Saturday, 9 March 2013

Know Your "Why"


Know your “Why”

Know your ‘Why’ or more apt would be, do you know your “Why”. In this fast track life, all those who lose focus from “Why” and drift towards “How” often get left behind in the race of progress. While we focus our telescopes on the “Hows” of life.  How to get money? How to get a job? How to establish a business? How to build a house?  Seldom we realize a simple thing, that all those who have succeeded in life, they have always pondered over the “Whys” of life rather than the “ hows”  to meet  an end. They have been always convinced beyond doubt about their “why” and knew that the “how” would automatically follow. I know it’s not making much sense at this moment. It would be much clearer as we unfold ahead. Ambanis’ the business tycoons, after their eminence in the Textile industry moved towards Telecom and Refinery industry, but by no means  they  possessed any form of technical expertise to establish a foot hold in any of these fields. With the clarity of “ Why” in their mind, they knew for “how to establish” they would hire people, who would establish it  for them. So, a person who knows the “Why” would always be at a higher pedestal than the person who knows the “how”. In a correct perspective, a person who knows “how to do” would always work for the person who knows “ why to do”. Thus we see “Why” takes precedence over “How”.
          In a lucid manner, we can understand it as, a Civil Engineer who knows how to erect structures would always work for a person, who knows why to build structures, unless this engineer himself has a vision of his own, “why to build”, he would continue to work under someone.
          We must  answer the questions of life in terms of “why” rather than “how”. The “how” is seen by the short sighted people and the answers to which exhaust in a very short span. Where as your “why” is like an investment in a blue chip company lasting in the long run with compounding returns. Always, be a part of the bigger picture, posses the ability to think analytically to perceive the larger objective, unless done so, the distinction would never be achieved.   
          I am sure, the epitome of charity, mother Terresa, never looked towards the “ how” but she had a formidable “why”  for the cause, and today we have millions of people who are making things happen for her charitable trust. 
          Even the history is testimony to this fact, there were people who toiled day and night to build Taj Mahal as one of the finest creation of mankind.  And today, the world doesn't remember the man, who laid the final stone, but remembers Sahajhan, who conceived it in his “why”.
          Whether our domain is microscopic or capacious, if we can infallibly address the “whys” the answers to the “Hows” would automatically fall in place and then the transcendence in life is for sure. Therefore know your “Why” clearly and you will find people, who know, how to make it happen for you.

















4 comments:

  1. An excellent blog sir...a thinker stoke...leads to introspection.....awesome..........hats off to you...........look fwd for many more such beauties........

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  2. Deep insight ! Reminds me of a story.

    It's said about Swami Vivekananda, that when he was on a ship on his way to America to attend the world conference on religions he met a young man onboard. The young man was the typical upcoming type in life - a typical high acheiver, focussed and with definite time-bound goals in life. So the Swami got talking with this young man one evening on the deck. The young man told the Swami that he was going abroad for higher studies.

    'Then what? . .' asked the Swami.

    ' I'll get a high paying job after I complete my studies abroad'

    'Then what?'

    'Well, I'll be sought after and envied in social circles.'

    'Then what?'

    'Well, I plan to find a girl from a good family who would not only be herself intelligent but who would also increase my social standing because of her family background.'

    'Then What?'

    'Well I expect to be able to keep her in style and then we may have children.'

    'Then what?'

    'Well I expect to be able to send my children to a good school and bring them up as per modern (read western) standards'

    'Then what'

    ' With the wealth, social prestige and standing I would have achieved by then, I'm sure I would be able to set up my children well in life.'

    Then what'

    'Well my good sir' explained the young man patiently 'I then would retire to a comfortable old age.'

    'Then what?'

    Exasperated by the Swami's dead pan expression and monotonous questioning, the young man burst out

    'Well then one day I'll die, what else'

    The Swami looked at him for a few seconds before quietly turning away commenting 'Oh! I was hoping that your story would end differently'

    That last comment struck the young man. He thought for a few moments and realised he had set out in pursuit of some goals that society had established for him without actually asking himself that one question . . 'WHY?'


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