Virtues

First Published on 27/06/2009 14:39

Ø I don’t know why but one fine day it happened for me to mumble a song from a Rajnikanth movie Raja Chinna Roja. Starting like this, I am not going to write a lavish praise for the beauty of the song or enchanting and soul fulfilling picturisation of the it as both are absolutely mediocre. But accidentally a couple of seemingly innocuous lines from this song provoked me to think half a day on the subject of life.

Ø Let me explain, Rajnikanth would take a gang of kids to a forest where a notorious kid would set a monkey’s tail on fire. The monkey would jump from tree to tree to spread the fire across the entire jungle. An elephant for whom, the same kids helped early, would clear the fire carrying water in his tusk to retrieve them safely. Now the song goes like this, ‘Nanmai ondru seitherkal, nanmail vilaindhathu. Theemai ondru seitheerkal, theemai vilainthathu. Theemai seivathai vittu vittu nanmai sevathai thodarungal. (Translation for those who don’t know Tamil: You did some thing good, and you got good result. You did something bad and you got bad result. So stop doing bad and continue doing good).

Ø Does virtues play a hand in success. Almost every being in this universe looks for money and power and attaining that is celebrated as success. Is this money and power goes only to those people who practice virtues or does it help them any way in achieving this? It is a very easy question for which the answer would be a big NO. we can see ‘n’ number of criminal politicians and corrupt officials not only lead normal life but also extremely successful. I asked my self several times if these virtues and good manners exist only for the use of fairy tales.

Ø If we clearly observe, we can see that life tries to give us a message at every stage that it takes us through. Its up to us to grab it to move to next level. Only those messages will take us near the happy state of mind that we are striving subconsciously. I don’t think we are searching for money or power. We are behind the happiness that comes out of money and power. Its only the virtues that helps us to see beyond our temporary objectives to uncover the messages. Lack of it would get us struck in the same level. Normally people tend to get stuck in money level.

Ø I believe life is a journey with an objective of finding the destination. We are supposed to collect clues in the way to find and reach the destination. In the way, we got to play lot of games to acquire the clues. If we forget that we are here to acquire the clues and play the game for other rewards, we would loose our journey.

Written by Bharathi

First Published on

27/06/2009 14:39

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Success that lasts is not built on burnout or blind hustle. It grows when your inner world agrees with your outer goals. This article challenges hustle culture, explores soul fatigue at work, and shows why emotional alignment, sensitive work routines, and energetic leadership are essential for sustainable achievement in a traumatised, high performing world.

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Success is sustainable only when your soul says yes

We have been sold a noisy lie. That success belongs to the busiest person in the room. The one answering emails at midnight. The one running on caffeine, cortisol and applause. But if that were true, why are so many high achievers quietly exhausted, anxious and emotionally flat?

This is where soul fatigue at work enters the conversation.

According to the World Health Organisation, burnout is now recognised as an occupational phenomenon, with chronic workplace stress leading to emotional exhaustion and reduced professional efficacy. A 2023 Gallup study found that 44 percent of employees worldwide experience daily stress. Productivity is rising, yet fulfilment is not. That contradiction should stop us in our tracks.

When productivity ignores trauma

Many of us carry unresolved emotional experiences into our careers. Trauma and productivity are often treated as separate conversations, but they are deeply linked. When work environments reward constant output without emotional safety, the nervous system never stands down. The result is high performance on paper and inner collapse behind the scenes.

I once worked with a founder who scaled a seven figure business while battling insomnia and panic attacks. From the outside, she was thriving. In private, her body was screaming no. Her success was real, but it was not sustainable because her soul was not on board.

This is the quiet crisis behind hustle culture. It teaches us to override discomfort instead of listening to it.

The power of sensitive work routines

Sensitive work routines are not about doing less. They are about doing what is right, at the right pace, for the right reasons. Neuroscience shows that people perform better when they feel psychologically safe. Harvard Business Review reports that emotionally supportive workplaces improve employee engagement by up to 76 percent.

This might look like designing workdays around energy instead of hours. Taking breaks without guilt. Allowing creative rhythms instead of forcing constant urgency. When the soul feels respected, focus sharpens and resilience returns.

You can explore this emotional emptiness masked as productivity further here.

Energetic leadership over loud leadership

Energetic leadership is not about dominance or charisma. It is about emotional coherence. Leaders who are regulated, self aware and values driven create cultures where people do not just perform but stay.

McKinsey research shows that leaders who prioritise wellbeing increase organisational performance by over 20 percent. When a leader’s inner yes aligns with their external decisions, trust follows naturally.

There is a powerful discussion on this shift from performance to presence here.

Redefining success from the inside out

Real success feels spacious, not suffocating. It allows growth without self betrayal. It asks not just, is this working, but is this worth the cost to my inner life?

When your soul says yes, ambition stops being a battle and becomes a collaboration. That is when success stops leaking energy and starts multiplying it.

So the next time you chase a goal, pause and listen. Not to the noise outside, but to the quieter voice within. Sustainable success always answers to it first.