Only when it is dark enOugh, can yOu see the stars
| Date :05-May-2019 |
By T G L IYER:
Have you ever had a good look at some of the beliefs you collected while growing up? These beliefs have conditioned you to respond to things in a certain way and these responses have led to certain choices. A lot of people are unaware of why they respond to things the way they do and make their choices without thinking. The problem is that these choices may not be the right ones to make to achieve success. Our aim is to achieve results and not retreat backwards in any manner because retreat means failure. Unless you sit down and have a good look into how you respond to circumstances, you will continue to respond unconsciously to these situations the same way you always have, no matter how inappropriate your response might be. Many in our midst think that their parents know the best answers to problems. Your parents might have known best while you were growing up and that is because they were the most important adults in your life at that time.
At school, you looked up to your teachers, at home your parents and later your Boss while in service. They fed you till you were old enough to support yourself. When you became an adult their beliefs were outdated holding you back from possible success. Usually we see that when one is married, the woman carries the load and if she is working, that additional work too. The man never heard by himself to know exactly what he can do in life. He never had the time to live by himself and discover who he really is. When the man and woman are nearly forty they start discovering their lot and burden they carry. The cycle of questioning starts every seven years after you are born.
This means that you take a hard look at what you are doing with yourself and where you are heading to? We all have proof of how much we have grown. We have our Album full of photographs of celebrating Diwali, Christmas or other festivals. After we have reached old age these photographs look poor in dress and expressions because the camera could catch what is real. They look like outdated versions because you have progressed in life far enough to compare the past with the present. If you are in a job which has transfer clause you are tempted to visit the old places and compare the past with the presents! It was Johann Wolfgang Goethe (1749- 1832) German Poet, Dramatist, Novelist and Scientist who said: “Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Opportunity is missed because it is dressed and looks like hard work. Good thoughts are better than good dreams if you don’t follow through. Joy is not in things but joy is in us.
To maximize earning power, maximize learning power. There are no frontiers to learning”. The message is clear and we should not postpone opportunities that come so that life is short and we should fulfil our mission as early as possible. Chogyam Thungpa said: “Compassion automatically invites you to relate with people because you no longer reward people as a drain on your energy. They recharge your energy because in the process of reaching them, you acknowledge your wealth, your richness. There is no feeling of poverty at all in that approach to life”. Real spiritual training is that which makes our mind disciplined and regulated, restores moderation in senses and faculties and creates lightness of spirit. Then alone internal peace and calmness is ensured and a higher approach is possible. When you love what you do, you are alive. People who don’t read cheat themselves.
By not reading, they limit what they can achieve, make mistakes they could avoid and miss opportunities that could improve their lives. Gaps appear in their knowledge. One should be well informed to succeed in life. People could always do more if they want to. Excellence is not divisible. You can’t excel in one area and fail in other areas. Large financial rewards are not enough. Life is not fair, it never was and never will be. Even committing suicide needs big courage.
Talking about creativity; it is my one ability. It is a cluster of abilities like ability to elaborate ability to restructure, mix with creative friends, moving from the known to the unknown, effective listening etc. Love not what you are but only what you may become. My father used to say: “God stretches us to the Breaking point before stepping in. Success is not measured by what we have done. It is measured by what we can become. I want to raise my ability and not my disability. God carries us till we are on our feet again!”