The appointment was for 3.00
p.m. But it was already 3.20 p.m. Siva
hesitantly entered Avyakta's office and uttered a
cautious, "Sorry!"
There are times when the
'sorry' from a person should be quietly
absorbed. Only when mistakes hurt a person,
they transform the person. When you respond
with, "It's okay" to a 'Sorry', you are not
providing the context for a person to feel the
hurt for having committed the mistake. Then,
people will only repeat the mistakes.
Avyakta's facial expressions
communicated to Siva, "Coming late was not
okay." The meeting however progressed and at
the end of the meeting, Siva enquired, "If you are
free, can I get something clarified? This
question has been beating my brains ever since I
started relating with you."
"Why do you make so much fuss
about timing and punctuality? - is your question,
isn't it?" Avyakta enquired. Siva smiled,
nodded his head and passively waited for Avyakta
to reply.
Avyakta shifted from the
other side of the table to a chair beside
Siva. Avyakta explained, "How many times we
have heard this saying, 'Existential glory is that
all of us are born equals. Human glory lies
in ensuring we do not die as equals'. We
have also repeatedly heard that every human being
is made of the same inside stuff and what is
possible for one human being is possible for every
human being. Haven't we? Now, be
honest - have we all reached where we could
reach? If all of us are made of the same
inside stuff, then why so much disparity in
results - one man is able to produce so much,
while the rest are not able to? Why, for
most people maximum effort seems to bear only
minimum results, while for some minimum effort
brings in maximum results? Do you have any
science that can explain this? I
have."
Too curious and too
connected, Siva stayed glued to Avyakta.
Avyakta started. "Listen. You said you
will meet me at 3.00, but turned up at 3.20.
Practically speaking, the two of us are dealing
neither with nanotechnology nor rocket science for
20 minutes to make a difference. However,
something beyond the obvious happens. Your
'sorry' and my acceptance of the same sets
everything okay at the conscious level.
However, at a much deeper level, your subconscious
has made a note of this experience and so was my
subconscious. 'When Siva says 3.00, it is not
3.00'. And in your case, these are not just
isolated, but repetitive. Today, in the
meeting when you said, 'I will do the project in
15 days', let me be frank with you, internally I
didn't believe you will complete it in 15
days. My conscious mind is able to
understand your explanations and the logic behind
your projection of 15 days.
But my subconscious isn't
trusting your commitment. Its past recorded
observations reveal, you do not mean what you
say. With subtle resistance, it wonders,
when 3.00 has never been 3.00, how can I believe
15 will be 15?"
"Interesting," Siva
said. "Nice concept. I am curious to
know in complete detail. Please continue
your elaboration."
"So Siva, understand,"
Avyakta continued, "With every faltered commitment,
we build a subconscious doubt in the other person
with whom the default was committed. With
every promise broken, we develop that subconscious
doubt. Since, the major portion
of the human mind is subconscious and only a small
portion of it is the conscious mind, even if
everything seems okay at the conscious level,
relationships where subconscious doubt prevails
can never be deep relationships. They will
remain shallow relationships."
Avyakta added, "There is a
greater problem to the whole thing. With
failing commitments and not living up to promises,
initially it will create subconscious doubts in
other people and thus affect the quality of
relationships. Progressively, your own
subconscious will develop those subconscious
doubts and when that happens, it will begin to
affect the quality of your life. Every time
your ambition is to make it very big in life,
every time you dream of being a legend in this
lifetime, your own subconscious, because of the
subconscious doubts will betray your
potential. In subtle resistance
it would wonder, 'You can't even wake up at the
time you set the wake up call for', 'You can't
even return the call you promised you will', 'You
could not even deliver the material on the day you
promised', 'You can't even make it to an
appointment on time'. where is the question of you
becoming a legend? That's how your own
subconscious, because of the prevailing
subconscious doubts, will betray your own
potential."
Siva looked completely shaken
up. "Nothing is lost. Everything can
be turned around by building subconscious
beliefs," comforted Avyakta. "So understand,
with every commitment defaulted and every promise
faltered, initially it will build subconscious
doubts in the other person, which will affect the
quality of your relationships, eventually it will
develop subconscious doubts in your own mind,
which will affect the quality of your life.
With every commitment upheld and every promise
fulfilled, initially it will build subconscious
beliefs in you, which will aid you in expressing
your potential, and eventually it will develop
subconscious beliefs in the other person, which
will aid in building deep
relationships."
"So Siva," Avyakta clarified,
"I am not fussy about time, but practicing
punctuality is one of the tools to develop
subconscious beliefs. With such ordinary
background and simple past, if I am able to
produce so much result in life, it is because of
the high commitment levels that I practice.
Living up to all commitments is yet another
wonderful instrument to build subconscious
beliefs. It is not about how learned you
are, or how much knowledge you possess - all this
sits in the memory accessible by the conscious
mind, but it is about how powerful is your
subconscious. You subconscious mind
comprises of your most powerful workers.
With subconscious beliefs they work for you.
With subconscious doubts they work against
you. That's why every man is his own
take-off pedestal and he is also his own
bottleneck."
Avyakta concluded, "That is
why Siva, I had told you repeatedly, 'The greatest
pride is to grow in your own eyes'. With
every experience when you live up to your word,
you grow in your own eyes and in the process build
your subconscious beliefs. 'The greatest
setback is to fall in your own eyes'. With
every experience when you are not worthy of your
word, you fall in your own eyes and in the process
build subconscious doubts. Start with
private promises and commitments and once the
commitment muscle is build, you can go public with
your promises and commitments."
Avyakta picked up a piece of
paper and wrote on it, "The power of the man is in the power of
his mind. The power of his mind is in the
power of his subconscious mind. The power of
his subconscious mind is in the power of his
subconscious beliefs. And, it is these
subconscious beliefs that lift man to his
greatness. All the best Siva. Love
you."
Avyakta handed over the note
to Siva and Siva said, "15
days is 15 days. I am on my way to
greatness."
