Action in life.. Keep that original act going

Plenitude and prosperity make us lazy and inactive. When our power is secure we don't feel the need to act. This becomes a serious danger especially for those who achieve success and power at an early age. Playwright Tennesse Williams, for instance, found himself skyrocketed from obscurity to fame by the success of his play, The Glass Menagerie."The sort of life which I had previous to this popular success," he later wrote, "was one that required endurance, a life of clawing and scratching, but it was a good life because it was that sort of life for which the human organism is created. I was not aware of how much vital energy had gone into this struggle until the struggle was removed. I sat down and looked about me and was suddenly very depressed.

With no fresh challenges in sight, with no more mountains to scale, Williams eventually had a nervous breakdown. This, in fact, proved good for him. He was in the valley once again. He could see new mountain slopes, which beckoned and challenged him to climb again. He started his journey again and produced his most famous work, A Streetcar Named Desire.

If the past successes are not quickly digested, the psyche begins to disfigure. It is imperative, therefore, to quickly digest the power one achieves. There are several ways of doing it. First every achievement should be viewed as a milestone, not as a mountain peak. If past glories begin to weigh heavier than your future dreams, take it as a warning that decay is setting in. Enjoy the adulation, respect and comfort that success brings, but don't become complacent. Remember, what made these pleasures possible and sustained the efforts that led you till this point, as the thrill of life lies in this journey; destinations are mere parking spaces to stretch your limbs and refuel. Action is life, lassitude is death. So when you reach one landmark, relax and relish the experience, but do not abandon the effort required to travel further. Set the bar higher.

Or look at people whose achievements are bigger than yours. Seeing your place in the larger scheme of things also helps change one's perspective as this story illustrates.

Socrates was sitting in his school with several of his students, when an extremely rich and famous man of Athens entered the hall to meet him. Socrates didn't notice his arrival and continued his discussions with his students. The man felt affronted but still decided to wait a while. But with every passing minute, his anger mounted. After about half an hour of waiting, he suddenly shouted at Socrates, "You don't know who I am?"Socrates looked at his visitor and said, “Let us decide that too.” He called for a world map and asked this man to point out where was Athens in the map. After careful scrutiny, the man pointed to a little speck. Socrates then asked him to point out on the map where his estate was, where his palace was and so on. Realising those possessions that he was so proud of were specks within specks in the larger scheme of things, the man was at a loss and came to term with his own insignificance. The lesson was completed. Socrates folded the map and handed it over to him as a reminder of his humble status in the world.

Another tip for digesting power is to develop your feminine polarity. Man is aggressive by nature; woman is compassionate. It is said, God completed the creation of world in six days, yet every subsequent day, he kept refining his creations until he created man. Even then he was not satisfied. So he took a bone from man’s rib and created a woman – a more refined version of man. In fact, a man becomes complete and capable of great achievements only when he recognizes his own feminine polarity – his warm, giving and kind self.

For instance, Amitabh Bachchan, the Indian film superstar, gets up early in the morning at 6 and runs a packed schedule till late in the night. Even after such a hectic daily schedule, before going to bed, he tends to his old bed-ridden mother, sits by her side and tells her all that transpired during the day.Once in a blue moon, his weary, bed-ridden mother speaks a sentence or two to him. In these couple of sentences, Bachchan finds his reward. How many of us spend time with our aging parents? How many of us feel kindly towards them? I feel it is this rare and highly developed feminine polarity of compassion which has helped Bachchan digest his riches and fame. This excellent digestion creates space for more riches and fame.

Understanding the principles of Tao, the hidden order that governs the universe, is the key to handling power. The principle of cosmic justice is based on the maxim that a person reaps what he sows. The doctrine of Karma and belief in divine retribution are different expressions of a common principle that the world is governed by the principle of justice. Justice (Balance) is inherent in the fabric of cosmos.

Thus, when giddy with power we lose touch with our inner rhythm, or the Tao, and behave recklessly or cruelly, retribution does come. It perhaps does not come from some God sitting in heavens, but from within us when, due to our physical and mental imbalance, we are no longer available to our possibilities.

The recognition of the role of luck in our achievements also helps keep humility alive in us. It is indeed not just one’s prowess, but also providence that leads him to a position of power. This realization subdues the ego.

Lastly, we need to learn to love our people and be kind to them. Love is an enzyme that digests power, and compassion is the best antidote against power’s corrupting influence.

Source: When you are sinking, Become a submarine by Pavan Choudary.