It took me many many years to realize this… 

And perhaps this is my biggest visceral realization till date….

Almost everyone has probably heard of the quote from the scriptures of Bhagavad Gita and other holy textbooks “You have a right to perform your prescribed duties, but you are not entitled to the fruits of your actions”. 

For the longest time I can remember, I’ve been trying to influence and manipulate outcomes directly — by way of effort, behavior, strategy, cleverness, etc. 

However, what I completely missed was that we don’t control the outcome/results of anything. 

Outcomes/results arise from the seeds of sincerity, purity, and genuine-ness. 

If you do something in order to get X — the universe detects this ‘ulterior motive’ and jinxes the outcome. 

It may sound crazy, but I’ve actually tested this first-hand. 

I wrote 15 cold emails to founders across the world. 

The emails that had a great script/offer, strategic ppt to “sell myself” – didn’t drive as much engagement and response as did my emails that had no script – no elaborate ppt – no trying to “sell” myself 

It had – an aura of genuineness, and sincerity. It felt “true” – as if I didn’t care about the outcome at all but I’m just reaching out because I really liked you / your product / culture / values. These emails got the most engagement. 

And funny enough, these emails took the LEAST EFFORT. It happened spontaneously, organically, and instinctively. 

Crazy! I thought to myself. All these years I’ve been trying to put in “effort” to try and manipulate outcomes! 

But if I may be completely honest, I had arrived at sincerity, and purity, several times in my journey. But none of it lasted.. 

It’s as if, the mind inadvertently moves towards pleasure and the addiction to that “certain” outcome that we seek. 

And the more desperately we seek it, the farther it moves away from us. The more the outcome/result is “jinxed” by the universe. 

We are not entitled to anything… 

If you want to pursue something, do it.. 

If you don’t want to.. don’t do it, 

But to pursue something… in order to get X, 

Is most likely going to fail. And cause enormous strife.. 

As I’ve observed in my own endeavors….