An MBA forever?
There are insights and then there are insights....a true insight hits you when you least expect it - and then the moment it hits you, your entire existence goes "Ah!" - the realisation or the tubelight reaction, whatever you call it spreads like waves all over your brain and mind, till all you can think of is the obvious truth that insight carried, which you could not see.....
One such insight happened today with Prof. CM Reddy, a wonderful seeker, and a professor at IIM Bangalore. Over our interesting conversation, he said something very true - that for our physical selves we have mirrors so that we can see and improve on surface. But what is missing are the psychological mirrors - the ones that let us see our blind spots, and areas that we constantly deny.
And he held up one such mirror for me today.
In sharing with him my plans, I was very keen to know what should be the next thing that I should learn. I was trying to find out all I could - books to read, things to know so that I could incorporate them in my workshops, and sessions to attend.....at first he casually pointed out this urgency to me....and I passed it off......
Somewhere however he reminded me of the MBA story that he'd told me the last time. An MBA, disillusioned with years of corporate life decides to leave to a monastery. He is tired of the competition he says. Time for some spiritual upliftment. A few days into the monastery, and he is working as hard as possible to be the best monk. He is getting impatient in learning patience! Though he might have changed the domain, the inner pattern of competition and aggresion still manifests.
Opting out of placements also to some extent for me I realised is similar. Of course I get a big high out of having the balls to say no to some fairly decent jobs! But what was awefully insightful was the illusion of differentiation that I created - and sold both to myself and others. That what I was doing was something really unqique, something awesome and something totally kool and non-MBA ish. Yes I even sold the idea to myself - that I am doing something totally kewl and unique........
And yet come to think of it, just like the MBA story, what I have achived as yet is just a change in the domain. I still look at competition. I still plan aggressively and acquire skills. I still have a very clear profit focus on my camps and training. I do things but fully aware of the benifits they will generate. To the whole extent that this entire call is a carefully calculated one. Nothing wrong and I am not belittling what I am doing as well....wld be the last person to do that....
And yet at the same time I just cant stop wondering at this beautiful fact - that competing, getting to the top and cracking it - in whichever domain, for whatever goals we set, is perhaps so deeply ingrained in me....that perhaps it will require a totally different level of awareness to break free....to reach a level where I do things just because I love doing them and for the sake of the activity itself....
Again as paradoxical as it may sound, if I want my work to be the best, to be immortal, my chances are going to be much much better if I move to a level where I dont want to achieve those goals themselves......
One such insight happened today with Prof. CM Reddy, a wonderful seeker, and a professor at IIM Bangalore. Over our interesting conversation, he said something very true - that for our physical selves we have mirrors so that we can see and improve on surface. But what is missing are the psychological mirrors - the ones that let us see our blind spots, and areas that we constantly deny.
And he held up one such mirror for me today.
In sharing with him my plans, I was very keen to know what should be the next thing that I should learn. I was trying to find out all I could - books to read, things to know so that I could incorporate them in my workshops, and sessions to attend.....at first he casually pointed out this urgency to me....and I passed it off......
Somewhere however he reminded me of the MBA story that he'd told me the last time. An MBA, disillusioned with years of corporate life decides to leave to a monastery. He is tired of the competition he says. Time for some spiritual upliftment. A few days into the monastery, and he is working as hard as possible to be the best monk. He is getting impatient in learning patience! Though he might have changed the domain, the inner pattern of competition and aggresion still manifests.
Opting out of placements also to some extent for me I realised is similar. Of course I get a big high out of having the balls to say no to some fairly decent jobs! But what was awefully insightful was the illusion of differentiation that I created - and sold both to myself and others. That what I was doing was something really unqique, something awesome and something totally kool and non-MBA ish. Yes I even sold the idea to myself - that I am doing something totally kewl and unique........
And yet come to think of it, just like the MBA story, what I have achived as yet is just a change in the domain. I still look at competition. I still plan aggressively and acquire skills. I still have a very clear profit focus on my camps and training. I do things but fully aware of the benifits they will generate. To the whole extent that this entire call is a carefully calculated one. Nothing wrong and I am not belittling what I am doing as well....wld be the last person to do that....
And yet at the same time I just cant stop wondering at this beautiful fact - that competing, getting to the top and cracking it - in whichever domain, for whatever goals we set, is perhaps so deeply ingrained in me....that perhaps it will require a totally different level of awareness to break free....to reach a level where I do things just because I love doing them and for the sake of the activity itself....
Again as paradoxical as it may sound, if I want my work to be the best, to be immortal, my chances are going to be much much better if I move to a level where I dont want to achieve those goals themselves......
posted by The One at 7:03 PM
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