Excellence is not a privilege of a few. It is accessible to everyone. All it takes is a vision beyond your personal desires and a commitment to a higher goal, writes JAYA ROW
Do you want to excel in life? Or are you content with mediocrity? If you have the drive to achieve perfection, the Bhagwad Gita has the formula for success. Not everyone has a high IQ or is hugely talented. But every single person can be highly motivated. The focus must shift from external conquests to internal victory. Then, you discover the power of the mind. Conquer the mind, and you will conquer the world.
Excellence requires a serene mind. When the mind is calm, the intellect is sharp and actions brilliant. When the mind is agitated, you cannot access your own knowledge, thinking gets deviated and actions flawed.
We all suffer from mental agitation. What disturbs the mind? Thoughts of self. A singer sings the wrong note when thoughts of self come in the way. A job aspirant flounders at the interview when he’s obsessed with getting the job. A chef makes mistakes when he wants to impress his guests.
Excellence is not the exclusive privilege of a select few. Everyone is privy to it — from the most talented to the least endowed. All it takes is a vision beyond your personal desires, and a commitment to a higher goal. Desire is the greatest obstruction that stands between you and success. Break free from desire and you sail into the realm of perfection.
The law of life is that you get what you deserve, not what you desire. So set aside desire and focus on deserving. Work to gain merit. Hone your skills. Strive to be better at your job. Shift from grabbing to serving, from profiteering to offering. The forces of nature will bow down to you.
Do you feel deprived or blessed? Are you working to get a few things you do not have? Then you are unenthusiastic. You merely go through the motions of your job. This leads to failure and frustration.
Or are you aware of the abundance you have been gifted with? Then you become grateful. You want to give, contribute, and add value to people. You become creative, inspired, and successful. Abundance is a state of mind unconnected with material assets. You may have nothing and feel blessed. The richest man may feel deprived.
Identify your passion, talent, gift. Fix a higher ideal in that field. Work in a spirit of service and sacrifice for the larger goal. Selfish action leads to mediocrity. All successful people worked for a nobler cause. Don Bradman did not play cricket for selfish ends. Ustad Bismillah Khan was dedicated to music. Einstein only thought of physics.
When your attention shifts from the world to the Beyond, you perform selfless action. You work neither for a selfish end nor an unselfish goal. You know your talent is a God-given gift. You offer it as thanksgiving to God. Then, perfection flows from you effortlessly. Athlete Eric Lidell, nicknamed the Flying Scotsman, was unbeatable and set Olympic records. He would say: “God made me to run, and I will run for God.” With this motto he won Olympic Golds.
However talented you may be, you cannot achieve success by yourself. You need to build strong teams. Feel one with your team members. View them as partners, not opponents. Collaborators, not competitors.
When you gain success, do not get carried away with it. Remember, it is transient and temporary. It will go some day. Enjoy the fruit of your labour, but do not depend on it. Build inner reserves that will stand by you in times of calamity. When things go, as they must, you will not be shattered or heartbroken. As Oliver Wendell Holmes said, “For him in vain the envious seasons roll, who bears eternal summer in his soul.” ■