Whenever we are wizards at something – superb at doing that thing – our ability can raise us to great heights. While we certainly need to do justice to our talents, we also need to guard against the hazard of dubbing others as dullards, that is, of minimizing them for not being as talented as us.

When we brush others off arrogantly, that arrogance can alienate them, and they may resentfully pull us down or at least not let us rise. The capacity of our work to reach others depends on our network, the connections we have with others, especially those with influence.

The Bhagavad-gita (16.04) stresses the self-obsession of the demoniac by referring to three of their defining qualities: pride, conceit and arrogance. In being obsessed with trying to show off their abilities and prove their superiority over others, they end up alienating others.

To avoid deriding or dismissing others as dullards, we need to see with spiritual vision, thereby seeing our talents as not our entitlements, but as endowments. Entitlement means to think that we deserve our talents because they are ours. Endowment means to see that our talents are gifts given to us.

The Bhagavad-gita (07.08) states that he is ability in human beings. Whatever abilities we have are gifts given by Krishna to us. With this vision, we can be honest in acknowledging that we have certain talents, but also be humble by acknowledging that they are gifts that we use to the best of our capacity. Instead of using them to look down and snub others, we use given to make a contribution in a mood of service. Then those talents will not increase our ego, but will ensure that we develop deeper relationship with others and we move closer to Krishna, thereby moving towards all-round fulfillment.

Think it over:

  • How does our self-obsession alienate others?
  • How can we change our vision of our talents?
  • What is the fruit of using our talents in a mood of service?

 

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