The Hindu Business Line : Principles that de-stress

As India prepares to celebrate 61 years of Independence, it is time to mull over what is truly Indian. At Global Adjustments, we work with multinational companies and people from many cultures who come to India with the waves of globalisation. They always ask us what it is that keeps us all calm and happy and how we find the inner balance lacking in some other cultures.

I was reminded of this during a recent talk (available online at www.Vedantavidyarthisangha.org) by Swami Parmarthananda, under whom I have had the good fortune to study.

Today’s new managers might do well to get a refresher programme on a stress-free work-life principle. This principle, called karma yoga in Sanskrit, can be remembered with the acronym RIDE.

The basis of all action, according to our beliefs, should be dictated by one principle — proper action (that which is correct and ethical) with the proper attitude (actions are seen as an offering to a superior force and results are accepted as we do a holy blessing). So what is this proper action and proper attitude and what is RIDE?

R — Reduce incorrect or unethical activity: Gradually reduce all non value-based actions; those actions and responses in life which become obstacles to our emotional balance by remaining in our hearts. A simple rule is: “I avoid doing what I don’t want others to do to me. I watch my action and responses, identify and eliminate the inappropriate parts of thought, word and deed.”

For example, “If I don’t want to be spoken to rudely, I don’t speak rudely even to my office boy who places the coffee cup on my desk each day.”

I — Increase dharmic or appropriate and correct actions: Here is a modern, non-ritualistic version of the Pancha Maha Yagna or daily practice of five responsibilities prescribed in the Hindu scriptures that could easily apply to our work days. We increase responsibility when we show:

To the supreme: A respectful attitude towards the five elements (at work the non-pollution or conservation of air, wind, water, earth).

To living creatures: Corporate tree planting campaigns, environment friendly recycling, supporting animal NGOs.

To humanity: Any Corporate Social Responsibility to people causes, even simply being respectful of team members.

To institutions: Supporting with time or money the various institutions that promote cultural learning.

To elders: Show respect, give time and resources to senior citizens with every opportunity provided in our work life.

D — Dedicate all actions to a divine being who oversees the universe, so that there is a good balance of the material and spiritual in our life. Then step forward and do our best to win, compete and fight justly to give our maximum output.

E — Experience all results as a blessing and a lesson to improve. If and when we fail, get rid of the ‘why me’ syndrome. Look for hidden messages and work on criticisms to improve performance; know there is no injustice in life. Most painful experiences often have the best hidden messages; people who have been given the ‘pink slip’ or let off from a job in the US have ended up as extremely successful entrepreneurs. When we succeed, we should share it with others as no man is an island. Remember the team effort that allowed us, as a new manager, to succeed.

There are clear benefits to RIDE:

Self esteem: Being more outward looking, we become less ‘me focused’. We become a contributor rather than a consumer and find a meaning to our life and job. We see the bigger picture of the work we are doing and it will replace our low self-image and inferiority complex converting it to heightened self-esteem.

Serenity: Calmness, confidence and cheerfulness increases with this mental training.

It is not fatalistic; we do our very best and acknowledge that there is a contributory role we play which is vital.

Harmony: At the micro level, our teammates and our family; at the macro level the whole environment is maintained in harmony as we contribute to spread harmony.

Only in India do we have the wonderful teaching of sanatana dharma or the eternal principles. Let us salute mother India and set forth to conquer the world. Vande Mataram.

(The writer is Founder CEO of Global Adjustments, a relocation and cross-cultural training company and the author of Doing Business in India for Dummies. She can be contacted at globalindian@globaladjustments.com)