Passion for Impossible

Nature, for some reasons playing a hide and seek game either by concealing many of its secrets or by evolving in its own pace. The scientist believes, this universe came from nowhere with a big bang several billion years ago and ever since is changing continuously. The four broad forms of evolution belong to minerals, plants, animals and human beings. In the process of evolution, the single cell organism combined to become a multi-cell spices forming mammals that lead to a human being later.

We don’t find life in the minerals and hence don’t find any changes over a period of time; change is the “signature of life”. The next developed model is the plant where we find life and also intelligence; they know when to germinate, how to find sun light and make food. A seed kept on the table don’t become a plant but when you put it on the earth and pour water it germinates into a seedling; the mango seed becomes a mango tree and not papaya! This is a good enough proof for intelligence. Hence the essential difference between the mineral and the plant is the intelligence built in by the nature. We can say that the plant is the next generation of evolution over the minerals with higher intelligence. In other words, the evolution will bring in higher intelligent models over the previous ones.

If you look at the next evolved model namely animals, they are mobile where as their cousin sister “plant” is stationary. Obviously, the nature has to upgrade its operating system with an additional capability to take decisions while they are mobile! I have borrowed the jargon from computer science where an operating system is the software that sits in the computer providing an intelligence to understand our commands.

The nature bestows the animals with the higher capability which we call “Instincts”; the self-preservation, hunger, pro-creation and resting. With these operating systems, the animals manage their existence negotiating all circumstances. Strangely, they don’t get bored as human beings as they have no goal orientation; the past and the future! They function exactly as per the natures’ plan and live peacefully. May be that is the reason they are much healthier than us! They mostly live in the present where as we live in the past or in the future – regretting about the past or worrying about the future.

The next evolved model of nature is Human. The major distinction of animal’s operating system and human’s is the ability to think – the so called rationale and creativity. If the nature has not planned to evolve this model, this planet would have remained as it was several million years ago. We have no idea why these developments are happening and needless to know as well.

The human beings can be classified broadly into three categories – Scientists, Seekers and Ordinary people. The scientists wish to know what the object is made up of. The seeker wants to know who they are. The Ordinary people does not want to ask any questions!! He lives because he was brought to this planet without his consent. The scientists and seekers are the “reasons for change” and the ordinary people are the “victim of change”. The question I am trying to answer is “Who chooses their category?”; “it is us”. The quality that distinguishes a scientist from an Ordinary people or a seeker is their optimism and curiosity. Strangely, these qualities are inborn with us!

Scientists constantly try to un-ravel the mysteries of nature while a seeker looks inward to understand who we are and why we are here? In other words, a scientist is focusing on objects outside him while a spiritual seeker goes inward to explore. If I say “a scientist is an extrovert” and “a seeker is an introvert”, it may not be an exaggeration. Exploring on objects brought material prosperity while focusing inwardly brought the “science of being” what all scriptures call “Brahma sutra” – the knowledge of knowing oneself.

The people in the west explored the material world (the object) and brought the so called material prosperity which created many gadgets that improved our physical comforts. No doubt that the quality of life improves through comfort.  We need to realize that physical comfort alone cannot make you happy as the happiness is a state of a being and has no dependency on any object. The people in the east explored the inner world (the subject) and taught us how we can achieve peace within ourselves.

Every one of us have come to this planet with vast potential and scientists say that an average human being uses only 10 % of his potentials and rest of them are dormant. The common man is alive while the change agents live! In other words the very few people who brought major changes in this planet are the ones who were very optimistic in their outlook while the vast majority of us are perennially pessimistic.

These are paradigms (beliefs) such as “scarcity mentality” and “abundance mentality”. In scarcity mentality we always believe there is not enough for us; where as in abundance mentality we believe there is enough for everyone. If you look at nature, the animals have “abundance mentality”, and that is the reason they don’t aggrandize wealth. They are confident that they will get food when they need.

Vast majority of people believe that there is no cure for cancer while many scientists are still working in the laboratory to find a medicine. Edison believed to have conducted thousands of experiments before he found the electric bulb. While he was advised by his well wishers that he is pursuing a false goal, Edison is believed to have said that he had discovered 1500 ways in which the electric bulb could not deliver light and that is the valuable contributions to mankind even if he had not succeeded to invent light bulbs. This is the optimistic view of few people who have lived their life to change this planet for the better. Just imagine the world without light bulbs! It is frightening, but got granted today.

What is the main message?

I am one of those who have had a 3 decade long service career. As many of us have a desire to become an entrepreneur, I got this idea may be at the wrong time; When I was 50 during which time I had very limited fund to perform my daughter’s marriage and support my son to complete his engineering degree! The age I got this idea is the time common man gives up his steam and looks forward to retire. For a change I had the desire to build a world class consulting company which will change the poor image of consultants in this country. The optimism to visualize success was the only investment I had. I coined the phrase “passion for impossible” to motivate myself at that time which became the ethos of the company I founded.

In ten years Six Sigma Alchemy (P) Ltd has become a well known institution with 25 consultants working with many corporate in India and Asia Pacific. At last I found myself through this exploration process with optimism. SSA is poised for a Global presence now with the leadership of my off-springs. Passion for impossible has become the character of Six Sigma Alchemy now reverberating optimism at the DNA level of our people. 

In summary,

•  You belong to the most evolved version of Nature – Human being with rationale and creativity. You have the power of creating anything if you believe
•  If you choose, you can create a future which you dream about.
• Be optimistic – as it produces better results than pessimistic attitude
• Be the captain of your soul and take charge of your life.
• There is no age to aim high; all achievers started their life after 50.
• Cultivate the possibility thinking as a habit
• Don't blame any one for your failure as you are the creator of your destiny
• This World is for those who dare to explore the "Path less traveled" 

Jai Gurudev

Love

NC