Can We Let Go ?

Can We Let Go?

That’s a tough question. It could be a simple decision like letting go of dessert after dinner or a more complex one like that facing Narayan

Murthy - let go of the company you build, and trust someone else to run the same.

Human instinct is to hoard and to hold on. Greed has been classified as one of the seven deadly sins, and this does not only apply to money

- it extends to power, to things to what we own and what we acquire over the course of a lifetime. We always seem to want more and don’t

ever want to lose any of it.

There are always reasons to justify our actions. Mr. Narayan Murthy has been a legendary CEO who founded Infosys in 1981. He was the

poster boy for the IT revolution in India, starting off as a tech entrepreneur and building an organisation that put India on the global map

of software and information technology. He exited as Executive Chairman and handed charge to a professional CEO, but he cannot seem

to let go. The past few days we have heard his critical comments about the fall in corporate governance standards, pay hikes, severance

packages etc etc. He stepped down, but he couldn’t truly give it up. Of course it cannot be simple for him, or anyone in his position, but

then whoever said letting go was easy.

This column is not about whether he is right or wrong, it merely raises questions about the basic human need to hold on. The attachment

could be anything - for Narayan Murthy, it is the organisation he built, for someone else it could be a relationship, a collection of stamps,

three pegs of whiskey after sunset, a diamond ring, wedding photographs, or even a car. It could be anything.

We tend to forget that control is merely an illusion, we cannot even control our own bodies and minds, how can we control material things

and people around us. Which brings me to my question. Can we let go?Can we recognize it is time to withdraw and focus our energies into a

new path, make different choices.

The call to let go lies at the core of our spiritual awakening. And the reason it is so important is because holding on limits our perception,

we remain stuck the the quagmire of desires, whereas only by letting go we can rise above the ordinary, accept the present and open our

hearts and our minds to a higher purpose.

After all how long can we hold onto our lovers, our memories, negative thoughts, our car, or companies. Let us look to liberate ourselves,

let us not resist change. As we grow older we are meant to experience life differently. Priorities must change. What a waste of a life it

would be if a young man of seventeen dreams of owning his own car and then aspires to a bigger, better one at fifty two. Is that all that

defines him. Should we chase the same things forever - more money,more control, more power? Or perhaps life should be a journey towards

recognising who we truly are, and what can really bring happiness.Move on, in search for the higher truth. Let go, to be truly free.

COURTESY : REIKI KENDRA

www.reikikendra.com