What is one thing that drives you to the most important thing?
Something which you have to do everyday.
No, I m not talking about eating, sleeping, FBing(I thought of putting Face Book in the third place; only the first two are more important as I look at many people's lives all around(me not excluded) :P ) bathing, TV , friends, family etc......
I m talking about WORK!
There are three emotions which drive people to work :
1) Greed (Read: Carrot)
2) Fear (Read: Stick)
3)Love (Read: Joy )
Greed: Greed is wanting more and more in life.It can be anything, money, importance, status, power. You want more of whatever you have.
When I was in Class 11, I was told that study now and get into IITs; life will be fun. I managed to get into IIT . Then it was that study for four years well so that you get a good job/MBA and then life will be fun, I managed to get a decent job. And then work hard so as to get a promotion, earn more money, respect or do an MBA, CFA or startup so that you get some other "carrot" which will then make your life fun.
What you are always looking at is "whats the next thing?" which causes inside of you an insecurity as if there is something special out here in life which you "lack". It can be
anything; different for different people. It can be money or GF or a particular car, but yeah it do drive you to work. You work so as to get "the" next thing to ultimately reach somewhere not defined which you yourself dont know of! One of my friend puts it very nicely:
"These workoholics have turned the whole world into a madhouse. Everyone is mad with running and reaching somewhere. And no man knows where this ”somewhere” is "
Fear is the other extreme: Doing something as if you will lose something , if you don't. You may loose a job, status, reputation, how will your children go to school? how will you eat, sleep and do all the other important things in your life!
Some of it I can understand you really need to think about but many people loathe their work and continue to do it because of the fears..What they never understand is that we are not living in a stone age; you ll be able to meet your basic needs much much easily in any job you do out here!!
The plus points : Definitely these two emotions can get you a lot of money, power , fame, ability to poke in other people's life.
And yeah You at least work. You are much much better than others who don't do any work or infact there are many who are wasting their life in addiction, crime and drugs. I can guarantee you if the two emotions had not been there, around 80% of the people around would have turned into hippies enjoying life doing nothing but partying partying partying!!!
The minus ones: What you loose is priceless! Atleast around one third of your life you will be doing work And if these two emotions drive you a lot, you are not enjoying your work and hence you are not enjoying your life fully.And you are too concerned about something, either the "next big thing" or "saving your ass". You are definitely not playing around with things, because greed does not let you have the freedom to loose and fear is even worse, you always cling on to the security. You either do not take risks at all or take a lot of risks.Work becomes a compulsion.There is stress in life and many a times LIFE SUCKS!!!
Lets move to one of my favorite emotions and in fact the above emotions are also the distorted form of this one:
LOVE: This is mind blowing..this is fantabulous.... This emotion can not be explained in words......This emotion can only be experienced.
You may have experienced it: Like when you take cold water baths. Like when you go and wander at your favorite places all alone (Have you ever tried this?). Like when you look at a baby smiling. Like when you help others for nothing in return. Like when your mother cooks that special favorite dish on your birthday. Like after you open your eyes after meditation(I don't know whether you have ever tried out this one also)
"You want the moment to stay till infinity."
I can only give you events which may bring this utmost beautiful emotion in you. I can never explain it.
Now imagine you working with this emotion blossomed inside of you (not to get this emotion(thats greed) not because you may loose it(thats fear) ).
Just being in this space of love and working because there is nothing to loose(no fears) and nothing to gain also(no greeds). You are having fun while working. I wont call it "work " then in the first place. Its pure unadulterated total fun.You will play around with things, and do everything with "nothing serious out here" attitude. But it doesn't mean you are not working. You are working sincerely but with no concern, as if its a game. You are not at all concerned about results or whether you may commit some mistake. You are totally immersed in it. How time flies is not known at all.
The plus/minus points: These anyways wont matter to you. If they start to matter love is gone.
Its your life and you are the best judge: I leave on to you which emotion should drive your life and work.
Lastly, I would like to add some famous quotations on WORK:
" I never did a work's day in my life. It was all fun" -Thomas Alva Edison
"A master in the art of living draws no sharp distinction between his work and his play; his labor and his leisure; his mind and his body; his education and his recreation. He hardly knows which is which. He simply pursues his vision of excellence through whatever he is doing, and leaves others to determine whether he is working or playing. To himself, he always appears to be doing both." - L. P. Jacks
"Work makes (one) free". - Lorenz Diefenbach
Jai Ho
Love
Gaurav Ahuja
