you. You are no longer content with mere playthings. The world and its attractions lose their lustre. You seek the infinite. And gain unending happiness.
Join us for free talks on 7 Lessons from Bhagavad Gita by Jaya Row from 4th to 6th January daily 6:30 to 8 pm at Kala Mandir, 48 Shakespeare Sarani Kolkata 700017. WhatsApp 9820138429 for more.
