i-TFTD #248: Ancient Thoughts, Practical Advice

#248-1. You are what your driving desire is.
As your desire is, so is your will.
As your will is, so is your deed.
As your deed is, so is your destiny.
-Brihadaranyaka Upanishad c. 800BCE, IV.4.5

#248-2. Learning without thought is labor lost; thought without learning is perilous.
-Confucius, philosopher and teacher (c. 551-478 BCE)

#248-3. A man should live with his superiors as he does with his fire: not too near, lest he burn; nor too far off, lest he freeze.
-Diogenes, philosopher (412?-323 BCE)

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The first thing that strikes me on seeing the above is that thinkers thousands of years ago could articulate such profound and practically useful advice.

Whatever drives us, our passion areas, determine the success or failure we achieve because it impacts the intensity of our actions. What we decide to act upon is guided by our thoughts. To improve thoughts, we should be willing to spend effort in learning. We learn many things but that has to reflect in our improved judgement and action otherwise it is futile.

All the above is self-centric. In an organizational context managing the relationship with our superior is an important element that we sometimes forget to pay attention to.

Powerful metaphor for a boss—fire! Getting too close to my boss leads to the danger of confusing one’s personal equation and friendship with the professional role-driven relationship. Staying disconnected and too far from a boss with whom I do not find common ground could lead to being unnoticed—I could miss opportunities for feedback, learning, help and possibly finding common ground. Fire does not have to be likeable. One does not dislike fire for its nature, one merely understands and looks for containing its destructive power. It is needed for igniting dormant fuel.