Tough, selfless way of work looks scary at first look. Relax! It is not if you really understand the meaning. Living with selfish and difficult people is a challenge even for those persons who are by and large decent people. In modern times some people find emptiness in their life because they treat their work as a hindrance whereas others seem not to have any discontent with work and in fact enjoy it. Hence, the people who feel their jobs empty find such persons who enjoy work challenging to understand. The fact is for few, working is only a means of earning and nothing else, but for others it is beyond money for leading a better life. Rather than working for their own benefit people should direct themselves to ‘Tough selfless work’ that ultimately leads to a noble life.
Lets first realize the basic meaning of tough and selflessness for better understanding of this topic.
What is the actual meaning of being ‘Tough’?
- Tough means personal inconvenience
or doing the work in such a way that it is helpful to others. Generally, people cause discomfort to others to make their own lives easier and do not bother thinking how the action will impact the opposite person. With busy schedules and commitments overflowing, people have least time to evaluate the difference between positive and negative consequences of their actions.
- An automatic action may seem normal or positive to one person, but it might cause a big destructive impact on others. No one can be 100% flawless, but it is common sense to analyze how those acts are affecting others, and what should be done to be helpful or prevent inconvenience to others.
- One of the key noble virtues in Indian spirituality is Upeksha. Upeksha is there in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. Upeksha means to treat good and bad, tough and easy in the same manner. It is about having equanimity or having stoicism. The underlying logic is that looking for convenience sets expectation of comfort that makes life more difficult than it is. For that reason, it is suggested not to expect convenience.
- Doing work that is helpful to others may be inconvenient to us. Just doing things in a different manner that what comes automatically takes mental effort. But at the end, the work is helpful to others and will guarantee us appreciation from the receiver of the service.
What is being Selfless?
- Our view point of selfless is manipulated by selfishness due to our pursuit of success in modern world. Connection with another person’s soul is considered a selfless activity. It has nothing to do with us losing but finding a place for another person in our success. So selflessness is not a punishment but something that gives satisfaction.
- In more mechanical terms it can be explained further by delayed gratification and reducing our share (in %) of the reward. Delayed gratification is resisting the temptation of an immediate or smaller reward in order to attain a bigger or better reward later. We can associate this theory of delayed satisfaction with the old saying “Good things come to those who wait”.
- Delayed gratification or controlling the impulse of immediate gratification has been one of the most effective personal traits of many successful people. If a person wants to achieve success in personal and professional aspects then following the path of delayed gratification or self-regulation is very important.
- Many people find it difficult to pursue an opportunity if they need to share a portion of their reward with someone else. This inability to share the reward even with those who help in achieving success is selfishness and accommodating others in the success is a sign of selflessness.
Our view point of life is affected by superficial and mechanical approach. What is convenient, selfish way of life seems to be better at first look. Actually it is not. In fact, it creates obstacles to prosperity for leading a good life. Most of the individuals do not even think beyond this outlook and for this reason are not able to progress in life in both personal and professional aspects. We hope this article gives you a better framework to pursue success.