Samatvam

Success and failure are a part of life. Most of us experience both in different degrees. In our exams, college admissions, sports, extracurricular activities, career placements, promotions, ... Sometimes success comes and sometimes failure.

There's a beautiful word in Sanskrit for the capacity to handle both with equanimity, with dignity: Samatvam.

When success comes, sure you must celebrate it. But if you become pompous and arrogant, you miss the point. Not only will your personality become shallow and flaky, you are setting yourself up for a sharp fall when failure comes. Instead, just be normal. Carry yourself maturely. Stay humble. Stay cool. Stay decent. Not only will you earn more respect this way, when failure comes, you will be able to handle that too without going down mentally, without losing your self respect and confidence. Because you understand life. You know that both success and failure come and go. You just have to keep giving it your best. That's what's in your control. And you take care of that.

When failure comes, sure it hurts! But if you let it break you, or let it make you dishonest, jealous of others who might be tasting success, you miss the point! Just introspect! Have you worked hard? Have you given it your best? If not, start now. If yes, continue doing the same. Understand life. Failure and success both are a part of it. If failure is your lot today, success will knock on your door tomorrow. Or you will die trying 😐! Grind your teeth, fight! If you just do this much, I tell you, your self respect and sense of dignity will stay untouched. And from whatever I have seen in life, if you are exercising all your intelligence and putting in the best effort you can, success cannot elude you for too long. People who really love you will stay. People who were with you only for your successes are better gone anyway! Sooner the better!

Throughout, in success or failure, stay humble, stay honest, exercise all your intelligence, work hard, give it your best, and that's that.

Two of the worst personality traits to develop are arrogance in success - that you are somehow "fundamentally better and more deserving of success" - and jealousy in failure - that others too shouldn't get what you didn't - "that" college, "that" job, "that" pay package, "that" woman / man 😆. Both these traits are hooking you to external trappings and will sully what really matters : your character, your self respect, your dignity.

Just stay true, stay humble, work hard, wish everyone the best! Come success or failure! That's Samatvam! And Samatvam carries all the dignity, maturity and awesomeness anyone could ever have!

Samatvam! Make that your mantra! Samatvam!