Your Beliefs And Thoughts Impact Your Life

We are so sure of our beliefs, views and opinions. We call it the truth. We say that’s how things are. But have we ever examined whether any of this is true? Why or how, are we so sure?

How do we know that what we think is true? Right or wrong, everyone is equally sure. We don’t ever doubt our own thinking. Even though we have put in no effort to learn how to think or verify whether what we think is true.

We are sure of what to eat, what to drink, how to behave, which medical cure will work, what is best for our children, what is God’s role in our lives…. The list is endless. The beliefs are strong. But can we say that the application behind the belief is equally strong?

And what is the result of this sure-ness? That our life continues with the same, frustrating helplessness. Parts of life never seem to get resolved. Our problems never seem to get solved. Our potential is never fully realized. We then attribute it to God, luck, vaastu or the stars. We do not see that our opinions and beliefs are the prime movers of our lives.

If a person believes that money is the be all and end all of life, how will his life be? What kind of life will he create for himself? If a person believes that family is the be all and end all of life, how would his life be? What would be his problems, his situations? Each one has the kind of life that his beliefs render. As long as those thoughts remain the way they are, his life will ever remain the same – the same problems, the same frustrations, the same aspirations and the same cycle of hope and despair.

Do parents review the way they are looking at and dealing with their children? Do business people review the way they are doing their business? Do teachers come up with different ways of being more effective teachers? If they don’t, how can they expect different results? Everything will continue the same way.

Not only is our life created by our thoughts, it is also interpreted by our thoughts. The same event is bliss for one and misery for another. For one the glass is half full, for another it is half empty. Life for one is delightful. The same life for another is horrible. All this is created by our thoughts. In the same world, at the same time, Duryodhana could not find a single good person and Yudhistira could not find a single bad one!

So it would be well worth our time to examine our thoughts, especially in areas where things don’t seem to be turning out well. Find out if your thoughts are correct. Are our thoughts proving beneficial in our lives or are they hindering progress? Any kind of dissatisfaction, frustration or irritation indicates that we need to re-examine the way we are looking at things, we need to take another look at how we are seeing things.

It is not easy to do this. But it is this kind of objectivity and honesty to ourselves, that will unfold the life of our dreams. We will lose the feeling of victimization and become a powerful player in life.

Managing Self Before Managing Others

Management stands for ‘managing’. The word ‘managing’ has to be followed by an object of managing, like managing finances, or managing people, or managing a function. The word ‘management’ therefore has a necessary external bias. But what about managing self, who is going to be the key actor managing external situations?

No one can be a successful manager if his own body, mind and intellect are not tuned properly. A successful manager is one who can put in long hours without feeling the stress and have complete focus on all that he does. He has the capacity to take tough decisions. He also has a proper attitude in dealing with various stakeholders.

Develop these qualities by managing the self. Self-management requires attending to two main aspects – body and mind. Most people are conscious of the need for physical exercise to remain fit and active but very little attention is paid to training of mind. There is no better way than yoga to develop focus of mind and make our mental responses sturdy.

The first part of yoga is meditation. Sitting in silence in a quiet place with no activity has to be part of one’s daily routine. It is not easy but with persistence one can increase the duration to an hour also. All kinds of thoughts will come when you sit for meditation. Just witness them dispassionately. Gradually, try to focus your mind on a single thought. The thought could be that of seeing a deity or of formless pure consciousness pervading the Universe. Meditation brings focus to the mind and makes it less jumpy. Both these are most essential for a successful manager.

The second part is our attitude towards work. That is part of karma yoga philosophy. Karma yoga means putting in one’s best efforts in all our roles without selfishness and without ego. Performing our job with top class efficiency and proactive attitude. And not calculating, ‘what will I gain out of this activity’ for all actions. Good actions always bring good fruits. Too much anxiety for results spoils the quality of actions.

Also, ‘ego’ should not rule our actions. Individual ego has no place in the overall scheme of the universe, wherein everything is interconnected and good result is always coming out of efforts of many stakeholders. Acknowledging this fact, one has to keep giving credit to others, which then can become the reason for further success.

The third and the most important part of mind-training is our attitude to results. How does a manager react when the results are extraordinarily buoyant? Or how does one take in one’s stride the most disappointing results? There is no need to start jumping and dancing when the results are spectacular. And also there is no point in lamenting or grieving when the results are unfavorable. Tough times never last, but tough people do. Success has come to those who have converted adversity into an opportunity instead of feeling defeated. It is possible that in spite of one’s best efforts the results may not be as expected. Results depend on many factors including geopolitical and macro economic situations. It need not be linked to managerial failure. Maintaining a cool attitude in both success and failure is called equanimity, which is described as yoga in the Gita ‘Samatvam yoga uchyate.’

Make The Effort, Bring Joy Into Your Life

Do you want to wake up joyful every morning, jump out of bed with enthusiasm, excitement, with a thirst for life irrespective of your circumstances? Everybody wants happiness. Yet only a few really find it. Why is it so difficult to find joy? We are looking for it in the wrong place!

Life is designed such that anything that gives pleasure in the beginning yields sorrow in the end. True happiness appears in the mask of sorrow. Yet people seek instant pleasure, only to find pain. Learn this basic truth and you can avoid a lot of anguish. Ancient Indian seers discovered many such laws and presented them as the science of Vedanta. They led us away from momentary excitement to lasting happiness.

What makes you prefer junk food over healthier options, prefer to laze around than exercise? Why do you give up a lifetime of happiness for a few seconds of ‘joy’? You are acting on the whims and fancies of the mind, disregarding the advice of the intellect. The mind is attracted to instant gratification. The intellect picks short-term pain for long- term gain. The mind is irrational, unstable and undependable. The intellect is rational, stable and dependable. Consult the intellect and embark on a concerted programme to develop the intellect.

Most people act with the attitude of taking, rather than giving. It is so pleasing to take, and painful to give. Yet the law is – give you gain, grab you lose. The mere thought of giving empowers you, makes you creative and successful. All givers are happy. And giving transforms you from an ordinary mortal to an extraordinary Immortal. Follow this simple principle and miracles will unfold.

It is regulated contact with sense objects that gives lasting enjoyment. Let the intellect decide the quantum and frequency of contact and you will enjoy life fully till the last day of your life.

In relationships you want others to cater to you, pamper you, and meet with your expectations. You vociferously stipulate your demands. Rarely do you consider the other person’s needs. Little do you know you are signing up for a life of conflict, pain and loneliness. Love people for what they are, not for what they do for you. Love must be unconditional. It has no reference to any return, tangible or intangible. The more you reach out to people with love, the more they adore you. You become fulfilled.

You want better homes, luxurious cars, exotic food, fancy vacations and more of everything. You are fanning desire. Ride on desire, the object of desire runs away from you. Rise above desire, and the object comes to you. Fix a higher ideal. Dedicate yourself to the well-being of others. Your desires will get fulfilled.

Some people seek knowledge. But they operate out of mere curiosity. They are information gatherers. They look outwards in the world. This leads you nowhere. Turn your gaze inward. Discover the infinite resource of energy, vitality and happiness within.

Life is precious and your only duty is to live it joyfully. Tap into the wealth of Vedanta to experience abundant joy. At your core, you are peace and joy. Sense it. Embrace it. Live it. Become one with it.