Success, Motivation and Focus: what really carries you

Focus: what you put your attention on shapes you

Where does your attention go all day long? That, Gurudev says, shapes you more than any single action you take. Whatever you keep carrying around in your thoughts becomes part of you over time — whether it's a task, a worry, or something that truly nourishes you. For him, focus isn't really about willpower, it's about direction: what are you letting yourself into?

Because whatever you deeply contemplate, you dissolve into it. If you fixate on currency, you dissolve into currency. If you think of the factory all the time, you dissolve into the factory. If you dwell on money, business, and transaction, you dissolve into that. If you contemplate the Divinity,

From a talk on the Ashtavakra Gita — “Repose in Being”, 00:16:35

For Gurudev, this holds true no matter what it's specifically about — a business, a goal, or something bigger. So focus isn't just a tool for getting more done, it's something that actually shapes you over time. That's why it's worth checking honestly, again and again, where your thinking spends most of the day.

Motivation: ambition isn't the same as real drive

It's easy to confuse ambition with motivation. Gurudev draws a clear line here: ambition circles constantly around yourself — the next goal, the next bit of validation. That kind of drive can push you forward for a while, but it keeps you unfree, because it keeps asking: what about me?

Opportunism—or ambition—is the opposite end of love. A highly opportunistic or ambitious person cannot be in love, nor love anyone. He cannot give, cannot be without fear and cannot be peaceful. Because he is always thinking about what about me, what about me, what about me. There is no trust in an ambitious person.

From a talk on the Ashtavakra Gita — “Letting Go of Worries”, 00:24:51

For Gurudev, real motivation shows up somewhere else: in the ability to give, to stay calm, and to pursue something out of inner conviction — not because you constantly need to prove something. A drive that comes from trust carries you differently than one born out of worry about your own position.

Deciding and letting go: the power of clarity

An awake mind isn't one that constantly wants everything at once. Gurudev describes a simple but powerful practice for mental clarity: decide clearly what you want to do — and just as clearly, let go of what you can't or don't need to do.

I resolve to do what I want to do. Resolve to do what you want to do. Drop what you cannot do. Resolve doing what you have to do. You must do. Drop what you cannot do. What is required of you to do, you put your 100% in it. And what is not required of you to do, you relax.

From a talk on the Ashtavakra Gita — “Acting Spontaneously”, 00:28:40

This double move — doing what's asked of you with resolve, and relaxing your grip on what isn't asked of you — keeps the mind settled, instead of wearing it down in a constant back and forth between demand and overload. Focus this way comes from clarity, not from pressure.

Setbacks: why difficulties can make you stronger

Setbacks rarely feel like progress. Gurudev still sees another side to them: every situation you run into — even a difficult one — can contribute to your growth, much like pressure is what gives a raw material its shine.

Every situation that comes to you is for your upliftment. When a diamond is cut, it glitters more. Gold, when put in fire, shines more. The more you crush sugarcane, the more juice and sweetness come out of it. Similarly, in life, when problems come, know that they come to make you stronger and brighter. You start shining from within. Every challenge brings an opportunity to improve your skills and take you to your full potential. Be ready to face any challenge that existence throws at you.

From the book “An Intimate Note to the Sincere Seeker” — knowledge sheet 26, “Only the Best Will Happen to You” (7 December 1995, Bangalore Āshram, India)

That doesn't mean sugar-coating difficulties or wishing them on yourself. It means not seeing them only as a pure obstacle, but as something that can bring out what's already there in you — if you're willing to meet the task in front of you.

What you can do

1. Watch where your thinking goes for a day. Notice where your thoughts keep wandering off to on their own — a worry, a task, a wish. That observation alone shows you what's shaping you right now.
2. Ask yourself honestly where the drive for a goal comes from. Does the motivation come from curiosity, enjoyment of the thing itself, or a wish to give — or mainly from the fear of not being enough otherwise? That distinction changes how the path to the goal feels.
3. Make a clear decision each morning about what's on today — and what isn't. Decide where you'll put your full energy. Whatever isn't on that list can rest for today instead of tugging at you in the background.
4. Take setbacks as part of the path, not its end. When something doesn't work out, ask what about it could shape or strengthen you, instead of only looking at what didn't work.
5. Check what your sense of success actually depends on. Notice moments when you were satisfied without any outside recognition being involved. They show you what a drive looks like that doesn't need constant outside confirmation.

Questions on this topic

• How can I be successful without losing myself?
• How can I focus better?
• How can I overcome procrastination?
• How can I start my mornings with more energy?
• How can I strengthen my willpower?
• How do I become successful?
• How do I deal with setbacks on the way to success?
• How do I deal with the pressure I put on myself to be successful?
• How do I find my drive again when I've lost motivation?
• How do I find my true reason behind my goals?
• How do I find the right balance between ambition and contentment?
• How do I overcome the fear of failure while pursuing my goals?
• How do I reach my goals without giving up?
• How do I stay disciplined even when no one is watching?
• How do I stay focused despite constant distraction from my phone?
• How do I stay motivated in the long run?
• What is the difference between true success and outward success?
• Why do I lose motivation as soon as a project isn't new anymore?
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Sources

The quotes on this page come from:

• Ashtavakra Gita — “Repose in Being” (AG 20b), 00:16:35–00:16:56
• Ashtavakra Gita — “Letting Go of Worries” (AG 21), 00:24:51–00:25:30
• Ashtavakra Gita — “Acting Spontaneously” (AG 25), 00:28:40–00:29:42
• An Intimate Note to the Sincere Seeker — “Only the Best Will Happen to You” (knowledge sheet 26, 7 December 1995, Bangalore Āshram, India)