“You are an average of the five people you closely associate with.” — Jim Rohn
Till now we have discussed the importance of association and types of associations, now we discuss how to develop good association.
To achieve a goal, an association aligned to our goal should be selected. But that’s not the end of the story! People try hard to change their destiny, their nature, behaviour, outlook, mindset and so on with no or minimal success.
“If you value someone’s value system, their value system becomes your value system.” — Dr Vivek Bindra
People hold a belief, “being with a winner makes you a winner.” Not necessarily! I haven’t met anyone who knows the names of all classmates of Albert Einstein for example. That’s when we need to think, how it works??
Often people fail to associate with the aligned association even if they get! Why?
It just doesn’t work that way, simple.
Association is not at all about physical proximity. It’s about permitting the other person to help us rewrite our belief-system How does that work?
Observation of the activities of the other person, their words, actions, response and dealings helps us to change our own!
Think, what made them act in a certain way. This conscious thinking is what brings out the real transformation of a person’s thought process!
Being conscious of other person’s value system will subconsciously transform our own.
Say for example, two friends, one who keeps all things organised and other who does not. We have to learn from them by observing their tables.
Person who keeps his desk clean, when he returns to his desk will naturally want to work , and one who keeps it messed up will find it difficult to even focus for a single day.
Krishna informs in Bhagavad Gita 2.62 that the origin of any desire is a person’s association and desire is what drives the person. If a person is being influenced by misaligned or reverse-aligned association, success is hardly possible!
“Speech has power. Words do not fade. What starts out as a sound, ends in a deed.” -Abraham Joshua Herschel
The aligned association is important to win. But one may say, “You know, to be frank, I don’t have any aligned association locally!”
The immediate environment may put forth limitations. Fortunately, the technological advancement provides a person with huge opportunities for a global association.
For instance, although you are reading this article and associating with me, even though I may not be locally available to you!
There are two types of association:
- through words (vani) and
- through physical availability (vapuh).
Physical availability is limited by space and time, but association through words empowers a person to access the world beyond these limitations! Indeed, it puts forth a huge variety of options to choose from! You have a higher control over whom you allow into your mental space!
“No matter what anybody tells you, words and ideas can change the world.” -John Keating
The words of thoughtful people uncover the thought process of the greatness. Listen to the great personalities. Listen to them and hear about them.
Arjuna, one of the great personalities of the past, present and future, asks Krishna in Bhagavad Gita 2.54 about the acts and behaviours of the greatest personalities. Thus, associating with the great personalities by hearing about their teachings and activities.
We all have a great opportunity to associate with Sri Krishna himself, because he left his vani (words) in the Bhagavad Gita.
Gita is today available in more than 70 languages, we just need to pick a book in our language we are good to go.
Gita in read daily by many many famous personalities in the world.
Not only you will learn how Krishna advised Arjuna, and in turn Arjuna became victorious in the Mahabharata battle, you will also learn many principles that will guide you through out your life.
There are 100s and 100s of reasons if anyone want to read Bhagavad Gita.
Not only that, there are many online courses for Gita also.
See you there in the concluding blog.
