What’s on the iPod: I’m Shakin’ by Jack White
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Surrender the ego. You simply cannot attain enlightenment if you’re still attached to your ego and your worldly possessions. The same is true in business– there’s no room for ego when working with clients (well, no room for your ego). It’s business. Any conflict should be filtered through a business perspective – never a personal one. Well, unless they’ve lit you on fire. Then it’s personal.
Full concentration is a must. When meditating, you must shut out all outside noise, ignore anything that seeks to disrupt your concentration. When working with clients, you have to give them all of your attention; otherwise, it’s going to show in the results.
Sanskara can be a bitch. Sanskara is the imprint of a prior experience on your mind that repeats in your life. For example, you keep meeting the same kind of man or woman (the one who keeps breaking your heart), you keep fighting similar battles that you have in the past, or those things you buried (pain and insecurities usually) come bubbling to the surface time and time again. The mind is trying to get you to confront and overcome the sanskara. The same goes for client interactions — you’ll come across people who will try like hell to cheat you, underpay you, push you around, whatever. If you develop a way to confront these situations, you’ll overcome them.
Do no harm. I’ve had bloggers steal my posts. I’ve had clients cheat me out of money. I’ve had friends stab me in the back. The response is private – not public. It has to be. I could call out the blogger who’s swiping my posts, but then I harm that person’s career and the livelihood of that family. I could tattle publicly on bad clients, but then their employees would be at risk, too. I could snipe right back at a friend who’s done me wrong. But then I’ve become just as bad. It’s not a license to be walked on — it’s a consideration for what your actions will mean for everyone those actions touch. Put on a professional face to respond to professional slights. Remember, it’s not personal.
Karma will come. Every action is answered for eventually. If I lie to you today, I could lose my reputation tomorrow when everyone on the Internet realizes it. If you steal my posts, enough people will find out and eventually you’re going to be called out publicly. If that client takes my money, that business reputation will soon catch up with him or her. Each action is meaningful, and each action will alter your world in some way.
Practice makes perfect. Putting what’s important in your life — like meditating twice a day and practicing your asanas (yoga postures) — helps you improve in time, and allows you to create and maintain a healthy life balance. Likewise, practicing your craft and dedicating yourself to improving your knowledge and skills creates a healthier work ethic.
What you said can be summed up as: Always take the high road. In all aspects of life.
That's something that my grandma and dad both lived by. Do the right thing, don't let your anger or hurt feelings get the best of your or you're stooping to the level of the person who wronged you. It doesn't mean you shouldn't stand up for yourself – it simply means taking a thoughtful approach in deciding if and how to do that.
A neighbor gets angry and holds decades-long grudges over even the smallest perceived slights – things I'd attribute to the other person having a bad day or not realizing how their words sounded. She always feels justified and is proud when she tells someone off. I couldn't live that way.
Yes to all, and it amazes me how, most of the time, regular meditation makes this sort of thing easier.