Sadhguru: This goal-orientedness, “I want to win the race!”
See, if you treat life as a race, if you have to win it, you have to get to the finish line soon, isn't it?
Do not fix life, either yours or anybody else’s.
Do you have the courage and commitment to make the possibility into a reality?
Inevitably it’ll yield, how can it not yield?
Questioner: Namaskaram Sadhguru. I am Elena Jacob, student of third year architecture.
My question is we live in a society where people are...have… where we find people who are extrovert and introvert in nature.
So the people who are extrovert, they are confident enough to express themselves,
but meanwhile in this competitive world, people who are introvert,
will they ever be able to make a stand or mark as good as the way the extroverts do it.
And even if they manage to reach somewhere in life, will they continue to be an introvert?
Sadhguru: See, the difference between this extrovert or introvert is, or what these two things are is,
it’s like mistaking your exhalation for inhalation and inhalation for exhalation.
There is no such thing as extrovert or introvert – do not classify people like that.
Some people see that they need to act and reach out. Some people see there is not much need for that.
So maybe they are not on the Twitter and Facebook and whatever, this doesn’t mean they’re introvert – they have a life of their own.
We should not judge people like this. Every human being has the right to be whichever way they want,
but now the question is, “If I am not extrovert, will I be able to do things in the world?”. That’s the main aspect of the question.
See, your ability to do things is not, because you want to do things.
I want to do something is my desire.
Desire is just an intention. An intention won’t make things happen.
An intention will only set direction. Still you have to make the journey, isn't it?
Now, one important thing, especially because you’re artists, you’re not in business program or something like that,
I think you should look at life like this – you must see how to enhance this one (Referring to oneself).
Enhance this one means not blow up your ego in a big way, enhance the life that you are.
When I say life, I am talking about the life that you are.
I am not talking about your body, I am not talking about the structure of your mind,
I am not talking about… See, when people say life, you are supposed to decipher –
they could be talking about their home, they could be talking about their relationship,
they could be talking about their car or their dog or something, my life means something.
I am not talking about that; I am talking about the life that you are.
Are you a life? Are you really a life?
Participants: Yes.
Sadhguru: Or just a bundle of thoughts, emotions, ideas, prejudices, opinions? Most people are just this.
Because of that, we make conclusions – this is an introvert, this is an extrovert.
Because without conclusion, you can’t have a thought.
You need conclusions and conclusions and conclusions about everything.
Now I need to conclude this is introvert, this is extrovert.
Otherwise, my thought every time freaks, “Okay, wh... who the hell is she?”
But human faculties are such I don’t have to conclude, I can just look.
This moment how she is, that’s all that matters. Yesterday how she was, doesn’t matter, isn't it?
And tomorrow how she’s going to be, you have no clue.
Yes or no?
Do not fix life, either yours or anybody else’s.
Do not fix it because what you are calling as human life is a possibility.
To make this possibility into a reality, you have to travel a distance.
Do you have the courage and the commitment to travel that distance, that’s all the question is?
It doesn’t matter what is your level of your intelligence, what is your level of capability, introvert, extrovert, this, that – doesn’t matter.
Do you have the courage and commitment to make the possibility into a reality, that’s all the question is?
So if you focus, whatever you’re doing right now, it doesn’t matter what it is.
How simple an act you’re doing right now, it doesn’t matter,
if you’re absolutely devoted to that that you’re doing right now, depending upon various aspects, things will unfold.
But, because of Western influences, we’ve become too goal-oriented.
Goal-oriented means we are interested in the consequence, but we are not interested in the process.
If you are not interested in the process, you should not be an artist.
If you’re not interested in the prot… process, you should never design a building, because it’s going to land on somebody’s head.
Yes?
Process is an end in itself.
If you are absolutely devoted to the process, depending upon various aspects, something will come out.
But now we are interested in the consequence, not in the process.
This goal-orientedness, “I want to get there, I want to get there!” Where the hell do you want to get?
“No, I want to win the race!” See, if you treat life as a race,
if you have to win it, you have to get to the finish line soon, isn't it?
You want to? Hello?
If you get to the finish line ahead of all these people, you won the race!
You know what the finish line is? We’ll be negotiating where to bury you (Laughter).
So particularly being in creative arts, don’t ever think of a goal.
“What should I become? How should I be? What should I create?” – Don’t worry about these things.
If you’re devoted to the process, something will come out, something more beautiful than you imagined will happen,
because you’re devoted to the process.
Without devotion...I am specifically using the word devotion, because people think devotion means going to the temple, church, or mosque.
No, without devotion, either in sport, art, music, spirituality, politics, business, anything, any arena of life,
has anybody done anything truly significant without being absolutely devoted to what they are doing?
Have they? No. Mediocre things you can do.
So do not think of art and aesthetics as a way to earn a living – living will happen. Living will happen –
this is what I am promising people of all professions, no matter what, especially if you are a (an?) artist.
If you have problem with bread, you come to me.
I will make sure you have a roof and a bread, only thing I want to see is you’re focused on something, I don’t care what.
Nothing came out of your focus, I don’t care, but I want to see you focused on something.
I can’t stand unfocused people, that’s all (Applause).
I am… I am making a (an?) open ended offer. Anybody who’s worrying about bread, you just come to me,
I’ll make sure you eat for the rest of your life and you have a place to stay,
but I want to see you at least twelve hours a day focused on something – whatever the damn thing is.
I won’t ask you what you’re focused on, but I want to see you focused.
Because if a human being stays focused on something, inevitably it’ll yield, how can it not yield?
The universe will yield to you if you are focused.