3 Entrepreneur Lessons from the Bhagavad Gita
Lately, I felt a nudge to share learnings from my entrepreneurial journey in the context of Yoga philosophy, specifically the teachings from Bhagavad Gita. I don’t have extensive knowledge in the field to call myself any kind of expert. I only felt called to share my embodied experience, however little they are, to apply it to other areas of life and perhaps cultivate a deeper awareness of our actions. Sharing my thoughts publicly feels like a path of healing for me and a ‘food for thought’ for others.
So let’s start from the beginning. How did I even end up here? Here, meaning, a self-employed business owner, running a brick-and-mortar.
The story still gets me warm and fuzzy every time I share my journey with curious minds. In retrospect, it was a combination of divine intervention, wise counsel, and generous support received. I just came out from a marketing role in 2018 and was keen to study a subject completely out of my field. I was never a science buff and neither did I take Biology in school. Yet I was thoroughly fascinated by “Foundations of Ayurveda”. One moment inspired the other, and a year later, I got a new job (still Marketing) and lucked out to have a supportive superior/mentor who cheered me on as I furthered my studies in Ayurvedic bodywork. Not long after, I found myself in “Karma Disneyland”, belted on the “Entrepreneur Roller Coaster” where I’m learning to trust the ride, enjoy the thrills of the highs, and embrace the jaw-dropping lows.
According to Yoga, the Life-Stage plan where most of us are hustling and providing for our household is known as Grihasta Ashrama or Householder Stage. Grihastha is said to be the most intense phase of life because of the complexity of physical, emotional, relational, economic, social and material attachments and interactions that exist in our lives.
To me, the path of entrepreneurship dials up the intensity twofold, making it a fast-track Sadhana (spiritual practice) to experience, release, and evolve (hopefully!). It brings to the surface the dysfunctional scale in which I was labeling my successes and failures, my hyper-spiritualised ideas, and my vicious self-talk.
I'd like to share three takeaways from my limited experience thus far.
#1 Content in Self, by the Self
“The one who lets go of all ego-based desires (Kaama), and is content in the Self, by the Self–such a person is said to have steady insight into Self.”
From the get go, I knew the reason for pursuing this “job” was never to fulfill a noble act for the world, but to come closer to my truth. I am fully aware that not everyone has the privilege to allow their job to be a path of intense inner work, and this makes it even more valuable. Recognising this knowledge is a step forward, and actively working with the mind to detach from ego-based desires is the next crucial step, but a very tough one to move through.
Ego-based desires in this instance might look like material wealth and frivolous fame. The volatility of month-on-month sales can make one live in constant fear and insecurity if that is what we base our self-worth on. Apart from money, other measures such as the number of appointment bookings, social media traction, and customer reviews, are useful assessments to improve but ultimately do not reflect on one’s worthiness. From the yogic viewpoint, these are known to be ‘Asat’, that which is perishable and has no lasting nature. Whereas, ‘Sat’ is imperishable and independent. ‘Sat’ is the true nature of the Self we should seek.
If we validate our sense of self from ego-based desires, we fall into the traps of disappointment and resentment when things turn south. Very bluntly put, everyone at some point would disappoint you, as they do not operate as you.
To find contentment in the Self, by the Self, we must identify the unchanging, eternal quality (Sat) that we recognise within ourselves. With a steady insight into what fuels inner joy and true purpose, the actions are taken without desires. Contentment then, is a natural result of our unshaken clarity. We are unfazed by setbacks, we receive constructive feedback with gratitude, and we are not attached to good results.
#2 I am my own best friend
“One should raise the self by the self (mind) and not allow the self to sink, for the mind alone is the friend of the self, and the mind alone is the enemy. The mind is the friend of those whose mind has been conquered. But for them whose mind is not conquered, the mind, like an enemy, remains hostile.”
In the Gita verse, Shri Krishna is explaining to Arjuna that we’re battling against a deeply complex mind. Like a brave and wise warrior, we must scout the field we are battling upon and know who are we fighting against. When we conquer the mind (our enemy), the mind then works in our favour (our friend).
One of the many perks of being self-employed is flexible work hours. Like a double-edged sword, we can either feel liberated or disorderly, depending on where our mind swings. Without structure and stability, there is a natural tendency for the mind to be distracted by the next shiny object or be swallowed by illusions of self. Hence, “I am my own best friend” means fostering discipline to fight against the low-quality desires for lasting-peace that we deeply crave.
When we stablise the turbulence of our mind, the battle is half won. When I show up for different aspects of work, I learn to speak gently to the parts of me that are slowly stepping out of her comfort zone, and exercise discernment to the other parts that often find ways to escape certain duties. This is a constant work-in-progress and a tango between self-compassion and self-discipline.
#3 Let God be the co-creator of my life
“Those who think of Me and worship Me exclusively. Their prosperity and welfare (Yoga and Kshema) are looked after by Me”
Allowing God to be the co-creator is one of the most rewarding partnerships in my life. This meant that all activities, no matter how mundane, are acts of devotion (Bhakti) offered to my Ishta-Devata (my personal deity). In that act of offering them to the Divine, I release myself from the chains of desires and expectations. There is a sense of fullness in knowing that all I have offered to the Divine, is enough. My doubts and fears are replaced by unflinching faith (Shraddha) that my Divine has my back, and the external resources and inner fulfillment I received are His Promised Blessings.
Allowing God to participate in my life meant that I am actively engaging in the field of Higher Reality, gradually closing the gap between “Spiritual” and “Practical”. As a Householder, my practical life is the sacred ritual ground and my actions are the flowers offered to the Divine for my spiritual growth.
In my Guru’s words, allowing the Divine to participate in our everyday lives helps faith win over fear. For the power of faith paves the way for understanding the True Self.
There are many more lessons to be told and I hope to share them in future posts. If you’ve enjoyed reading this short post (or not), please share your thoughts as it tells me whether I’m bringing value to you.
Thank you for reading and being here.
Love,
Candice
