Business: Solve Problems Through Surrender, by Rishi Deva

Image credit: Mikael Vejdemo Johanssen

I was recently coaching an Information Technologist who was trying to solve a complex issue as it related to his business. While the problem he faced is well beyond my skill level, I was able to help him get to a level where the process for the solving the problem arose within him through a surrendered state.

When a problem arises at work, we often tense up. If we are aware of the feelings we will notice that we are even irritated by the problem. That this problem is a hindrance which leads to more tension and a feeling that this problem is insurmountable. Everyone has different ways of dealing, or pacifying these feelings, but in many cases these coping strategies do not move the project forward.

I am the first to admit that it happens to me. As an entrepreneur regularly facing tasks that call for out of the box thinking and incredibly fast turnarounds with lean resources, I often manage anxiety and tension. When a problem arises, I may feel an inclination to ignore it, or shelf it until procrastination no longer is a viable option. If I give in to this inclination, I would go straight to Facebook and check out my friends’ feeds, or make a cup of tea and eat chocolates. (These days I am off sugar, but in moments of stress, I still think about chocolate.) A spiritual teacher once told me the energy associated with chocolate is “the promise of future perfection”. No wonder I prefer eating chocolate to facing anxiety head on. But what I have learned is to see beyond these impulses that try to escape the anxiety, and to practice profound surrender, softening and deep relaxation.

I am fortunate that I have a meditation space where I work. It is an essential part of any wise business in our current environment. Even when I worked in a corporate office when I needed to go into my “meditation cave” I would lock my office door, turn the lights down to a minimum, lay down my yoga mat and sit cross-legged on the floor.

Finding a neutral quiet space is essential. So if you work in an open concept work environment with no privacy, you will need to find a quiet space. It could be your car, it may be a church, it could even be a quiet corner of a bookstore. If you own your business, I highly recommend you make a quiet space available for your employees to use.

When you come to your meditation space, start by breathing and focussing on the breath.The idea is to not think about the problem at all. You want to empty your mind. Once the mind is clear, the heart opens to possibility and we become receptive to an arising. It is in this place that solutions surface. Otherwise, if we dwell on the problem, the anxious mind’s mental chatter interferes with the quiet and receptivity that are needed.

Often the answers are already within us waiting for us to surrender in a most relaxed way. Please do not mistake relaxation for a lack of alertness. It is in the relaxed state that we have heightened alertness. It is in this alertness that solutions start to take shape.

So the next time you have a problem that seems insurmountable, just relax.

Rishi bioSince 1994, Rishi Deva, founder and CEO of RishiVision and entrepreneurial coach, has empowered thousands of businesses. Rishi has an MBA in marketing and entrepreneurial studies and a BBA in accounting. He has spent nearly twenty years coaching, consulting, managing and supporting thousands of businesses from new startups to active global leaders.

For more information on Rishi, please visit rishivision.com.