Wear a tight mask to guard mind against COVID-19 negativity

If you are an unemployed youth who thinks that the world has ended due to COVID-19 and that you will not be able to get your dream job, please immediately reverse that thought. Know that prosperity and abundance begins with a state of mind – Pic by Shehan Gunasekara

By Suryamithra Vishwa

COVID-19 lockdown is over but I have gone into a strict hibernation. Yes I have locked myself into quarantine when others have unlocked themselves! I do not answer the doorbell. I do not even go near the gate in case someone sees me and comes to chat. I do not answer the phone. I am in absolute isolation.

And no, I do not have the COVID-19 virus. I am just trying to avoid the virus of negativity. I am trying to avoid catching the extremely contagious darkness that has fallen upon the world through the constant lamenting by people about how bad the economy is, how some companies have gone bonkers and are cutting even the plain tea they give their staff, that there is not an iota of a chance of starting a business anytime within at least a decade (this timeframe was given by an accountant). I stopped her within the first two sentences and cut the phone line because I do not under any circumstances abuse my immunity by a virus far worse than COVID-19. I have learnt through past rather bitter experience to be extremely careful to protect my mental space from contamination.

This means that I diligently avoid the set of most dangerously contagious viruses of fickle, needless, totally meaningless ‘chatting’ which get dumped into our system through other people’s garbage. These come in diverse forms; as gossip, envy and repeating like broken record, problems ranging from family to economy. Right now I am avoiding people moaning about pay cuts and how terrible the economy is and how the world is under the pall of a pandemic. Well, for one thing, this is not the first time the world has seen viruses of medical or economic proportions. Far worse that the COVID-19 virus is the bloody viruses of wars waged the world over, the virus of racism, communalism and oppression and using religion for division. It seems that all of us are masking our brain that we do not see that.

Work on your inner self so that it is as pure as possible so that the energy that you impart will be wonderful and through that beauty you will be attracting people and opportunities to help your employer succeed with the new idea that you want to initiate for the establishment you work in

Kindness and compassion is not nurturing fears of people.

Thus, I am in quarantine which I selectively break to speak to the very few people I know who constantly work on their inner selves and as a result whose minds are oceans of hope, innovation, beauty, awareness and love which have no space for any form of negativity.

It is up to the reader to check the writings of vast amount of entrepreneurs, psychologists and even immunologists from diverse spiritual traditions as well as secular spirituality who have focused on what we often describe as the law of attraction or the activating of the cosmic energy. 

The obstacle is the way

This writer will be using two books to prove what I am saying.

The first is the book; ‘The Obstacle is the Way – the Ancient Art of Turning Adversity to Advantage’ 

by Ryan Holiday. 

The above mentioned book takes us through some amazing stories of how few people in this world used strife not just to survive and come unscathed but to ‘thrive’. This well-researched book looks at how diverse famous individuals of history throughout the world, some of them from ancient history have moulded their victories amidst unbelievable challenges and ‘because of it’. Among the examples used are how the seeds of today’s famous global business empires were planted during great national 

calamities. 

What is their secret? Why did they not fail? How did they persevere? Above all how did they thrive in deadly economic downturns and turn incredible strife into opportunity? 

Well, let us begin with some insight that the preface of this book highlights by going into the mind of Marcus Aurelius, the emperor of the Roman Empire. The book tells us that in the year 170 he wrote down a little note to himself. This note maintained that although the ‘actions’ of a human may be impeded… the impeding of human ‘intentions or dispositions’ can be prevented, going so far as to say that the ‘impediment’ itself can become the way. We are told that Aurelius in his reign of around 19 years as the Emperor of Rome had experienced war, plague, arduous travel across the empire, problems in his personal life, and one of his closest friends trying to grab the throne from him. 

Now, getting onto the business example I want to use from the book; it is from the early life of American oil tycoon John D. Rockefeller, the son of an alcoholic criminal who had abandoned his family. Despite this family background he sowed the seeds of his business empire as a youth dreaming big. The amazing thing is that he did it when the country’s economy laid in tatters and fear and joblessness was all around him. We are told that young Rockefeller took his first job at age 16 in 1855 and thereafter celebrated that day for the rest of his life as ‘Job Day’. 

This shows how he gave power to gratitude, a wonderful empowering tool. Then we are told that as a book keeper, aspiring investor and small time financer, he ushered in magical fortune, using to his advantage the crippling national financial crisis of 1857 that led to a serious economic depression in America that did not fully recover until the civil war in that country in 1861. It is pointed out that 20 years later Rockefeller emerged as controller or 90% of the oil market.  When surrounded by national fear psychosis of various types how do we keep our calm and our perception in proper shape while looking at the scenario around us insightfully, to look at hidden opportunities? How do we keep the mind still, so that it maintains its equilibrium, so that it can think in a calm and precise manner?

The answer is in creating spaces of silence within. And in not following the herd madness and learning to see, what others do not. Rockefeller called the economic crisis that shaped him ‘the school of adversity and stress’. The calm decisions that went against the tide around him that Rockefeller made as a mere youth and then continued to make after he rose to great heights is explained through Warren Buffet’s adage ‘be fearful when others are greedy and greedy when others are fearful’ as mentioned in the book ‘The obstacle is the way’.

It is further explained that this behaviour is ‘learnt behaviour’, meaning that it is not some magic lying within some selected genes. All of us are equal in being able to build up what we want to do with our lives, and conquer circumstances around us, whatever it is. 

Power of the subconscious mind

I am now going to delve into the philosophy of one of the New Thought pioneers that took psychology to a new level, combining it with the power of universal energy of pure intention, who emphasised that this only works when one rids the heart of all impurities. This is Dr. Joseph Murphy, a former Jesuit priest and chemist who lived for 20 years with the rishis in India and re-interpreted the concept of prayer. His seminal and secular work is the book ‘Power of the subconscious mind’. 

This book consists of case studies of how he had guided people of diverse traditions towards achieving their goals by using pure intention. He points out that this works only when the heart and mind is cleaned. In one example he emphasises that if a person saw a competitor who is doing exceptionally, going to the bank to deposit his profits, that this person should wish him double of that profit. This is about banishing fear. Fear is seen as a defiler. In the above case fearing the success of another because we somehow think that prosperity is limited.

In the book The Cosmic Energizer, Murphy points out that each individual is a powerhouse dynamo and that one can release the hidden power of the self by the assumption of ‘right ideas, feelings and attitudes of the mind’.

In stillness and calm that we could cultivate in the footsteps of the great spiritual masters of all traditions, we will get the strength and inspiration to see beyond what is immediately present around us. We can then go towards that which we want to achieve, keeping in mind that it should be something that serves humanity, whether it is a business or an initiative within any other realm.

All of life is about energy. We get food into the body from nature to give us energy. We carry with us the energy of whatever that we consume. Likewise when we put out a word or thought to the universe, it lingers within us. 

There is a saying: ‘Show me who your friends are and I will tell you who you are.”

This is because we imbibe what is around us. Importantly, if one is not vigilant about the kind of company one keeps and indulge in conversation replete with gossip, or negativity or blame whether it is about people or circumstances, one will be unable to steer forward the highest possible potential all human life is capable of.

Money is energy and it is a beautiful energy when used meaningfully, without hoarding or wasting.

Collective and innovative step forward

I wish you as follows:

If you are a business owner, please do not indulge in energising fear by cutting staff salaries or perks or incentives just out of fear. Truly and honestly assess if you really need to do this. Instead, put your entire energy to adjust your mind, think differently and pursue what others are not doing to emerge from this crisis and have every confidence that things will be fine. 

Take wise, careful decisions taking time to list out diverse new ideas and options; then work out immediate, mid-term and long-term goals to achieve this. You are responsible for the financial wellbeing of yourself and your staff. Stinting now and making your staff suffer difficulty is not necessary if you use their cooperation to make a collective and innovative step forward to think of promoting your business in hitherto unthought-of dimensions. The question is how well do you know your staff and their talents.

If you are a staffer, make a long inventory of how you have worked so far. Then think of how you can do things differently. Go into unchartered territory. Try and link some of the skills, talents and dreams you have not used so far. The purpose is so that your employer benefits. Use both your common sense as well as uncommon sense. 

Develop confidence and assertiveness in the knowledge that the ideas you are offering is unique. (Ensure you do solid research and perfect any further areas you need to). Finally when you are ready and have no cracks in your confidence, you could get an appointment with your boss. Even if you have never met him before (in large companies many staffers can work a lifetime without getting a chance to ever meet the chairman). 

Work on your inner self so that it is as pure as possible so that the energy that you impart will be wonderful and through that beauty you will be attracting people and opportunities to help your employer succeed with the new idea that you want to initiate for the establishment you work in. 

If you do this properly you will even know if it is time for you to leave the company and take the plunge in finding a new path that is closer to your inner vision or talents.

Try and read books that have accounts of entrepreneurs and business leaders who gained victory against all odds.

If you are an unemployed youth who thinks that the world has ended due to COVID-19 and that you will not be able to get your dream job, please immediately reverse that thought. Know that prosperity and abundance begins with a state of mind. Consider what you truly want. If you are going for a job interview, do meticulous research on the company and their projects. Then within you create a genuine curiosity and interest in the work of the company you are trying to approach. 

Imagine you are already working there and that you are asked to think out new projects. Make a list of new things you can do for this workplace. Be absolutely sure you know the work they do with a thoroughness as if you were a senior manager. Needless to say you will need to do painstaking research into the company and need ingredients such as time, silence, enthusiasm and an all pervading inner joy. These can be easily cultivated. 

While doing this, ensure that you make a list of what it is that you really yearn to do with your life… What are the things you love to do? Do you secretly nurture a hope to be an artist? A musician? Grow a forest? Innovate something? Learn something you never had a chance to? Give power to the thought of what springs truly from yourself and not society. If you use these aspects of introspection, even as you go about doing your day job or looking for jobs, you will be in sync with your dreams. In being thus, you will never move away from the wish that others (friends or enemies) achieving their true purpose in life, wishing them exactly the same success you want for yourself. 

Above all, associate only with positive people who constantly and genuinely work on themselves. Do not under any circumstances give in to jealousy or envy and learn to be honest and look within yourself to uproot anything not conducive to your higher self immediately. Do not do what many do; pretend it is not there. Sit in meditative silence at least once a day so you learn to introspect honestly

Above all, associate only with positive people who constantly and genuinely work on themselves. Do not under any circumstances give in to jealousy or envy and learn to be honest and look within yourself to uproot anything not conducive to your higher self immediately. Do not do what many do; pretend it is not there. Sit in meditative silence at least once a day so you learn to introspect honestly.

This writer has worked with greatest difficulty to identify envy, which is a great wall to achieving success. Cleanse your mind daily as if you are weeding a garden. Think of the discipline of positiveness as flowers. Water it every minute with drops of planning and pour the sunshine of assuredness over your garden. Cast out the pests of doubt regularly. May your garden bloom and may you one day look back and say proudly that you thank COVID-19 for your 

success!