Most people I meet these days are scared of the journey to success. It is as if they are waiting for someone to console them with the words, “Why fear when I am here?” And then there are others, who want you to take up their journey for them. Oh, come on. Working on your fears will alone make you free from fear. Shying away from something is never going to help. You have to walk your journey yourself.
You will experience confidence when you can pinpoint the reason or purpose of fear. Is it just a teenage stage fear, fear of losing tangibles, fear of losing goodwill, or is it just simply a fear of failure? Identifying your fears will help you overcome them in a jiffy.
Once you identify the reasons for your fears, how do you go beyond them? Let us now get started.
Where there is commitment, there is no fear
Fear is always about the unknown. The future is unknown. Success is to happen in the future and is unknown, and hence fear often gets tagged with success. But fear vanishes when there is commitment. A strong sense of commitment comes from a sense of adventure. A soldier going to the battlefield does not fear. An adventurer is fearless, as he has to put in his 100% into an adventure. People venturing to climb tall peaks like the Mount Everest are not sure of their coming back. Taking your work as a challenge or an adventure will remove all fears on your way to success. You escape fear when there is complete dedication and commitment.
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Work-Life balance
There is an assumption that the best way to succeed in a society is to make billions and spend billions. But in the chase of being successful, you get so choked off in your life; there is no smile.
“An undying smile is a sign of success, a confidence that cannot be shaken is a sign of success” - Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.
Work-life balance
- While making billions, if we have a work-life balance, our willpower will be rock solid. Just like when riding a bicycle, you know when to paddle right or left, steer to turn, and stop. If you get over-involved with your family, your work will suffer. And vice-versa is also true.
Your work, job, or business is sustaining your life and home, and if you allow the quality and efficiency of your work to go down, then ultimately you will be at the receiving end, and your fears will only multiply. At the same time, you cannot completely ignore your family.
Focus on work when you need to and give full time to your family when at home. This can happen when you value and live in the present moment. You will then be able to achieve that perfect work-life balance that will not allow any fears to enter your life.
Give, Give, Give
Fear comes to mind when you wish to get or achieve something. Just give your best and leave the rest. The question of losing in a competition or falling flat on the face should never bother you. The act of effortlessness without being too worried about the result leads to a strong will, and its by-product is a success. And if your focus is only to give, give and only give, then there are no worries.
Success is not a race
I get reminded of this song when you think of success as a running race.
Koyi aage hai, koyi pichhe hai,
Bas bhagam bhag hai daud hai,
Paiso ki hai daud, kahi
Just running after success or ambition devoid of a calm mind gives sleepless nights or nervous breakdowns. If you are desperate for success, it will run away from you. If you are stable, still and content within yourself, and work from the sense of adding value to others' life, success will come in search of you.
U for Ujjayi breath, U for U-turn
Many breathing techniques can help you attain a calm mind which is bereft of any worries. Ujjayi breathing is effective pranayama which can help you take a U-Turn from fear to peace. In other words, it helps you turn around your fearful state of mind into tranquility. Ujjayi means victory. A victory over the small mind. It is also referred to as “ocean breath”. To me, it is the ocean breath that engulfs all the negativities. Did you know that the ocean produces over half of the world's oxygen and absorbs 50 times more carbon dioxide than our atmosphere? The rhythmic nature of the Ujjayi breath has an immediate effect in calming the nervous system and relieving stress. When you have a stress-free mind working wholeheartedly towards success, the question of how to overcome fears does not exist, as things happen spontaneously and become a way of life.
Consider work as worship and share your success
Many saints have said, “Work is worship.” If you consider work as the source of your sustenance and attach sacredness to it, it makes a lot of difference. It is also important to share your success as many others are responsible for you being successful. Nothing can be achieved solo in this world. Share your success with others and especially with those who need it more. Share your success with your team members. Then fear will transform into compassion and contentment.
Based on the knowledge talks of Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.
Written by: Pratibha Sharma
Related Link
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