Endings & Beginnings

A passage to wisper!

Often life has a way of reminding us then and now, what really matters and how the allure of what seems significant at the moment is a decoy from life's true work. It can manifest in form of an earthquake event with consequences of course if we sleepwalk through life and rarely commit to self-examination. And other times, if we are lucky and disciplined, we get back on track given our values are properly thought out and acted upon.

I would try to be less prescriptive but the above passage urged me to compose my thoughts on it in the 2023 new years message which I customarily write around this period of the year.

He who stands on tiptoe doesn't stand firm.

A person lacking values or an inner sense of direction is subject to signals from his/her environment or people and external influences. Afraid of ruffling any feathers, or getting invalidated, he/she loses her ground as he/she accords more significance to the wishes and whims of others than cultivating his/her own individuality. Not implying that external influences are necessarily negative, uncritically accepting them opens a vulnerability that can be exploited in a toxic environment.

He who rushes ahead doesn't go far.

Lure or fear creates urgency. One can be greedy or over-protective in any development of life but being so will mistake trees for the forest. We live in an interconnected reality. How a single action or a decision in isolation impacts those around us affects not only our social status but we lose the collective wisdom that society and nature have to offer. So, the big picture is crucial if we desire to go a long way.

He who tries to shine dims his own light.

As of late, I was reading about how our brains are geared to conserve energy. Imagining crafting one's behavior in accordance with what others value (playing to the gallery) may be beneficial to others but if one's values are not in accordance with what others value, his/her self-regulatory demands would increase and the result will be a dip in self-motivation. One meets innumerable persons in daily life. Save your energy for a significant few. Or best save your energy for yourself given your values are aligned with the external setting.

He who defines himself can't know who he really is.

Boundaries are healthy. But expanding them is what makes us thrive. Unless we let go of the fear of the unknown or change and commit to widening our comfort zone and seeking challenges in different spheres of life, we can't truly know how capable we are. So, got to invest in becoming.

He who has power over others can't empower himself.

Seek Mastery, not Power. While having power over others lets us accomplish a great deal in life and work but isn't the path to mastery. Power is fueled by fear of consequences while Mastery is fueled by knowledge and understanding. As we all are interconnected, without self-knowledge and self-mastery one can't gain mastery over circumstances, situations, or environment. Investing in self-mastery is launching an upward spiral into greater collective harmony and understanding and thus mastery.

He who clings to his work will create nothing that endures.

Can any piece of work be perfect for all times and for all people? There are so many variables involved that demand continual evolution of work. For a work to be perennial or to become a classic, it must arise from a profound understanding of nature. Tools of trade can be learned but the work that one has to create needs to meet a natural need at least and for it to continually stay relevant it has to abolish an ideal or a plan that is no longer relevant.

If you want to accord with the Dao just do your job, then let go.

Often our best ideas emerge after a certain piece of work has been accomplished or after the results of solicited feedback come in. The result is enhancements that require the reduction and abolition of a certain aspect of work, the introduction of a new aspect of work, and amplifying or increasing other aspects of it. Given one can get emotionally attached at times with prolonged engagement, an important skill to learn is when to distance oneself from work or an aspect thereof that's dear to us.