There is no way to succeed, with your peace intact, other than through standpoints. A life without principles is the life of a ticketless traveller.
Compromising on principles that you believe in will amount to prostituting the soul. If you don’t have something to stand for, you will fall for everything.
The following are some of the sayings of Mahatma Gandhi, and in his case, he not only said it but also lived by it with every breath, unto his last breath.
My religion is based on truth and non-violence. Truth is my God. Non-violence is the means of realising Him.
A ‘No’ uttered from the deepest conviction is better than a ‘Yes’ merely uttered to please, or worse, to avoid trouble.
To believe in something, and not to live it, is dishonest.
Even if you are a minority of one, the truth is the truth.
In matters of conscience, the law of the majority has no place.
Great people didn’t complicate their life. They kept it simple. They aligned their lives to some timeless principles, made them the STANDPOINTS of their lives, and more importantly stood by their standpoints, no matter what the test of circumstances were.
Truth and Non-violence were two fundamental standpoints, living by which the Atma transformed himself into a Mahatma.
The first thought that comes to a common man, while talking about standpoints is, “Won’t it make us inflexible and adamant?” Of course, Mahatma Gandhi was absolutely adamant about his standpoints, and yet he is celebrated as Ahimsa-murthi (The sacred form that symbolised non-violence).
Lord Mahavira wasn’t flexible about his standpoints. “Live and let live” meant “Unconditionally, uncompromisingly, with no negotiations, verbatim, literally, in word and spirit – Live and let live.” And he is worshipped as the Lord of Compassion. So, what if he was called blasphemous and he was crucified for his standpoints?
Today, almost 32% of the world population worship Jesus Christ. That’s the power and potency of standpoints.
“Is it practical in today’s world?” you may ask. First-of-all, even today, the Tatas with absolute ethical and moral standpoints are showing that you can be the best amongst the best. Sachin Tendulkar, even after retirement, still earns in crores in advertising and endorsements with absolute standpoints that he will not feature for any tobacco or alcoholic products.
Our own infinithoughts magazine, without gossips, without journalism, without current affairs, without vulgar pictures, refusing to accept any advertisement that’s not good for the society, without any gender or religious bias, with all standpoints intact, has been a revolution in its own right.
Secondly, there is no way to succeed, with your peace intact, other than through standpoints. A life without principles is the life of a ticketless traveller. Compromising on principles that you believe in will amount to prostituting the soul. If you don’t have something to stand for, you will fall for everything.
If you cannot stand on your point, under all circumstances, then it is not a standpoint.
If you choose to be flexible, be flexible on all the inconsequential aspects of life, but not on matters of principles. In matters of relationships, be flexible. In matters of principles, stand like a rock; take a standpoint.
Somehow, from the beginning, reputation has been put above character in most of your minds. Character is ‘who you are’ and reputation is ‘what the world thinks of you’.
You have been, time and again, asked to ensure that you earn a good name at school, a good name with your teachers, a good name in your neighbourhood, a good name with your relatives; a good name here, a good name there, a good name everywhere and a good name every time.
Such is the focus on earning a good name that the very first thought for most of you is, ‘What will the world think of me, if I do this or don’t do it’, and not ‘What will I become or not become by doing this or not doing it’. Your life is not lived through your spectacles but through the spectacles of others. ‘How should the world see me?’ More than your desire for a good name, it is the fear of earning a bad name that drives most of your lives.
Man has been turned against himself by making him ‘other people conscious’. Your main focus is no longer on ‘who you are’ or ‘who you can be’, but on earning ‘goodwill points’ by appearing to be good in the eyes of the world. Rather than being good, it has become imperative to appear good. When what you want to do is one thing and what you end up doing is another thing, you create an inner conflict.
Any form of inner conflict will result in an agitated mind. An agitated mind can only cause confusion and never clarity. When you accept a principle but do not live by it, you land yourself in guilt, regret, remorse, self-condemnation and inner complex.
No matter what you gain, if it comes at the cost of your peace, it is still a loss. There are many ways to come up in life but the only way to peacefully succeed in life is through the power of standpoints. It is better to earn a bad name and live a good life, than to earn a good name and live a bad life. Interestingly, when you take this path, you end up living a good life and also earn a good name.
It is not about being a rebel without a cause. It is not about being irresponsible with the ‘I don’t care’ attitude. It is not about being apathetic to the feelings of others. It is not about a ‘me, mine and myself’ selfish life. On all the inconsequential matters, let us adapt to the world. On all matters of principle, let us teach the world to adapt to us.
Standpoints are the most practical way to succeed, with your peace intact. If lower ideals can produce results, then let us realise, higher ideals can produce even better results. Standpoints have been the way of the legends. So, it must work for the common man too.
After all, formula does not care who applies it; as long as it is applied properly, it does work. Standpoints are a proactive way to live life. Standpoints are the framework for decision-making, independent and irrespective of circumstances. Instead of circumstances creating a man, if man has to create his own circumstances, standpoints are the way.
Design your Destiny:
Everything about life is unpredictable. The consequences of our choices, people’s response, the social, political, technological, and climatic conditions of life are all unpredictable. Let your standpoints be that one predictable constant, anchored on which, all the other unpredictable variables can be managed.
Choose at least 3 standpoints and live by it just for one year and experience the power of standpoints.
Some suggested standpoints:
Payments will be made every Tuesday, and only on Tuesdays.
After 8, I will stay off my phone.
During an important meeting, everybody involved should abstain from using the phone.
I will not do business with anyone, where I know the source of their money isn’t right.
I will be a traffic-rule-abiding citizen and not a traffic-constable-abiding citizen.
I will kill my ego and save relationships and never kill relationships to save my ego.
Independent of the other, I will always be on time
Only those who have completed three years with the organisation get their salary-advance.
I will skip a meal on the days I haven’t exercised my body.
I am the creator of my feelings and that even God cannot change.
I will always speak the truth. I will maintain personal integrity.
I will conquer the gap between waking up and getting up.
