Equanimity key to become a successful entrepreneur

We got a call at 6 AM from a neighbour in the building where my dad’s office was located – with a message that the office seems to be broken into. This was in 1989 – a few years after my dad had painstakingly built a small travel agency business as his second career. Both of us rushed to the office to discover that the burglars had emptied the office — cash, TV, phone, typewriter, chairs — everything was gone. All the efforts of the last few years had vanished overnight.

I still remember looking at my dad wondering how he will deal with this — he was silently absorbing the situation and after a few minutes, he said calmly: “OK, it is what it is... let’s rebuild this... the Lord is with us.” His reaction left a deep impression on me — of how to deal with adversity in life with equanimity.

One of the key teachings of the Bhagavad Gita is the importance of equanimity or sthithaprajnate, which is the ability to remain calm and balanced in the face of adversity or success. Lord Krishna teaches Arjuna that he must practice equanimity to be successful in battle and that it is achieved through detachment from the results of one’s actions.

Krishna explains that the world is based on duality, which we perceive as opposite emotions… pleasure and pain, success and failure, and gain and loss. One must remain unaffected by these opposites, and maintain a state of equipoise. Krishna says, "The yogi whose mind is fixed on Me attains the highest happiness. By neither rejoicing greatly nor lamenting, and by practicing equanimity, he becomes fit for liberation”.

Stithapragna is a Sanskrit term that refers to a person who has attained a state of stable and balanced consciousness. In this state, a person can maintain a sense of equanimity, clarity of thought, and emotional stability in the face of changing circumstances. I believe that this is one of the key traits of an entrepreneur.

A stithapragna and an entrepreneur require a certain degree of self-awareness and self-reflection. A stithapragna is someone who has developed a deep understanding of their own thoughts, emotions, and reactions to external stimuli. This level of self-awareness allows them to make decisions from a place of clarity and objectivity, rather than being driven by impulsive or emotional reactions. Similarly, a successful entrepreneur should be able to objectively assess their strengths and weaknesses, as well as identify opportunities and threats in the market. This self-awareness helps entrepreneurs make informed decisions that are grounded and viable, rather than pure wishful thinking.

Another similarity between a stithapragna and an entrepreneur is a willingness to embrace uncertainty and take calculated risks. A stithapragna is not immune to the challenges of life but rather has developed the resilience to adapt to changing circumstances with grace and equanimity. Similarly, as entrepreneurs, we take a lot of risks to bring a new product or service to market. We must be comfortable with the inherent uncertainty that comes with launching a new venture and be willing to pivot and adjust our approach in response to feedback from customers and the market.

A sense of purpose and a commitment to making a positive impact in the world is another common trait required for a stithapragna and an entrepreneur. A stithapragna is someone who has cultivated a deep sense of inner peace and contentment, not born out of selfish interests. Rather, a stithapragna is motivated by a desire to serve others and make a positive impact in the world. Successful entrepreneurs are often driven by a sense of purpose that goes beyond simply making money. They are passionate about solving a problem or meeting a need in the market and are committed to making a positive impact on their customers, employees, and the wider community.

Finally, as American writer Jack Kornfield says, “Equanimity is also a state of inner peace that comes from developing a deep understanding of the impermanence of all things”. By learning to let go of our attachment to things and people, we can cultivate a sense of acceptance and equanimity towards life's challenges. When we learn to accept the impermanence of all things, we can respond to life's challenges with wisdom and compassion, and cultivate a sense of inner peace and calmness that will sustain us throughout our lives.

It is said an Eastern monarch once charged his wise men to invent him a sentence, to be ever in view, and which should be true and appropriate in all times and situations. They presented him the words: "And this, too, shall pass away." This is one of the mottos that I live by.

(Madan Padaki, Co-founder, Global Alliance for Mass Entrepreneurship & President, TiE Bangalore.)

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author's own. They do not necessarily reflect the views of DH.