Ancient philosophers and their views

I have decided to pen this post on the thoughts and views of one philosopher. Before I share with you who this philosopher is, the values that he wrote and his views on how we should conduct ourselves will interest you. An ancient scholar who was born in 1058. He shared, how we are shaped by our beliefs and the influence of varied sources around us. The 5 sources of our beliefs will stem from;

Our environment, how we grow up. The models of success and failures that hinges around us and that includes, the rights and wrongs that we see. The environment has a direct influence on our beliefs and it shapes our view of the world
Our experience and events as we grow up. Given the trials and tribulations we should treat events as stepping stones to learn, change and improve.
Knowledge, the window to the mind and critical thinking. What we learn from cradle to grave.
Results that we have achieved, as a result of cognitive thoughts translated to behavior. This makes sense, you do what you usually think about.
Setting new goals to achieve future results. I like this a lot, constantly setting new goals. Creating a continuum as oppose to an end.

These core beliefs can extend out to the following perspectives that one can assimilate when dealing with the challenges in our lives.

The belief that everything happens for a reason and we should look for the good and positive in everything that happens. Thats good advice, it all about looking at the cup as half full.
The belief that there is no such thing as a failure but only results or outcomes. To be patient in achieving the results that you are working towards to, would be the path one should take. Think about making that incremental improvement. One technique that I have found useful is setting 3 actionable goals each day. Create a bucket list of 3 very important tasks that you must complete, and guess what in a week you have completed close to 15 tasks.

The belief that we should take responsibility for whatever that happens. The blame game should stop. This is an awesome advice. In an organization where you have blame, you usually have a toxic culture. I worked for as a flight dispatcher many years back for a reputable airlines in Asia. We had a manager, lets call him “Santa Claus”, who usually hides in his room. The only time, we saw “Santa” is when an error occurred in the flight plans and a flight was delayed. The very last time I met him, he walked out of his office to shake our hands on his last day of work. There was a rumor that he was booted out for making a false claim. As I stood there on that fateful day, I refused to shake his hand for here was a Manager that no one in the office respected.

The need to learn from others and they are our greatest resource. I have had awesome co facilitators who worked with me, as much as I have influenced them, they have influenced me too, like that pouch I now carry with me, with my program design and notes. That I learnt from Kelvin.

The belief that there is no success without commitment. Absolute commitment to what you do, not one that is half baked or one that you say you are committed but, fall short in great lengths. If you ever talked to someone who has achieved mediocre results, they will usually say they have tried their best. However, what they have not realized is that their best is very much a perspective and datum that is set low.

The belief that we should challenge ourselves in our professions and explore new ways of doing things and increase our sense of curiosity and vitality. Are we willing to do this, lets not talk about the sabbaticals that some get to go for whilst still being paid a salary. Here is a desire to learn and you undertake this journey in pursuit of knowledge. You are also willing to make sacrifices that eats into your time and finances.

If you are a new age guy, these views will strike a chord with you. They are no different from the many self help books you may have read. From the 5 best tips to find your “best” to the 3 beliefs that will take you out of your comfort zone, they are very much aligned. Here is a fundamental difference, the man who penned these thoughts was an ancient Iranian scholar philosopher, he wasn’t a speaker or an entertainer who walked on coal cinders, just a simple academic and philosopher who was committed to finding out what one can do to attain the eternal peace. His name is Al Gazali. He was the foremost islamic thinkers that the islamic civilization ever produced. Born in 1058, in Iran, he went on to become the head of Nizamiyah College of Baghdad.