When there’s no one to be touched, you will never be feel hurt, insulted or betrayed!
I am intently following L’Affaire Mistry @ Tata. Every time Cyrus Mistry retorts through the media, I can feel his pain. Vaani and I know what it means to be dropped high and dry, like a hot potato. About 11 years ago, the head of our Bengaluru operations migrated to a rival company en masse with our entire Bengaluru team. I took this purely business-related development personally. I was so hurt, I was suffering so much that I took a flight to Mumbai, barged into the office of the rival company, met its co-founders and demanded an explanation from them. While the conversation with them helped to the extent that I shared how I felt, as an entrepreneur, as a professional, as a human being, when I reflect upon it now, I realize it served so purpose by way of closure. It was just a knee-jerk emotional response from me. Perhaps banal I talk about this episode and how cathartic it was for me personally in my Book Fall Like A Rose Petal. bravado. Yes, of course, I learnt something from that experience – I learnt the power of forgiveness. I talk about this episode and how cathartic it was for me personally in my Book Fall Like A Rose Petal. I also learnt that you really must not expect fairplay from people and in Life. Because people do what they do because they think, and often also believe, that what they are doing is right. And Life never promised any fairplay nor does Life answer any questions.
I have realized that when you are hurt, offended, insulted or cheated by someone, you can let the hurt pass and ignore the whole happening or you can let the hurt pass and fight the issue or you can cling on to the hurt and also fight rabidly for what you believe is right. I have, since that episode in my Bengaluru office from 2005, learnt that letting the hurt pass and ignoring the whole episode is the best option. You may not want to agree with it. But this is what I prefer doing. If I must fight at all, I will prefer fighting the issue than invest my energies in avenging an insult.
If you reflect on Life, you will discover that whenever you feel hurt at what someone tells you, or does to you, it is your ego which is acting up. You question, often bitterly, why someone has behaved in a manner that you don’t endorse. Your ego instigates you to fight back, to avenge that behavior, instead of constructively confronting the issue. And then the drama begins. You tell the person something harsh. That person retaliates. Then you must say something in return. And on, and on, this game of ping-pong goes on. Or in situations when you are unable to retort or get even, you suffer within. You carry the injury, the wound from the hurt, all the while. Your ego keeps reminding you of how unfairly you have been treated. It sets you off on a journey of anger, self-pity and grief. And you let the wound fester there – causing you more pain, making you suffer more – and more!
But think of what can happen if you choose to ignore the insult. If you refuse to let it affect you. What if someone calls you an idiot and you just ignore that expression totally? Then there will be no hurt. And therefore no suffering. To reach this state all you need is to remember that each one is entitled to their thoughts, their opinions and their actions. If someone expresses his or her opinion, take it on board if it is worth it. If it will cause agony – drop it. Or rather don’t even catch it. Let the comment, barb, jibe, insult – or even an action, whatever, let it pass.
I am not judging the way Cyrus is handling his crisis, his catharsis. I only say that I can empathize with his sense of pain. Ultimately, to each one, their own. Your individual “Being Cyrus” or “Being AVIS” experience will help you onward to being you!
Even so, you are already on this evolutionary journey. And you can help yourself better by periodically checking out how well you are faring. Choose a 24-hour period and promise yourself that you will not react or retort to whatever may be said about you – no matter what the context is or what the provocation is. Notice that you will feel infinitely better without taking on board all the comments – about you – that come your way. Or without having to react to everything that is done to you.
This definitely works wonders when it comes to dealing with hurts, insults and motivated actions against you. But it also is a great way to stay grounded – especially when a lot of praise is heaped on you. If you let both insult and praise to pass, you will never be allowing your ego to be in the driver’s seat! When the ego is not driving you, you cannot be touched. Because then, as per Tao and the Empty Boat story, there’s no one to be touched!
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