Acharya Prashant addresses the question of how to remain calm when, despite giving one's 100%, things do not go as expected. He begins by posing a fundamental counter-question: "What is it you are giving your 100% to?" He explains that if one is truly giving their 100% to something, that in itself should be enough. The act of giving one's total selfâall energy, resources, and honestyâto a task leaves nothing left to worry about. To worry, to beat one's chest over a loss, or to lose one's calm over a failure, one must have some spare mind space and time. If you have devoted whatever you have to what you are doing, there should be no one left to cry over a loss. The speaker further elaborates that if one is dedicating themselves to a worthy cause, it will not leave them with time to cry over the consequences. The right work demands one's entire self. Conversely, if one is not dedicated to a worthy cause, then success is more dangerous than failure. If you are working for something very small and petty, and things are going your way, that is the moment you should lose your calm and question why things are going according to a plan that is not truly good for you. One cannot just work for anything random; your work is the truest reflection of who you are. Therefore, one must pick the right work. A characteristic of the right work is that it demands your entire self, not just a portion of your day. The wrong thing is for the fulfillment of a desire, which is always small. The right purpose is never really a desire in the mind. Frustration arises from the unfulfillment of desire, so one must be very cautious about their desires. To check frustration, one must question the quality of their desire. By choosing the right desire, one chooses the right frustration. The right thing is so big and important that it consumes you totally, leaving little or no time to brood over things, bang your head against the wall, or feel frustrated and deflated. The next battle is always knocking, leaving no time to regret a loss.
