Be your own source of energy and inspiration!

[Paramahamsa]

Be your own source of energy and inspiration!

People tell me, ‘Swamiji, we don’t do things for praise or approval; we do them because it is our duty.’ Be very clear: the moment you claim that you are doing your duty, you are doing it because if you don’t do it, your people will stop approving of you. Your people will approve of you as long as you fulfill every small thing that is expected of you. Even if there is a small slip in what you are doing, you will be able to see the change in their relationship with you. You know this and so you do your duty

You will say, ‘Swamiji, I am their father. If I don’t provide for them, who will?’ I am not saying that you should not provide for them. You have given birth to them; you have to provide for them until such time that they become independent and do things for themselves. But what you are doing, do out of no expectation whatsoever. Let it be an act which is an expression of the loving energy inside you, without any sort of expectation. Right now, you might claim that you are not doing it out of any expectation, but when reciprocity from the other side dips a little, you will know; you will be able to observe the tension in you, the disappointment in you. This tension, this disappointment is the result of the expectation that was inside you when you did your duty. The degree of these may vary with each person, but it will be there at some level.

And when it is there, you are not doing it out of just an expression of the loving energy in you; you are doing it out of a lesser, limited quality called duty or so-called love.

The Bhagavad Gita beautifully says:

“Karmanyevaadhikaaraste maa phaleshu kadaachanah“

It means, Your job is only to do the work, not to be concerned about the result.

Whatever you do should be an overflowing of the loving energy inside you. Then, you are not bothered about the results. When I say you are not bothered about the results, I don’t mean that out of a frustrated or cynical conclusion, you are not bothered. What I mean is, you don’t even know to expect results because you are continuously moving and expressing your blissful inner energy. So we can’t even say that you don’t expect results. You are just flowing joyfully, that’s all! This flowing energy is real love.

When you start expecting from other people, there will be no end to it. And let me tell you: the most difficult thing is to satisfy all the people around you. Do you think you can satisfy all the people all the time? Never. It is the most impossible thing to do on planet earth.

A small story:

A husband and wife were celebrating their fifty years of marriage.

The wife presented the husband with two shirts.

He was very touched and declared that they would go out for dinner instead of cooking at home.

It was a very tender moment for them.

He freshened up and to make his wife happy, wore one of the gift shirts and appeared from his room.

As he came down, she looked up and smiled, but soon her expression changed and she asked, ‘So the other shirt is no good?’

It is never possible to make another totally happy!

First of all, try to satisfy yourself; find fulfillment in yourself. That is enough. And let this fulfillment have nothing to do with the people around you. Let it be just a bubbling energy inside you, irrespective of the conditions and people outside. That is enough. It is good to do something for others; it is good to give attention, give respect – but out of a deep energizing love, not out of fear; not because we are afraid that they will take away their certificates. It is not worth investing so much in others’ opinions that they become the center of your life. Don’t make others the source of your energy.

As I told you earlier: because you don’t know anything about yourself, you turn to society for an answer. And society happily puts its labels on you: You are a good father. You are good-looking. You are a failure and what not.

In the same way as a parcel without a proper address is pushed from place to place, we move around collecting all these labels. But we don’t know that we are not the labels, but the stuff inside the parcel.

When you are dependent on others for your happiness, you are giving them control of your life. Be your own source of energy and inspiration! Come to a clear understanding that real joy is not possible when you place your center on someone else. If you understand this, half the problem is solved.

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