Getting Things Done: Saintliness vs. Anger

Q: As a professional, if I am too saintly, work will not happen. Is anger the path for me?

Sadhguru: We always use the word “professional” in the context of saying that someone did something without any emotion, just as it is needed. When someone just does what he is trained to do, where is the room for anger or anything else? “His attitude is professional” generally means that he is not emotional about this and that, he is just doing what is needed.

It is good to function as an amateur rather than as a professional. Generally, you use the term “amateur” to describe someone who does not know what to do. But I am not talking about a novice, I am talking about an amateur. An amateur is someone who does things because he is passionate about it; he sees meaning to what he is doing. A professional does not see much meaning to it. Something is being done because something else will happen out of it, that’s all. A life like that is very barren. Unless there is involvement in what you do, unless it means a lot to you, the work that you do is just a waste of time and life, both for yourself and for everyone.

Involvement does not come because you do certain things. If there is involvement, certain things will naturally happen out of you. That is a beautiful way to exist. If you do the same things without involvement, it turns ugly.

So, if you function as a professional, your life is ugly. If you are an amateur, it is okay, but if you are a volunteer in the world, it is very wonderful. If you are always willing to do what is needed with great passion, it is very beautiful. What the end result is, who is in the way, who is supporting you or not supporting you – nothing matters. Now, whatever you do is being done with such tremendous involvement that everything that you do is beautiful.

One problem you have is that you are a professional, another is that you have an anger issue. Why do you think anger has a role? Because people do not move when you say something, isn’t it? What is needed is involvement. If people around you see that you are doing things with great passion, why would they not move? When you are doing everything with great passion, everyone around you will be moved.