The pursuit of ideas

I have a friend, who keeps talking about his plans and projects in public. However, the speed of his actions does not match the speed of his ideas. His intentions are not false, but he doesn’t realise that by talking too much about it he let’s the steam off his ideas. He feels so satisfied by talking about it that it becomes a “social reality” for him; as if he has already accomplished the goal. This mental satisfaction doesn’t motivate a person to garner his energies and to do the hard work needed for the success of any project. By and by this friend has earned a reputation of being a “big talker” and people have stopped taking him seriously.

New York University psychology professor Peter Gollwitzer has been studying this human tendency for long and he says, “Once you’ve told people of your intentions, it gives you a ‘premature sense of completeness.’ You have ‘identity symbols’ in your brain that make your self-image. Since both actions and talk create symbols in your brain, talking satisfies the brain enough that it neglects the pursuit of further symbols.”

It is important to understand that we have only one source of energy; it will either express itself through physical activity or it will go to the imaginative part of the brain and disappear into the fairyland of day-dreaming like a stream disappearing into the desert. The body will never generate enough energy to move and work hard to materialise the plans.

Secondly, just by letting the secret out you create jealousy or competition in others. While it feels wonderful to bask in the glory of admiration, but everybody around you is not a well-wisher. Some of them are compulsive envious people, and they have a habit of destroying any constructive thing about to happen. Any new idea or a project is like a new-born sapling — frail, fragile; it needs utmost care and protection. Exposing it too soon to the harsh sunlight or wind can be destructive to its growth.

So does it mean you stop taking people into confidence and strive for your goal single-handedly? Nope. It means you have to move very cautiously. Pick a goal, create a plan to achieve it, get guidance and input from other people who have succeeded in achieving their target, focus totally on doing the work required to achieve your goal.

Osho says, the best option is to remain centered in the heart, which is always silent, intuitive and alert. The mind is a chatterbox and the heart cannot chatter, but it makes it possible for miracles to happen. Let your success talk about itself, it is more eloquent than thousands of words.

Amrit Sadhana is in the management team of Osho International Meditation Resort, Pune. She facilitates medita

tion workshops around the country and abroad.