latikapag
You have hit the nail on the head by using the word content- is satisfaction a necessity or a luxury?
In the context of artists, it is not uncommon to come across quotations such as:-
Every artist dips his brush in his own soul, and paints his own nature into his pictures.
— Henry Ward Beecher (1813 - 1887),
Now, management consultants have started using the same language:-
According to American consultant Lance Secretan . “Finding joy in our work depends on the relationship between our soul and our work and on the degree to which our work engages and nourishes our soul. Whether or not you have found your calling determines the level of soulfulness in your work. We all experience soulful moments in our lives — when we are at the symphony, when we watch a sunset, when we gaze into the eyes of a baby, when we play with a puppy, when we are deeply appreciated or practicing our highest mastery or when we are connected to the divine. We all want to feel the same way at work throughout our lives. There is no reason why this should not be so.”
In our shastras, one’s life’s work is called Svadharma. Among Indian organizations, I have seen it only in about statement of shradhahrd.com.
Let’s see what the man who started it all himself has to say. While explaining the hierarchy of needs, this is what Mr Maslow has to say:-
Peak experiences are profound moments of love, understanding, happiness, or rapture, when a person feels more whole, alive, self-sufficient and yet a part of the world, more aware of truth, justice, harmony, goodness, and so on. Self-actualizing people have many such peak experiences. Not only are these his happiest and most thrilling moments, but they are also moments of greatest maturity, individuation, fulfillment - in a word, his healthiest moments. He becomes in these episodes more truly himself, more perfectly actualizing his potentialities, closer to the core of his Being, more fully human. A musician must make music, an artist must paint, and a poet must write." If these needs are not met, the person feels restlessness, on edge, tense, and lacking something. It is not always clear what a person wants when there is a need for self-actualization.
So, as long as the degree of mismatch with work is not too high, you can be content. In some other cases, forced contentment may have adverse long term health implications because being in continuous conflict with yourself is not easy. We can also say that why go for economic liberalization and hope for a higher rate of growth?. Why not be satisfied with the hindu rate of growth? We have a “spiritual legacy” after all? I am not digressing from the issue- contentment could be a misinterpretation here or we force ourselves to be content because career transition is tough and we have to support our families. The issue is not of “self praise”- your views are relevant for yourself and those who approximately match your profile but everybody is not the same which is why HRD is there.
As for getting everything sooner or later if you apply 100% is a misplaced statement in my view. If that were so the Bhagvad Gita would not have to say that do your action without bothering about the fruits which depend upon the forces of demand and supply. There are plenty of examples of posthumous successes.
I have heard this 80% dialogue many times-80% of the people are like that. If 80% of the people are miserable 80% of the times, that would be a strange life , isn’t it? Dale Carnegie also called people who hate their jobs the biggest wastages of Industrial society.
Are soulful experiences a necessity or a luxury-especially in the light of what Maslow has said and what many American consultants are saying.? The United states has plenty to be content about- why go after the soul?
You have hit the nail on the head by using the word content- is satisfaction a necessity or a luxury?
In the context of artists, it is not uncommon to come across quotations such as:-
Every artist dips his brush in his own soul, and paints his own nature into his pictures.
— Henry Ward Beecher (1813 - 1887),
Now, management consultants have started using the same language:-
According to American consultant Lance Secretan . “Finding joy in our work depends on the relationship between our soul and our work and on the degree to which our work engages and nourishes our soul. Whether or not you have found your calling determines the level of soulfulness in your work. We all experience soulful moments in our lives — when we are at the symphony, when we watch a sunset, when we gaze into the eyes of a baby, when we play with a puppy, when we are deeply appreciated or practicing our highest mastery or when we are connected to the divine. We all want to feel the same way at work throughout our lives. There is no reason why this should not be so.”
In our shastras, one’s life’s work is called Svadharma. Among Indian organizations, I have seen it only in about statement of shradhahrd.com.
Let’s see what the man who started it all himself has to say. While explaining the hierarchy of needs, this is what Mr Maslow has to say:-
Peak experiences are profound moments of love, understanding, happiness, or rapture, when a person feels more whole, alive, self-sufficient and yet a part of the world, more aware of truth, justice, harmony, goodness, and so on. Self-actualizing people have many such peak experiences. Not only are these his happiest and most thrilling moments, but they are also moments of greatest maturity, individuation, fulfillment - in a word, his healthiest moments. He becomes in these episodes more truly himself, more perfectly actualizing his potentialities, closer to the core of his Being, more fully human. A musician must make music, an artist must paint, and a poet must write." If these needs are not met, the person feels restlessness, on edge, tense, and lacking something. It is not always clear what a person wants when there is a need for self-actualization.
So, as long as the degree of mismatch with work is not too high, you can be content. In some other cases, forced contentment may have adverse long term health implications because being in continuous conflict with yourself is not easy. We can also say that why go for economic liberalization and hope for a higher rate of growth?. Why not be satisfied with the hindu rate of growth? We have a “spiritual legacy” after all? I am not digressing from the issue- contentment could be a misinterpretation here or we force ourselves to be content because career transition is tough and we have to support our families. The issue is not of “self praise”- your views are relevant for yourself and those who approximately match your profile but everybody is not the same which is why HRD is there.
As for getting everything sooner or later if you apply 100% is a misplaced statement in my view. If that were so the Bhagvad Gita would not have to say that do your action without bothering about the fruits which depend upon the forces of demand and supply. There are plenty of examples of posthumous successes.
I have heard this 80% dialogue many times-80% of the people are like that. If 80% of the people are miserable 80% of the times, that would be a strange life , isn’t it? Dale Carnegie also called people who hate their jobs the biggest wastages of Industrial society.
Are soulful experiences a necessity or a luxury-especially in the light of what Maslow has said and what many American consultants are saying.? The United states has plenty to be content about- why go after the soul?