Breathing is one such activity. The Planets revolve around the sun and trees grow. They “do” these things without really “doing” them.

This is known as Wu Wei, which means natural action. Knowing when (and how) to act is not about thinking “now” is the right time to do “this”. It is about simply doing, doing the natural thing. The aim of Wu Wei is to achieve a state of perfect equilibrium. A state where you always know what you need to do.

The literal meaning of Wu Wei is “without action” and is often included in the paradox wei wu wei: “action without action”. An example of active non-action using wu wei would be to teach in such a way that no course of action is dictated to a student (they are just told raw facts for use and left to their own creative devices), so they assume that they have been taught nothing, that is, until all they have learnt has been integrated in their lived experience.

I think the comic book summarization Zen Speaks says it best “A good teacher teaches the student that they already know the answer.”

When we choose to do an action, we are interfering with the natural way. Whenever we have to think about what needs to be done, we are thinking about manmade superficial matters. In any natural situation we just ‘know’ what to do. So, by reducing the number of things we have to think about doing, we reduce our interference with the natural order of things.

They say only weak players blame their equipment. This statement is both true and false. Tools cannot make up for the lack of talent, but it would be foolish to say that they don’t make any difference. Superior equipment will give superior results. Let’s say you were trying to make patterns on a sheet of paper. You could either use a knife to cut the sheet or a pair of scissors. Do I need to point out which would give you a better result?

It is not enough to have the correct tool. You need to know how to use it. A carpenter would not use sandpaper to hammer nails. Always use the right tool for the right job. Every business man and business woman needs a host of tools to conduct his/her business.

The quality of a business man is not judged solely on how good his tools are but also on how well he can put those tools to use.  The best equipment in the world won’t do you any good, if you don’t know how to use it.  With the rate at which technology is progressing, it is important for everyone to learn how to use the amazing new inventions that science is constantly throwing at us.

If you are in business, you need to take the time to find out what tools are available to you.  You need to know how and when to use each and every tool in your tool box. The tools do not make the man, but they certainly make his life easier.

When we are driving on the roads, we won’t give the soccer mom room to cut into the lane. We blast past student drivers even if they are nervous. When was the last time you let a senior citizen cut ahead when standing in line?

Do you remember the last time you yelled? The last time you made a snide or sarcastic comment? Of course you do. You are snippy with the hostess if she won’t give you a table. The fact that she is just doing her job is irrelevant.

We want things and we want them now. We get agitated and frustrated if things take longer than they are supposed to. We don’t care about the fact that the weather is bad. We want to get on that flight. We have to get to our vacation.

We can go along with anything, as long as it’s done our way. We will go out of our way to make things happen the way we want them to. We will lie, cheat, use tricks and whatever else is required.

The following are the characteristics of a spoiled child, lack of consideration for other people, recurrent temper tantrums, and an inability to handle the delay of gratification, demands for having one’s own way, and manipulation.
We seem to have forgotten that the generations that came before us survived on much less. Not only did they survive, they thrived. They didn’t have lightning fast internet connections, they didn’t have touch phones, or even a washing machine. They were fine. So, what’s wrong with us? When did we get so spoiled?

Let’s take a club for example. These are the players involved, there is the manager; he has the keys to everything. He decides the work schedule and hires the entertainment. There is the bartender who handles all the booze. There is the bouncer who maintains the decorum and there is the janitor who cleans up after everyone.

You have a long weekend coming up. You decide to go clubbing with your friends. They won’t let you in. Which player do you approach?  The manager has the most power but he’s not going to do you any favors. Why would he? The bartender has nothing to do with the door. The janitor probably has the most important job, but he can’t help you either. The one to approach is the bouncer. After all, he’s the one who decides who goes in.

With every game you play, you need to first identify the key players, the real players, who will get the job done. In theory, the manager is the most powerful player. He is at the top of the heap. In practice, sometimes it’s the ones with the least power that can help you the most. They can give you that appointment that just opened up. They can ensure your file reaches the right hands.

When you are dealing with an organization, think of it as a game. To get to the big players, you first need to make it past the small ones. Always know who the real players are.

The world view of a person doesn’t take into account the imaginary line drawn by politicos. A person’s world view is not something that can be built in a day. Our outlook of the world, as a whole is created over millennia. It is influenced by the experiences, beliefs and ideas of the generations that came before us.

We have a lot in common with people who share the same world view as us. This does not mean someone with a different world view is wrong, it simply means that we relate better with people who think like us.London and Ireland are vastly different. Yet, a person from London would never describe Ireland as exotic. Breath taking and beautiful but not exotic.

The two places share a common world view. Subconsciously, we do not feel a huge difference. If that same Londoner was to come to Mumbai, he would say that he was in an exotic land. Both Mumbai and London are densely populated urban sprawls, not very clean and very fast paced. The difference is not in the obvious. The difference is in the way a Londoner and a Mumbaikar looks at the world.

With the world becoming a global economy, it is important to understand different world views. It is important to know one’s own world outlook. If we can understand the ancient influences on people’s thinking, we can relate to them better. Understanding our own thinking helps us grow. So, do you know your Weltanschauung?

Our thought process influences our decision making ability. Imagine you have a cat. One day on your way home from work, you find an abandoned puppy.  You believe that cats and dogs cannot live together. Even though you are capable of taking care of that puppy, even though you have the desire to take it home, you don’t. There is ample proof of the fact that felines and K9’s can co-exist; especially if they are introduced to one another at an early age. You know this. Your belief forces you to over ride common sense. This is the power of ideology.

Ideologies influence people in every part of their lives. From the decisions they make while dealing with friends, while shopping and at home. This got me thinking, how much do personal beliefs affect business decision making? More importantly, should personal beliefs influence decision making?

If you are involved in business activities, you need to have an objective mind. You need to be able to make the right decisions without hesitation. The problem is, that our ideologies are so deeply engrained that they influence us at a subconscious level. So, whenever you are making a business decision, disassociate yourself from the situation. Analyze it without any personal pre-existing inferences.  Ensure that your decision is based on the facts in front of you and not on the facts based in your thinking.

In the same way, you have already been given the tools you need to get started with using the ‘Law of Attraction’. All you really need is the power of your mind. The ‘Law of Attraction’ states that like attracts like. By thinking of what you want you can attract it into your life. There are many methods one can follow to accomplish this. Which method suits you best, is a question only you can answer. But here are some basic guidelines that you may find helpful. First decide what you want. Then give it all of your attention, energy and focus. Make sure you stay away from negative thoughts, by avoiding words like ‘No’, ‘Not’ and ‘Dont’, when you find yourself thinking ‘I don’t want this’ immediately ask yourself ‘so, what do I want?’. Stick to these simple steps and before you know it every day will feel like Christmas.

I used to be one of the ‘glass half empty’ people. I would look at the negative side of things. I’d crib and moan about the various obstacles in my way. I never understood the people who were bubbly and happy all the time, the ones who would take everything in their stride and never bat an eye when the world threw problems at them. I always thought they were naïve fools. I was sarcastic and cynical and though I would never have admitted it, I was envious of the ‘fools’ who seemed to be genuinely happy. It took me a long time to realize how wrong I was, and that I was the fool, the fool who misunderstood. I used to think that the people who were always looking at the positive side of things were silly and did not understand the harsh reality of the world. I realized that they understood reality perfectly and chose not to let it bring them down. It is easy to be negative when things are going wrong but it requires great strength to see the positive when it seems the entire universe is plotting against you.

A positive outlook helps you focus. It is very difficult to find a solution when you are constantly distracted by the failures around you. If you think of something good it gives you clarity of mind and a much better chance of figuring out a solution. It is important to remember that it is our strengths and not our weaknesses that help us move forward. When something goes wrong don’t think of them as problems and obstacles; think of them as challenges and opportunities. This way you won’t feel defeated and depressed, you’ll feel inspired and energetic. A practical way of explaining a ‘positive outlook’ is: ‘Focus on the good and deal with the bad.’

It should come as no surprise that there is an Entrepreneurial mindset. Incidentally it is sometimes known as the ‘MAD’ mindset. A person is said to have the entrepreneurial mindset if he/she has the means, ability and the desire (MAD) to materialize their vision.

The Means would be the access to resources. Be it angel funding, self funding, access to political capital, etc.

The Ability: generally refers to being sufficiently adept in organizing the resources available to you in novel ways.

The Desire: No amount of means or ability is going to be enough if you simply lack the desire to make you visions come true.

Every entrepreneur and businessman must recognize his or her mindset, only after you have understood your own beliefs and way of thinking can you make optimum use of the greatest tool given to mankind; his mind.

I used to be that way, and I was tired of it. I knew I had to change. I decided to try an experiment; after all, I had nothing to lose. Everyday, I started to focus my mind on what I desired most in life (contentment). It wasn’t easy. The path of least resistance is to focus on what’s going wrong in our lives. It’s only natural because we’re raised in a society that, if we hear any comments on ourselves or others, it’s usually negative. We rarely receive compliments.

Because of all that, I was resistant to take a few minutes several times a day on quieting my mind. I saw it as self-indulgent; people needed me and deadlines were looming. But once I took the time to focus my mind and take some “me time,” I not only found more contentment in my life, but more energy and less stress. I started seeing more positives occurring in my life, and that reinforced the contentment I felt. Of course, that contentment attracted more positives in my life. It’s a lovely cycle!

Sometimes I revert back to my old habits of not taking time for myself. It’s so easy to do, isn’t it? When you’re super busy, the last thing that springs to you mind is to spend a few minutes in focused quiet time. My old self says something along the lines of “Yeah, right. I don’t have time for that right now. Besides, it’s just a few minutes. How much good can it do?” Then I remember a patch of a few days when I didn’t take time to focus. I had less time and a whole lot more stress.

Sometimes you have to change your behavior to change your attitude. Focusing your mind on what you want in life, in your quiet times, works wonders. Try it for a week. Set aside a few minutes, at least four times a day, to quiet yourself and focus on one goal. By focusing the mind, you’ll find yourself more relaxed and able to face whatever challenges come your way.