Sunday, August 20, 2017

No Expectations – No Disappointments

NO EXPECTATIONS – NO DISAPPOINTMENTS
Philosophical Ruminations of a Veteran
By
VIKRAM KARVE

Are you a result oriented person...?

Yes...?

Are you obsessed with the “return” you get on your “investments”...?

Yes...?

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 good 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, your work life too.

Do your job to the best of your ability – then step back – and forget about results, rewards etc

Have no expectations  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 my 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 I go on to writing my next blog.

Like Lao-tzu says in Tao Te Ching: 

Do your work  then step back

Dear Reader – Remember: 

If you have no expectations – then you will have no disappointments

VIKRAM KARVE
Copyright © Vikram Karve 
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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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