Befriend your mind
The success of any management is measured by the satisfaction of the people working in an organisation. A successful organisation has to be necessarily geared to the satisfaction and happiness of the customer as well. What is the nature of happiness?
Does the same object or event always give the same measure of happiness and satisfaction? No. People’s expectations are always changing. Being dependent on expectations, the concept of happiness is also constantly changing.
Given these parameters, how can we keep the “customer” happy? We know that it is very difficult to please everyone all the time, so let us try to see what success we can achieve in a given field. In an organisation, the leader must rise above limited views. They must have a complete vision, a panoramic view of things.
A good leader must assume three basic responsibilities towards his employees:
w He must give them employment.
w He must give them security. They should feel secure.
w He should teach them what dharma is, the significance of ethics and the value of right moral values.
The third aspect is most important. If a leader cannot instill right moral values and teach employees the right way to live and work, then all the blame for their errors will rest with the leader. Inspiration gained from the outside world cannot give happiness. People must understand that joy lies in inspired action and not in material gain. When happiness depends on results, we postpone our experience of happiness to the future. There is a contradiction here. I want happiness in the present but have delayed the experience of enjoyment for the future. The result — I look forward with great anticipation to the future. I often lose it and am back to square one. The secret of enjoying the very essence of life is that joy lies in the very performance of the action. Happiness and joy lie in my own hands. When workers are happy, they are more productive. If they are disgruntled, production efficiency falls.
Workers work largely because of inspiration, though the source of their inspiration may differ. The greater the level of inspiration, the more the output of the workforce. When people discover joy in their action, the quality of their performance goes up. There is a secret formula for finding success and happiness. An individual’s sustained interest can be achieved by dedicating the action to a noble ideal. With dedication, the quality of an individual’s performance undergoes a radical change. When dedicated to a noble or higher ideal, inspired thinking produces a tangible difference, a finer and more refined performance.
The first step towards sustained success and happiness is to understand our own mind. If we understand our own mind, we will develop patience and create the right atmosphere. The mind is our best friend and our worst enemy. The trick is to understand and befriend the mind. Once the mind is understood, it nourishes understanding, not problems.
Swami Tejomayananda, head of Chinmaya Mission Worldwide, is an orator, poet, singer,
composer and storyteller.
He can be contacted at www.chinmayamission.com.
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