Opinions are free but can be a costly

We are all filled with opinions. Whether we excel in anything or not there is one aspect and that is owning an opinion. We either like it or we don’t at the same time we have numerous reasons to do so.

Sometimes the decisions are based on our family orientation, cultural settings and our social conditioning. It can be very interesting if we take time to analyse why we take certain steps and wonder what drove us to that conclusion.

We are often more open minded when we are younger, but somehow as we get older we settle in for a road better or most travelled. Maybe it is because we don’t want to take too many risks by then. Recently came across a researcher of emotional intelligence and leadership.

Dr Virat Chirania, has a doctorate in emotional intelligence and is an engineer. It was when he was going to be appointed as a Chief Executive Officer when he came across a meditation course and went on to learn meditation and become a teacher at an organisation. He teaches youth and working professionals.

Gone are the days when we thought everything has to do with IQ because today emotional intelligence is taking an upper hand.

According to Dr Virat he was a typical left brained engineer working in an IT job in the United States when he chanced upon the meditation class. And the whole journey changed. The more he meditated the more he was taken to ancient scriptures and the importance of emotional intelligence and the ancient knowledge explaining about emotional intelligence leading him to do his PhD in EI. He explained that increased emotional intelligence increased leadership ability.

While leadership qualities are on their own a vast topic, having the flexibility to change your career path takes confidence and knowing your mind. That’s when a friend said if one has been successful in attaining financial independence then it is a smooth transition to a new path.

So why is that many are still stuck in a profession that is far away from their true call?

When we are young we are so often asked what do we want to be when we grow up and parents smile proudly and are amazed at some of the answers. They could vary from wanting to be a police man to pilot or a doctor to teacher. When we look at it closely we realise they are the professions we are closely associated with. We observe teachers and cannot wait to come back home to enact the role at home. While young we never have enough toy kitchen sets, but grow up and see the real utensils and the heart races while thinking of what to cook. It is not because we may not be inspired but the fear is more of getting it wrong and being judged. We are so afraid of being wrong that we would rather not even take the first step to attempt trying.

The fact is the biggest failure is not trying due to the fear of failing. Yet all of us have some some elements of fear.

It could be fear of future, exams, career or even retirement. Life is all about planning and preparation it seems. And most often it is important not to look back. One has to move forward as if there is no other option but keep going ahead. Our comfort zone lures us back and our insecurity prompt us about our shortcomings. As the experts say it only takes about 20 minutes to over come hunger, it only takes a while to overcome the hurdles whether choosing a new subject, career or lifestyle.

After all if there is anything constant it is change.

Besides the world has billions of minds and no one has ran out of ideas may it be musical composition, art, designs, scientific breakthroughs, inventions or business ideas. We are still churning them out even thousands of years later.

The ones who are aware of the consciousness say. “I am not the doer.”

Where there is fear there is no space for creativity or be a recipient and it is even more sadder to note that this fear is most of the time baseless. So it all goes back to thoughts and opinions.