There are times when we are in doubts and we find ourselves at the crossroads where we have to take an action or some decision but we are unable to do that. Why, because most of the time we are not actually familiar with the actual cause of our problems, let alone the solutions. These causes are mostly disguised in some other form and thus prevents us from taking appropriate actions or decisions. However, you know that the solution to your problem is right there in front of you, all you need is to look for it in the right place. Just be introspective.
Before proceeding any further on this I would like to make you all a little familiar with the term 'Introspection'. It simply means, "peeping into your own self, and differentiating the good from the bad or right from wrong". Let me share a real life incident with all of you to make it more clear.
The other day I had a task assigned to me by my project lead which had its deadline the end of the next day. I started the task enthusiastically and kept on doing it with perseverance expecting to complete it by the stipulated time. However diligently I immersed myself into that task, yet I was nowhere close to finishing the task by the end of the next day. Soon I realized that the time has come and I won't be able to make it up. Eventually, my project lead called me up to check on the status of the task he had me assigned. Fortunately, or maybe intentionally, he had called me inside his cabin instead of the boardroom for the meeting. It was apparent that we had to have a one to one meeting. He asked me the status of the task and I had nothing to tell him. I could only say-"It's still under progress." The reaction of my project lead was unprecedented since despite me failing to complete the task neither did he shouted at me nor did he relieved me of the task. He was calm and listened to all my explanations attentively. Perhaps, he had realized that I was not making up things for my failure, rather I was sincerely doing my task and yet I failed him. After all my explanations he told me just one thing, that only I can find out the reason behind my failure, nobody else can tell me my mistakes but only I. He also gave me an extension for one more day to finish the task.
My project lead had done his part, now it was my turn to work on my shortcomings. It's a two step process, first, to identify your weaknesses and, second, to rectify them. That's where the 'Introspection' comes in.
I needed to know what action had I took and what thoughts or ideas drove me to those actions. I rewound two days of my life to find out what actually I had done, and what I could have done. Having said that, I don't mean it to be a fiction, it's just a metaphor to emphasize the amount of contemplation I had to put in to find out all my mistakes. After probing into my past two days, the result of the analysis was quite shocking. I found my mistakes as well as the driving forces of those mistakes. What was even more shocking was the fact that all the driving forces were not something material which you can see and fix right away, that was rather an attitude which is really difficult to change and moreover it doesn't happen overnight. I realized that if I had worked on these aspects of my attitude, I could have avoided committing those mistakes.
As a result of my introspection, I realized that there was only one thing at the root of every problem, FEAR. Fear of doing wrong, fear of failure, fear of embarrassment, fear of not meeting the deadline etc. I sensed, that fear of doing wrong prevented me from taking enough actions and try the solutions to the problem. Had I not feared that and had I not stuck to my notion of doing things right the first time only, it could have saved me a lot of time and effort, and eventually frustration.
I did introspection and found the cause as well as solution to all my frustration and doubts. So if you observe closely you'll find that it's a very powerful and effective exercise, if you want to call it so. You'll find all your doubts melting away and will no longer be in need of any outside assistance to identify the right thing to do to shun away the clouds of dilemma covering you. You'll then become the master of your destiny, it seems a bit metaphorical but it's quite true.
All the best on your tour of yourself, have a fruitful introspection.
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