MY PHILOSOPHY OF LIFE
NO EXPECTATIONS – NO DISAPPOINTMENTS
Ruminations on My Birthday
By
VIKRAM KARVE
Are you a result oriented person?
Yes?
Are you obsessed with the “return” you get on your “investments”?
Yes, again?
Then why don’t you try to adopt a philosophical approach to life.
Here is a saying from Lao-tzu from Tao Te Ching:
Fill your bowl to the brim and it will spill.
Keep sharpening your knife and it will blunt.
Chase after money and security and your heart will never unclench.
Care about other people's approval and you will be their prisoner.
Do your work, then step back.
The only path to serenity.
~ Lao-tzu, Tao Te Ching, ch. 9
Yes, that is the key – Do your work, then step back.
Or better still, let Chapter 2 Verse 47 of The Bhagavad Gita be your guide:
karmany evadhikarass te maphalesu kadachana ma karma-phala-hetur bur ma te sango stv akarmani
(Seek to perform your duty; but do not lay claim to its fruits. You have a right to perform your prescribed action, but you are not entitled to the fruits of your action. Never consider yourself the cause of the results your activities, but neither should you avoid doing your duty).
So that’s the moral of the story:
Always do your best without expecting results and you will be happy.
To put it in an nutshell:
NO EXPECTATIONS – NO DISAPPOINTMENTS
RETURN ON INVESTMENT (ROI)
Do you expect a Return on Investment (ROI) on everything?
In today’s materialistic world, when you invest your money you expect a Return on your investment (ROI).
Some persons apply this ROI theory to other domains of their lives as well.
For example, they feel that if they invest in a relationship, especially marriage, they must get returns (ROI).
As far as any relationship, especially marriage, is concerned, it is best to adopt the following philosophy:
No Expectations, No Disappointments, Happy Marriage.
Apply this philosophy in your career, work life too.
Do your job to the best of your ability and then step back and forget about results, rewards etc
Have no expectation, expect no “return” – and you will not be disappointed.
QUID PRO QUO
The first thing to do is to forget about Quid Pro Quo.
Just do what you want to do and step back.
Do not expect anything in return.
Just do something for the sake of doing that something.
Do it because you want to do it, you enjoy doing it, and forget about the results.
From personal experience, I have discovered that this is the best philosophy of life.
Nowadays, I write, I blog – but I do not have any expectations from writing and blogging.
I do not expect any “return” – tangible or intangible – for the effort I invest in blogging.
Yes, I do “invest” plenty of my resources, especially my time and intellect, in writing and blogging, but I do not expect a “return” on my “investment”.
No ROI
No Quid Pro Quo
I blog because I love blogging.
So I write a blog – and then I step back – I forget about the blog I have written – and then I go on to writing my next blog.
Like Lao-tzu says in Tao Te Ching – Do your work, then step back
Remember, if you have no expectations – then you will have no disappointments.
VIKRAM KARVE
Copyright © Vikram Karve
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© vikram karve., all rights reserved.
1. If you share this post, please give due credit to the author Vikram Karve
2. Please DO NOT PLAGIARIZE. Please DO NOT Cut/Copy/Paste this post
© vikram karve., all rights reserved.
Disclaimer:
This is based on my personal experience. It may or may not work for you, so please do due diligence before you adopt any philosophy of life.
Copyright Notice:
No part of this Blog may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the Blog Author Vikram Karve who holds the copyright.
Copyright © Vikram Karve (all rights reserved)
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