Perhaps the most beautiful song ever recorded was a few years before I burdened upon the earth, sung by the gorgeous Doris Day. The lyrics of that number caught the imagination of every single listener, regardless of age and gender across time zones of decades! The lyrics went like this, “When I was just a little girl, I asked my mother, what will I be, will I be pretty, will I be rich; Here’s what she said to me, Que Sera, Sera, whatever will be, will be; the future is not for us to see (Note the surrender to fate and destiny). It went further, that when Doris asks her sweetheart, “will I have rainbows, day after day, He said Que, Sera, Sera;” and now Doris as mother to her children says in the lyrics, “ …Children of my own ask, what will I be, will I be handsome, will I be rich, and I say Tenderly, Que Sera, Sera….. the future is not for us to see”.
While as a child and even now I love its lyrics and the romanticism of life it represents, my mind challenges the part, “whatever will be will be”. Nay, it is naturally endowed by Divinity to think alternatively. Indeed, future is unknown, but should we enslave ourselves to fate or is it something that can be altered. Even, within the realm of my religious thought, its course can be changed. How? By thought! “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he”.
The universe is mental-held in the mind of “All” (axiom from antiquity). It has been said by so many, on the pages of human history that man becomes what he thinks of. Jalaluddin Rumi wrote, centuries back, everyday and every moment a thought comes like an honoured guest into your heart. My soul regard each thought as a person, for every person’s true value is the quality of thought they hold.
Purification of thought process enables man to unravel the mysteries of nature; this effort makes dawn of serenity and benevolence in a person. What one sows in the mind - he will reap only that. The question we need to ask ourselves each day is what fodder does the noble soul feed upon? Feed it with benignity, empathy and magnanimity and you have a pristine and pure heart. Action is dependent upon thought; thought is dependent upon how it is framed and architectured within the inner pond; if the pond is clean; the thoughts would be clean; and if the pond is murky; thoughts will be so too.
Thinking is not easy, it is an acquisition, that has to be laboriously deployed, towards formulation of action. It is no harm to be influenced by the thoughts of others, but once taken, those thoughts must necessarily pass through the litmus test of one’s own filters of thinking process. Nietzsche has rightly said, “Profundity of thought belongs to youth, clarity of thought to old age”. Clarity of purpose ensures efficient and effective work. Similarly nobility of purpose will ignite noble thought, leading to noble deeds.
From where do thoughts emerge? We tend to derive them from everyday work/life experience; we build upon borrowed thoughts; we continuously refine our line of thinking, as we progress; through this process, we end up making our very own thoughts.
Thoughts have no form, shape or physical manifestation, yet nothing is more endued with solidity than this ability blessed upon our mind to think and form a thought, unceasingly. Annie Besant had aptly remarked, “Not out of right practical comes right thinking, but out of right thinking comes right practice”.
Should “thought” be subjugated or imprisoned by circumstances? No, nothing is more free and independent than ability of formulating thoughts. No imprisonment could put fetters upon Faiz or Jalib’s “thoughts”. It is an often heard complaint, I am the way I am because of my surrounding circumstances - blaming the beset misery upon other, is a past time, of those, who will not be, what they can be! The devious self dominates to take the easiest route - blame; never acknowledge the vile mind says, to known inadequacies. Although what is easier is to change and alter oneself than attempting to change the entire environment!
Thoughts must have an underlying purpose. Having aims and objectives is prerequisite for the development of any thought. While thinking can never make friends with doubt and fear; it is customary that habitual thoughts become habitual behaviour. Thoughts are like a mirror, they reflect without fear or favour, what we are.
To think is an act of human courage. It is all about direction we give to our lives. Hence, its importance makes demands that can cause pain and despair at times, upon the mind; so that it yields to the dissolution of fears, anxieties and ill-intentions. Destiny must not remain in eternal confinement to our thoughts? Thoughts cannot be cast in stone; these have to be fluid and flexible. We change our destiny by the redefinition of our thoughts; for these are mostly representative of our desires. If anyone thinks, I can’t; then surely he/she cannot.
Thinking managers give a vision, that otherwise is mostly obscure and invisible to other team members. Managers decide if their team would be successful or otherwise, by the expression of their thoughts. If managers/leaders convey by behaviour, fear, insecurities, un-steadfastness, what result can they expect of the team’s performance. If thoughts are important for igniting action, then it would do only good to the leaders, to guide and harness thoughts towards positivity and restrain by reigning their slide towards negative flow of energies.
Our inner thoughts will always determine our outward reality. Internal happiness and confidence, will auto radiate outwardly and so would any affliction with depression or sadness. Our everyday appearance is about our thoughts. They uplift and make our souls soar to newer heights of understanding. Most begin to see, what other market participants cannot. The ability all managers must possess is to translate thought into form and shape, by creating and implementing the thought- deed or action is the cause of a thought; failure to think is to die, before death arrives. Shahjehan thought -- he implemented; the Taj Mahal is now the thought that has immortality attending to it! The birth of good thoughts, bring tidings of death to inglorious thoughts.
A confident manager doesn’t let the noise of ego to derail him of his unique thinking, that is in pursuit of the best for himself, team and the organisation. The true dignity of a manger is spelt through his thought. Nagging thought can be a lifelong vexation. Oscar Wilde viewed thinking as injurious to health and a major cause of death. It can be so, if it is fed with negative emotions.
Finally, had read James Allen and recorded these lines of inspiration for “ thought” to be a successful company:
“you will be what you ‘will’ to be:
Let failure find its false content
In that poor word, “environment”,
But spirit scorns it, and is free.
The human will, that force unseen,
The off-spring of a deathless soul,
Can hew a way to any goal,
Though walls of granite intervene.”
The writer is a banker and freelance contributor