Dharma: Conformity to one’s duty and nature.
Although there are several more detailed definitions of Dharma, most notably in Hinduism and Buddhism, there is an amazing lesson and more importantly, a real moral and realistic dilemma that I came to terms with during my latest trip to India.
Out of respect in learning more about a faith that is not my own, I am truly fortunate to have paid attention to the notion of Dharma from a respected wise man I reunited with on my latest trip to Mumbai. I hope to do him and the great people of India justice in these humble words of advice that we can learn from in how we conduct our day to day lives.
Like many of you, my life is just as much riddled with uncertainty as it is with certainty. I’ll be saying my final goodbye to Lebanon soon where I have lived for the last 7 years and finally cement my roots back in San Francisco where I was born and raised. I’ve taken on a new role in a new industry and the feeling of such a dramatic change can be quite daunting and downright scary.
Yet I’ve always believed in Karma. “What goes around comes around,” was a pillar of my belief system in the way I conducted myself while growing up. How I treated people and how I believed people who did not follow such an ideology would get treated if they should abuse their powers of influence.
Quite amazingly what I continue to learn in today’s world is that doing good to receive good is no where near as impactful as doing good because your soul commands you to do good. This minor yet powerfully significant shift of thinking in attitude is an elevated feeling of responsibility towards your very existence and creation. Now that’s a huge statement!
Dharma is as much spiritual as it is practical in the way we do business today.
When our minds wander and ideas bloom inside of our heads. When we have that “a-ha!” moment only later to find that we never took action. And when the intellectual juices and our mojo briefly appear and suddenly slip away, it’s not so much that these ideas disappeared from our agendas, but it’s a sign that we should not be ignoring them.
Let’s face it, you and you alone can connect the dots. You and you alone can also create them to define where you are in life and where you envision yourself to be.
When you feel uncertain about your next career move or feel in doubt that what you are doing truly represents you, I ask you to rejoice. Yes, you heard me: REJOICE!
Rather than have a pounding headache or pound a pint as they say, why don’t you have a pound of goodness that is healthy for your soul and for your future?
It takes a lot to come to terms with ourselves and to practice our own subtle forms of Dharma. We may hear our calling yet find it so hard to act because of reasons like family commitments, mortgages, and obligations to our children–both financial and that of our limited time.
Yet I challenge you to think differently and embrace this calling of conformity to your duty and nature to live out the true contribution you were meant to give to this world for the brief moment that you are a part of it.
What are the costs? The biggest one is uncertainty. It’s the elephant in the room whose trunk blows out “ENOUGH! STABILITY PLEASE!”
And how are stability and uncertainty even remotely compatible?
The biggest question we need to ask ourselves is, how do we live with the pain in knowing that we can do more, because we are more?
Behind the beautiful gateway into India overlooking the Arabian Sea, lies a slum-like outdoor laundry mat not too far away. This contrasting view of two worlds makes the answer to our uncertainties so starkly obvious.
It all boils down to this:
“How comfortable are you taking a risk that could get you closer to self fulfillment vs. the regret of having missed the opportunity of living out your true potential.”
Why go to extremes like this? We really don’t have to, but we must.
I can pretend I never learned about Dharma but when I look myself in the mirror I better be comfortable with my contribution to this world, and so should you…How?
Experiment by doing, not by thinking. Act. Even if it’s few minutes of your day. Act. Talk to people. Reach out to those whose careers may be one you would like for yourself. Ask to shadow someone in a particular industry to validate your beliefs. Not so hard to do if you think about it and it doesn’t cost you a dime, so make the time!
These are just a few of things you could be doing. Remember if you keep on doing the same things, you cannot possibly expect to have different results. Right?
Dharma in its purest form may be impossible for so many of us, but its very existence should serve as a reminder of our moral responsibility to strive to be our best selves.
I believe in you. The power is yours!
Ramy Ballout
Entrepreneur, Business Coach