The Ultimate Desire

Freedom:

FREEDOM - The word has stirred the imagination of many intellectuals, philosophers, poets, writers, individuals and also lead to revolutions in many countries. It connects millions of thoughts; one of the most revered words (or should I say idea) in the history of mankind. Every religion promises freedom (say bliss in its finest form) to every individual if they follow certain ideas/ principles that have been universally accepted by mankind as beneficial & are proven to deliver the idea of Freedom.

We all start & end our days in judging every action that takes place in our surrounding environs & arrive at a judgment. The key influencer being “What is it worth for me”. This frame of mind leads us to unknowingly sacrifice our freedom for a material gain. This is pure business, or should I say that we are gripped by a fear. A fear based on an urge for self preservation or protection from the unknown, mainly driven by our external environs.

The very nature of man is based on the principles of freedom. He would go to any extent to unshackle his bonds & reach for it. The power of the urge to be free is enormous. History is replete with incidents (ala the Indian Independence movement, American Civil War for abolishing slavery etc). This freedom could be to free his family, country, dependence, or Spirit.

Why am I raising this issue, the relevance of this word? Many may argue that they are atheists & do not believe in GOD or some power, but will not shy away from accepting FREEDOM as their sole aim in life. Perfect. In some corner of our mind, we would be harboring dreams of being free, physically, mentally, FINANCIALLY so on & so forth. What we realize is that we are perpetually bound by the fear of the results of our action. FEAR did I hear it right. Yes, we are more bothered of the probable negative outcome of our action. This, in more than one way lead us to be sucked into thoughts that would reinforce our negative thoughts. In other way would not let us break out of the ESCAPE VELOCITY of our negative thoughts.

Is this another write up on Positive Thinking, YES. IT IS. If we need to break out of our habit of negative thinking & move towards Freedom, we all should inculcate the habit of Positive Thinking. Many a times, we find that the challenge we face is enormous. But, if we promise our self that we are going to martyr to break out of this habit & come what may, will be successful, believe me we will make it.

When faced with any sort of a challenge we generally invoke the GODS, Wisdom of our ancestors, scriptures among others. What is common among them? The fact that, if you devote yourself to a particular objective with a positive mind, you will come out of it successfully. The true power of human spirit is always positive & this when it resonates positivity, no weapon, fire, mountain, can destroy the indomitable will of man to overcome the challenges he faces.

I would like to end it with some quotes of eminent personalities that inspire us to live completel & fearless life – “Use your imagination not to scare yourself to death, but to inspire yourself to life” & Opportunities are seldom labeled.

Pride

You might have heard a lot of people tell you (including your parents & BOSS) to take pride in what you do. Till the pay cut was announced & some who lost their jobs, took pride in what they did. Let us go look at the genesis of the statement – Take pride in your work.

Pride begets perseverance. This quality is the most desirable to the society in general. Beware again – Pride is split into 2 categories – Authentic- flowing from accomplishments that are dear to them, or which further their self actualization goals (remember Maslow). The other being out of Hubris, this is based out of sheer arrogance & has no substantial foundation. It is pertinent to note that we need both in the right dose to survive /negotiate in today’s world. You with me :) on this.

Let me digress a little. Today is the eve of Mahavira Jayanti. Let us peruse through the 3 cardinal principles of Jainism. Ahimsa, aparigraha, & Syavad meaning Non-Violence, non- possession & Truth. I am NOT getting into a scholarly debate on this. From where I see its relevance in today’s thinking is :

• Non violence – let us not hurt ourselves by being over critical about what we do, where we are & where we are headed. Let us be still for a moment & not hurt our own self respect. This would allow us to have stillness of thoughts & be able to see our selves from a third party perspective, leading to greater awareness & eventually initiate a process of change/ evolution. Further, this would lead us to understand our own potential & encourage creativity. But beware, I am not against constructive criticism (this leads to breaking down of false ego & allow us to be grounded at all times) J

• Non possession: does this mean that I donate all and leave a life of asetic? Its an EMPHATIC NO. Well I think the spirit of this is in the word CURRENCY. Do not stop the flow of wealth (Emotianal & Material) by hoarding. Else it is going to be like today’s financial crisis. The flow of credit has frozen the real economy. As a true business man you would not like this to happen. Do not hanker for what is more than what you need. Make donation a part of your lifestyle & develop a practice of gratitude. Gratitude!!!!!! Well that is the problem today. We do not appreciate the simple & most important things in life that are given free to us and do not thank nature or individuals for that.

• Syavad: what do I have to say about this? This is very relative or to say one of the best way to analyze – compare & Contrast. Compare yourself against yourself and contrast as to what you were to what you are. I think we get a lot of insights. This is missing.

Ok now let me combine these today. From the point of mundane material existence PRIDE IS ALL WHAT WE HAVE LEFT WITH to fight for our existence & we need to wear this mask. At the same time it is imperative that we feed our souls with the results of contemplation to avoid – like you say VOLATILITY.

Lets get back our stillness, silence & solitude, buddy. We are born to be achievers & not CONQUERORS. So lets get clarity on where we are headed & have PRIDE in what we do.