You can only set a goal according to your present level of understanding and knowledge,
isn’t it?
You think you’ve reached a point where you know everything in the universe?
So if you set a goal, what kind of goal will you set?
A very meager goal.
I would tell the young people, “Don’t set a goal”.
If you have absolute devotion to what you’re doing right now,
depending upon the times and the opportunities, we will go as far as we go.
But if you are always concerned about the finish line,
If you get to the goal, you will be disappointed, if you don’t get there, you will be broken.
Most successful people on the planet - How many of them are joyfully driving their BMW?
Only those who are absolutely devoted to what they are doing,
they have done significant things on this planet, and that’s what you must do
Speaker: Sadhguru, all of us sitting in this hall have some goals,
and as most of us are students, our goals are at the maximum level.
We would like to know, we are very eager to know, when you were of our age,
what was that thing which you wanted to become?
What was your goal?
Sadhguru: Oh (Laughs), this is beginning like an interrogation (Laughter).
Well, frankly, I had no goal of any kind to such a point that my father used to (Gestures)…
“What will this boy do?
He’s not interested in anything.”
Well, it was completely wrong, because I was interested in so many things.
I was not interested in the things that he was interested (Laughs).
I was absolutely interested in many, many things.
See when we say “goals,” we must understand this,
from where you are, if you set a goal for your life,
you can only set a goal according to your present level of understanding and knowledge,
isn’t it?
You think you’ve reached a point where you know everything in the universe?
So if you set a goal, what kind of goal will you set?
A very meager goal.
And if you grow rapidly, you’ll be terribly disappointed with your own goal.
But this has been taught to you in the recent years, that you must be “goal oriented.”
If you…
Let’s say you want mangoes in your house if you want mangoes, you don’t have to think
of mangoes.
You have to think of soil, you have to think of manure, you have to think of water, you
have to think of sunlight.
None of them look or taste like mangoes.
But if you take care of those things, mangoes will come.
But suppose you have a strong desire for mango, but you did nothing about growing a mango
tree in your home, you will want to steal it from him, if he
has.
Yes or no?
So if you have goals – what you’re calling as “goals” is just your desires,
and your desires are just an outcome of the kind of thought process that you have right
now.
The kind of thought process that you have right now is only dependent upon
the sort of data that you have collected right now.
In twenty years’ time of life, what kind of data do you believe you have
gathered to set a goal for life?
Not necessary.
So this is something that I’m bringing about.
Recently…
Every year we have this business…
we have a business event in the month of November.
Many business leaders come…
All the top business leaders have been there.
Two-hundred CEOs come every year to train with us for four days.
So last year, one of them was asking me, who is running a major multi-national company,
“Sadhguru, we pick the best from the IITs and IIMs and we keep paying them more and
more and they keep asking for more and more.
But when I look at your organization, you pay nothing to any of them,
and it seems to function many times better than our corporation.
What is the secret?”
I said, “See, this is all it is we are devoted to the process, we are not
concerned about the goal.
We are absolutely devoted to the process.”
Because our devotion to the process of what we’re doing right now…
If you do not do what you’re doing right now well,
your goal is just going to be a fancy desire, isn’t it?
Hello?
Participants: Yes.
Sadhguru: Yes or no?
Hello?
Participants: Yes.
Sadhguru: Your goal is going to be just a fanciful desire that you’ve made up in your
mind, and that is not even yours, your goals are
all borrowed from ten other people.
Whatever is the trend today, that is your goal, isn’t it?
I would tell the young people, “Don’t set a goal”.
If you have absolute devotion to what you’re doing right now,
depending upon the times and the opportunities, we will go as far as we go.
But if you are always concerned about the finish line and not the step that you’re
taking right now, you will fall flat on your face, most probably.
If you get to the goal, you will be disappointed, if you don’t get there, you will be broken.
Most successful people on the planet…
I want you to just look at it, don’t just go by what I say, just go on
the street and watch people.
Leave the people who are driving bullock cart and this and that.
Just watch those people who are driving BMWs, Mercedes and whatever else, okay?
Successful people, just carefully watch them.
How many of them are joyfully driving their BMW?
Hello?
How many of them are joyfully driving their dream car that they worked for?
You will see hardly anybody…
hardly anybody unless it’s a stolen car (Laughter/Applause).
So those who have gotten to their goals are disappointed,
those who could not get there are broken and frustrated.
What’s the point of a life like this?
Your ability to do things is enhanced only when you’re absolutely, absolutely devoted
to the process in which you’re involved.
I’m using the word devotion intentionally, because people think devotion means going
to the temple.
You tell me, in any field, any arena of life – sport, art, music, politics, spirituality,
you name it whatever you want, academics Has anybody reached any significant levels
of achievement without being devoted to what they are doing?
Hello?
Participants: No.
Sadhguru: Has anybody reached?
Mediocre things they’ve done.
Only those who are absolutely devoted to what they are doing,
they have done significant things on this planet,
and that’s what you must do (Applause) Moderator (Praneet): Sadhguru, so as you told
us that goals…
those who achieve the goals (Sadhguru Gestures) aren’t that happy, and
those who don’t have…
Sadhguru: I thought I’ll just scare you a little bit (Laughter).
Moderator (Praneet): And those who don’t have goals are also not happy,
but goals are the starting point, but a lot…
Sadhguru: No, no, no.
Please, let me correct this.
Is goal a starting point or a finishing line?
Please (Laughter).
Which is it?
Moderator (Praneet): It’s both ways (Laughs).
Sadhguru: How is that?
How is goal a starting point?
Is goal a finishing line or a starting point?
Please, please you must tell me.
All of you, is goal a starting line or a finishing line?
Participants: Finishing Line.
Sadhguru: What is this?
Moderator (Praneet): But like if… goal is something that motivates us to like…
once we think of a goal in mind…
Sadhguru: You’re coming to the point now.
So, you have been trained like a circus monkey (Laughter), you know?
Circus monkeys are like this, if you want them to do a trick,
you have to give them a sweet (Gestures like circus monkey) (Laughter).
Otherwise, “I won’t do it.”
One more little sweet.
Don’t be a circus monkey.
I thought we evolved out of being monkeys long time ago.
Hello?
So you are only working – “What will I get?
What will I get?
What will I get?”
What the hell will you get?
You’ll die one day, that’s all.
(Laughter/Applause) You think you’re going to get something
in the end?
No, you’re just going to die one day.
The question is only how beautiful, and significant, and intense of a life that you lived.
That’s all there is.
What will you get in the end?
Goal is the end point, isn’t it?
What do you think you’ll get at the end of your life?
I want you to visit old age homes, hospices, where people are reaching the end of their
life Just look at them and see, what do you think
they’ve gotten?
Nothing.
Either they lived a profound life or they did not, that’s all there is (Applause).