The woman appears deceptively weak, fragile and vulnerable. Yet there is enormous vitality waiting to be tapped. Even traditionally, shakti or power is associated with a goddess, with the feminine! The woman plays an anchor role in keeping the family together and maintaining friction-free relationships. She is breaking stereotypes and establishing herself in erstwhile male-dominated arenas.
The woman has to balance various roles at home and at work. Sometimes she is also the sole bread-winner. Society expects her to be mature, patient, soft-spoken, gentle, warm, a picture of grace and charm. On the other hand circumstances demand that she be tough, independent, a solution provider, and leader.
This calls for a B2B approach – back to basics. The core values of our own culture. What are they?
Development of the world has to be matched with inner growth. Financial capital has to be matched by human capital. The focus must shift from correcting the world to self-improvement. Look within. Who are you? What are your strengths and weaknesses?
What is the area of your talent? Are you a mathematician, sportsperson or musician? When you invest your time, effort and resources in the area of your core interest you excel. It is difficult to do well in a field alien to your nature.
You must be driven not by greed but gratitude. So in the area of your talent fix a goal beyond your selfish interests, one that serves the needs of society as well. The higher the goal, the greater will be your energy and dynamism.
We may be in the company of people but we are all haunted by a feeling of isolation. Move from loneliness to communication. Relationships form the backbone, not only in domestic life, but in social and corporate areas as well. Forge relationships by stepping out of your comfort zone and aligning with others’ agenda. See your interests in theirs. Put yourself in their shoes and try and look at things from their perspective. Drop the unrealistic expectations and demands you impose on loved ones. Then they return the courtesy and what was a fractious interaction becomes meaningful. Everyone cooperates with you. You learn to share in others’ success.
Then elevate yourself to communion. There is a higher Power that has bestowed you with millions of gifts. When you look at all that you have, you become grateful. You move from deficiency motivation to being abundance-driven. You get into thanksgiving mode. This makes for happiness. As long as you are deficiency motivated you make yourself miserable. You are unable to enjoy what you have. Your focus is always on what you do not have. Gratitude enables you to enjoy whatever you have. And with a calm mind you are able to acquire more of the world.
We are all looking for happiness. Happiness is not a commodity available in malls. It lies within. Yet we chase the world in the hope of gaining happiness. We are like the fly that wastes the last of its energies in a futile attempt to go out through a windowpane when the open door is just two feet away! Great thinkers of the past have arrived at the truths of life and presented them in scientific findings. This knowledge serves as a manual that tells us how to live life and excel. Just as it is difficult to use a gadget without a user’s guide it is impossible to live life successfully and happily without this knowledge. We, in India, are fortunate to have it at our doorstep. Help yourself to it. And be a beacon light for others to follow.
The world and all it offers is temporary, passing, fleeting. It has no value. Understand this and interact with the world. Do not get lured by passing, fleeting thrills. They are not what they appear to be. Understand them for what they are and rise above them.
