Chapter 5 - Innovation
Day 11
Our body is like the wick of a candle and our mind is like the glowing light all around the wick. Just as a candle lives on oxygen, the flame needs oxygen to keep burning.
If you cover the candle with a glass, the light remains only as long as oxygen is present. The moment the oxygen runs out, the flame is extinguished.
In the same way, we are also completely dependent on oxygen, or what we may call the life force. This life force is what our ancestors called the atma, the jivatma.
Are you still reading the words on this page? You know, when someone talks in deeply scientific or philosophical language, the mind just takes a break and goes for a cappuccino.
But if you are a thorough scientist, you truly understand spirituality. If you know about dark matter, dark energy, if you know about the origin of universe, if you reflect on the magnanimity of this universe, you will become spiritual.
In our universe, there are millions of black holes floating around, escaping the sun. You cannot insure against these black holes. A black hole can swallow the entire galaxy at any point of time.
We live in a most dangerous universe, a most uncertain universe. The size of a black hole may be the same as that of a peanut, but at any time, it can swallow whole, the entire solar system.
And the entire universe, in a moment, could go into complete annihilation. Many of us live our lives, unaware of this. But being aware of this phenomenon, the uncertainty of life gives you enormous strength.
Usually people believe that uncertainty makes you shaky. But let me tell you, when you know that there is nothing certain in this magnificent universe, that any meteoroid can come hurtling down at any time and hit planet Earth.
That one day, we would all be gone then like the dinosaurs, if you think about this, you will be able to smile easily. For it would be an end to all the problems, all the uncertainties we face in our lives surely.
It is said that planet Jupiter absorbs all the meteoroids, it is saving planet earth from all such objects coming in the direction of the earth. Our sages have said this a long time ago, that it is planet Jupiter, or Guru Grah, which is saving planet earth.
What I mean to say is, as young businessmen, what really shakes you most is the uncertainty, isn't it? Isn’t 'I that your biggest worry?
Because your business is built on speculation, unlike the older generation advises - they are all set with their business ideas, they take the conventional path.
But you, as the businessmen of today, want to take new challenges, you want to be innovative, you want to open up new areas of business. This innate desire to do something new or innovative is the sign of youthfulness.
So you have the zeal and thirst to be different, but what plagues that spirit is the element of uncertainty or the fear of uncertainty.
So, you need inner strength to combat this uncertainty, so that you can continue to be creative and relieve yourself from stress, and at the same time absorb wisdom from your elders and their experiences.
We need to balance the four factors given below :
1. Absorbing wisdom from our elders.
2. Maintaining our creativity.
3. Cope with uncertainty
4. Free ourselves from stress, by learning how to handle it.
I recommend that you take a little time out for yourself and meditate regularly, recharge your batteries once every six months - a few days of reflection on the context of life.
Not just seeing life in a box but
seeing the bigger context of life. I assure you that it will give you enormous creativity, merit, inner strength and enthusiasm.
I am glad to be here with all of you at this conference. When it comes to Human Resources, we need to have a human touch. A formal atmosphere is not congenial for authentic sharing.
Apart from professional dealings, there needs to be an informal air as well at your workplace. So, I think in this conference we could practise that with just a little bit of informal getting to know each other, by saying hello" to each other.
Can you all greet the person sitting next to you, or behind you, or in front of you? Take 30 seconds to acquaint yourself with a person sitting near you and create an atmosphere, a sense of belongingness.
In India, all our scriptures begin with a question and there is a question and answer format. Now I want to ask you a question. Did you really get to know the person next to you a little or did you simply utter the usual greeting as a formality?
Here lies the clue. Did you go beyond a formal "Hi. Hello. How are you?" I don't want you to answer. I know the answer. I don't want you to irritate the person sitting next to you.
See, when you get off the aircraft, or when you leave a nice restaurant, the air hostess, or the staff or doorman at the restaurant smile at you and say mechanically, "Have a nice day."
But they naturally don't mean it personally. Most of the pleasantries we exchange are at that level - a very dry sort of formality which does not touch the heart of a person in any way.
The same words, "Be happy", "Have a nice day", when they come to you from a very dear friend, from your sister, brother, basically from one of your family members, it carries a certain sentiment, it brings some presence along with it, right?
When we lose sight of this sentiment, this presence of mind, when we miss authenticity in our communication with our colleagues, then the workplace becomes dry and dull.
Motivation levels go down, there is no inspiration in the air whatsoever. And that is how we try to manage human resources without giving it a human touch.
Does it work? It does not, it cannot. Because there's a difference between motivation and inspiration.
