Lifestyle

George Bernard Shaw, co-founder of the London School of Economics and writer extraordinaire, said that ‘Life isn’t about finding yourself, it’s about creating yourself’. It is a sad truth that the great majority of us idle away our lives without ever daring to chase the self that we could have been. The Olympic Games offer us a rare opportunity to dare. How so? Because we see what happens when others do it. That average guy who didn’t seem that important in college is all of a sudden walking onto a podium at the top of the world amidst the cheers of nations to receive a medal.  How did he get there, we wonder.

In following the path of dreams, perhaps the single most important consideration is that of lifestyle. An Olympian athlete no doubt has already appreciated the pivotal role that lifestyle plays in the achievement of any great objective in life, and I am sure each athlete has developed a lifestyle tailored specifically for the individual and based on the target to be attained. Nevertheless, my observations of those individuals in society who have aspired for ambitious, long term goals, reveal an all too common pitfall in the lifestyle management of the pursuant of greatness. This is the failure to recognise the immeasurable potency of spiritual nourishment as another vital ingredient in the lifestyle of success. 

There are many sources of spiritual sustenance in our global community, and I have found that they all provide incalculable benefit for one aspiring to achieve any goal in life. For instance, the Bhagavad Gita devotes a considerable portion of its treatise to lifestyle management, and how spiritual knowledge can serve to augment the pursuit of success. In particular, it discusses the concept of the modes of nature, which are influences and forces that affect our actions, ambitions, approach and ultimately the outcomes of any of our endeavours. 

These modes are called the modes of sobriety, unhealthy passion and indolence. The mode of indolence overwhelms our mood and abilities to the extent that we are unable to endeavour for success in the first place. The mode of unhealthy passion is a disruptive mode that generates impatience, lack of fortitude and wavering determination, and hence it too is disruptive to a lifestyle of success. The mode of sobriety, however, imbues us with willpower, determination, tolerance and motivation that push us toward our goals in life. 

The Bhagavad Gita explains that these modes are constantly competing with each other, influencing us through the food we eat, the work we do, the company we keep and practically every other aspect of our lives. It teaches us the means of cultivating this mode of sobriety if we aspire for any success in life, and also offers advice on practical means of defending against the other modes. In this way the Gita empowers us to pursue and attain our dreams. My discussions with successful and fulfilled members of society have convinced me that whatever our goal in life, it is vital that we adopt a lifestyle that aims toward achieving that goal, and such a lifestyle becomes complete and more effective when surcharged and nourished with the vitality of spiritual potency.