Creating a positive flow of feelings.
An Article by Vijay Batra
In business a positive cash flow does wonders, thus it is essential to ensure that an organisation has a positive cash flow.
In life, it is especially important that you and I experience a positive flow of feelings.
Feelings or emotions, if managed well create abundance and if mis-managed create scarcity.
My father Late Dr. Promod Batra lived a happy life, despite numerous challenges that he faced because he focused on being happy. He often mentioned in his communication, happiness is a positive cash flow. One of his remarks that many appreciated was “manage your time as you manage your money.”
Often, he would tell me to learn by observing and reflecting and improve by putting what one learns to practice.
I saw him practice the following three mantras intently:
- Do not make the best the enemy of the better
- Think like an ant, so a drop will become a flood.
- Compare yourself with your self only.
He would start a project and gain momentum because he would not be paralysed by the obsession to be a perfectionist. In one of his book’s ‘Management Thoughts’, a compilation of positive quotes from around the world was very well received, printed multiple times, sold over half a million copies had numerous mistakes in the first edition. The mistakes were identified and rectified in the subsequent editions. He would encourage me to start a project and then keep improving it as I moved along. He also emphasized the importance of initiative and “finishiative” meaning if you start a project, finish it, and not be distracted by getting restless, leaving the project unfinished and moving on to start the next new project.
He lived happily because he was wise to fulfil his needs, and not allow the mind to become greedy. He often said, “needs can be met, not greed.” Many of us now-a-days do not identify and abide by our needs and go into a tailspin. That is the reason why many projects go into overruns, both time wise and money wise. For an “ant”, a drop will be more than enough for it to bathe, whereas for an “elephant” it may remain dry despite buckets full of water. This metaphor guided my father to chisel his feelings and requirements consistently, enabling him to live vibrantly and content fully.
And finally, he practiced comparing himself with himself only, often he would quip “uski sari meri sari se safed kyon…” why is her saree whiter than mine, a tag line from one of the detergent advertisements. He would prevent himself from the agony of jealousy and the hubris of arrogance by not comparing himself with others who were either “more fortunate” or “less fortunate” than him.
When I was younger and he was alive, I would disagree with his mantras, he would not repeat or argue, he would just smile affectionately…now I am older, and his memories are helping me to reflect.
I am beginning to understand the power of these three mantras that my father lived by.
I wish my readers to reflect on the mantras and live a life of positive flow of feelings and of course at the same time ensure that you also manage a positive cash flow and live a life of abundance.