|
RAJGOPAL NIDAMBOOR
First, we must seek what it is that we are aiming at; then, we must
look about for the road by which we can reach it most quickly, said philosopher Seneca, in 58 AD. Things have not changed
much since. For one simple reason -- all of us need help, and
guidance, in our journey through life.
To cut a long
story short. The most successful of people need reminders and fresh articulations
of truth: they also need to constantly rethink, redefine, refocus, and strive
for excellence. Easier said than done? Not really!
Hence, the big question. Are there any, or set of, universal conditions that guarantee
success?
True Success by Tom Morris, a reputed professor
of philosophy, cuts through the maze and offers seven practical
and basic concepts that are a sine qua non for meeting
such challenges. The handy book also provides realistic guidelines
for turning beliefs into practice, and aspirations into realities.
If one of the common maladies of our times is a distorted
understanding of success, Morris sets the ball rolling with
both purpose and finesse. "Genuine achievement,"
he says, "[should] begin with something in the inner
life of thought, feeling, imagination, and judgment, and provide
for our moving into a form of success in the outer world that
will resonate deeply with our innermost needs and values."
Fine. But, how can we attain the sort
of harmony and balance necessary for true success and happiness?
Morris is again pragmatic: "The quest for success should
be an exciting and fulfilling adventure. A desire for success
in any activity should be redefined and enhanced by a broader
perspective on what it takes for success in life."
Morris does not shed new light on old problems; rather, he
draws inspiration from the great thinkers of the past, and
explores the continued relevance of their message in the troubled
times we now live in. Interestingly, Morris also arms his
philosophical Armageddon with the kind of success that is
available to every human being -- living, breathing and thinking
-- which only means using your talents and following your
heart, and not equating wealth, fame, power, or high social
status with success.
Morris lays great emphasis on the power of imaginative vision,
self-talk, inner self-reminders, and envisioning goals. And
persistence, above all. His practical sound bytes, or 7-Cs,
will work, he emphasises, only if they are embodied, used,
lived and integrated into our lives at the most fundamental
level of habit: clear conception, confidence, focused concentration,
stubborn consistency, emotional commitment, good character,
and capacity to enjoy the process.
Philosophers have always identified the basic dimensions of
human life as: the intellectual dimension, which aims at truth;
the aesthetic dimension, which aims at beauty; the moral dimension,
which aims at goodness; and, the spiritual dimension, which
aims at God.
Dimension is where the action is. Philosophical
dimensions must be cultivated for true excellence to be attained.
However, there's no halfway house in this sojourn. Says Morris:
"A spiritual malaise… within any person, inevitably
infects relations between, and among persons, preventing them
from being the best that they can be."
Morris is spot on. Because, "The secret of success,"
as Benjamin Disraeli said, "is constancy of purpose." No
more, no less.
Right?!
|
