Gearing Up for Spiritual Renaissance II

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Beyond the personality is the character. You have a choice here; either the environment can dictate the personality or the character of the person dictates the personality. The prior is a ‘reactive approach,.’’ and the latter is the ‘proactive approach.’ There is a great belief all successful people of character carry consciously or unconsciously, people do not change we change. Change is being open, and it needs to be a person of a strong character to be open to change. Change is stepping out of your comfort zone. When you do so; there is a fear of the unknown. To face the fear of the unknown one needs courage.

Courage is taking action in spite of the fear of failure. This can happen only when there is a strong purpose for which you work. So when you work for a ‘purpose,’ you work out of the comfort zone, and there is a strong sense of commitment to it, which generates courage. Commitment and character go hand in hand.

The character of the person is the way he or she operates in the higher layers. In part – I, we discussed the first three layers viz. environment, behavior, and capabilities. The first of the higher layers which defines the character is the layer of ‘beliefs and values’. Beliefs are emotionally held opinions. These can change very easily through experiences and learning. Values are factors important to us. As we evolve, we start acquiring higher values. The value study of individuals can define their suitability to a particular assignment. A value system can define the inner person. It is essential to incorporate the right value systems in the people. The values based on principles are what we need for a spiritual renaissance to start in an organization.

Principles are a higher set of rules that govern us, and they have to be taken consciously, and we need to align ourselves with them. Principles are the law of nature. These are objective and can be applied everywhere. The paradox is we already know them, but we do not practice them. When we lead our lives based on principles, we are aligned with growth. There is no instant gratification formula; neither would I say slow and steady. You get what you deserve at the appropriate time. But my experience is that it is certainly much more than what we would get through compromises. The law of nature is the law of the ‘cause and effect’, which is discussed extensively in the Vedas. It is also interpreted, as what you sow is what you reap. There is a cycle in every process you need to follow, and there is no shortcut. One can choose to do an elaborate work on the laws of nature. The Law of nature is essentially summarized as commitment, symbiotic relationships, growth, and consequence in line with the choice you exercise. Time has come to realign with the laws of nature.

The next layer is the ‘identity’. You can attend some self – introspection labs and initiate work on this. The introspection labs are all about identifying our gaps and discovering who we really are. The common misconception is that you need to go to the mountains for this introspection work, which is not true. You know who you are. It is only that you need to give yourself an appointment and an effort to find out. Your identity defines the work and the behavior which is congruent with your true self. Congruence essentially means to ‘walk your talk’. When you have taken action in violation of your identity you do not get the satisfaction. When your value system is violated your decision or action is impaired. The negative emotions of immobilization take over. Every negative emotion seeks approval. You know your values and identity is violated hence you seek approval from outside. Your identity is your core. All decisions and actions are based on it. It shapes your life. It is a name that helps you with your ultimate contribution to the world. I have seen some very unique identities evolving like a healer, change agent, the Phoenix, nurturer of growth, etc.

Your values and beliefs and the core identity is the base of the character. Once it is aligned, then the scope of your contribution can be defined. Each person is here on this planet to evolve through a unique identity and experience and capabilities. It is by design. Whether you choose to believe it or not it is your choice. Because as I said before planet Earth is a planet of choice and each individual is free to make the choice he or she likes.

Once the character development process is over, then there is a complete shift in the pattern of the people. They are sure of their values, and hence decision making is prompt. One is also then sure of the capabilities and the environment we want to work in. Behaviour is no longer an issue.

Once all these layers are aligned, we are ready for the highest layer, the spiritual layer. The layer at which, our contribution and evolution take form. This we shall take up in the next part. Till then I hope readers would give it a thought and prepare for the ‘Spiritual Renaissance’.