Born in 1863, Swami Vivekananda was ahead of his time. He spent his life without any technologically advanced tools that can make anything possible in today’s world, but his teachings were characterized by the pursuit of truth and fearlessness. His teachings transcended honesty.
In today’s age, where entrepreneurs have to be authentic, his words ring truer than ever. He was in a true sense a great spiritual and business motivational speaker. Here are 5 lessons from Vivekananda’s work that are incredibly relevant today:
1. Take up one idea. Make that one idea your life - think of it, dream of it, and live on that idea. Let the brain, muscles, nerves, and every part of your body, be full of that idea and just leave every other idea alone. This is the way to success.
Success comes to those who are obsessed with their business idea. That idea for a product, a title, or a victory becomes an all-encompassing thought and transforms into single-minded action.
If we look at some of the most successful entrepreneurs of our times, we find they are associated with an idea – one clear thread that runs through their lives. To pursue a dream and turn it into reality, we need to be obsessed with it and be immersed in it. Hard work begins in the mind much before it is visible.
2. Even the greatest fool can accomplish a task if it were after his or her heart. But the intelligent ones are those who can convert every work into one that suits their taste.
Business owners know they can’t just do one part of the job and ignore another because they hate it. They are so consumed by the idea, the product, that their likes and dislikes don’t matter anymore. Even if they’re working with experts from different fields, they are required to love every aspect of their company – from delivering the product to managing the accounts. Entrepreneurs have to do it all!
3. Each work has to pass through these stages—ridicule, opposition, and then acceptance. Those who think ahead of their time are sure to be misunderstood.
Who would have thought that we can speak to our loved ones while looking at them even though they are thousands of miles or continents away with just one click? Or that we could do transactions without having to go to the bank or order anything from anywhere in the world?
Having an idea is not the most difficult deal. But to believe in it when the entire world does not believe and stands in the opposition is perhaps the toughest thing to do. Every successful entrepreneur will have a unique story of rejection to share and how people didn’t believe in their ideas, but they did succeed. If you believe in your business idea, you can also hire a business coach to help you navigate through the challenges.
3. “Face the brutes.” That is a lesson for all life—face the terrible, face it boldly. Like the monkeys, the hardships of life fall back when we cease to flee before them.
Fear and Greed are the two factors due to which most people spend their entire lives being a part of the rat race. They lead their lives chasing someone else’s dreams because fulfilling their dream would involve risk. What if this doesn’t work? What do I have to show for so many years of hard work? How do I justify quitting my stable job over a start-up dream? These are questions that plague every entrepreneur. So face your fears and follow your dreams.
4. Truth can be stated in a thousand different ways, yet each one can be true.
There is no one way to do anything. There could be multiple ways to do the same thing and hence, there is no wrong or right in that. And for this, a leader needs to be open to different ideas and opinions of the people. To be able to take people along, and inspire them with your vision, one needs to know that there are a thousand sides to the same story.
These five quotes by Vivekananda are still applicable in today’s times. If you are an entrepreneur and looking for inspiration these quotes will surely motivate you. To gain an in-depth understanding of business, you can take a business coaching program. To know more, visit www.badabusiness.com.
