Rumi was a renowned Sufi mystic and poet. The poems of Rumi present a moving and timeless treatise on love and life.
The wisdom contained in his verses is eternal and a guiding force for many.
Let’s explore a few of his quotes:
1. “The wound is the place where the Light enters you.”
Steve Jobs revolutionized the world of personal computing. However, he was thrown out of the very same company he had created and fostered into a leading technology giant. “I was out — and very publicly out,” he recalled in a commencement speech at Stanford University. “What had been the focus of my entire adult life was gone, and it was devastating. I was a very public failure.” After such public humiliation, many people would have chosen to slink away into obscurity. Instead, Jobs used this experience to work on his shortcomings and come back stronger, taking Apple to new heights. Often the biggest wounds or biggest crises in our lives carry the largest potential for transformation.
2. “What you seek is seeking you.”
According to Sufi mystics, we are a part of existence and hence all the dreams we seek are already a part of our existential consciousness. In short, the universe endorses our dreams. You would not have had the desire if the universe did not will it. Hence Rumi exhorts us to never give up on our dreams because hidden in those dreams is our roadmap for growth and evolution.
3. “Forget safety. Live where you fear to live.”
Life can only be truly experienced by the brave. The more security you crave, the more you end up distancing yourself from life. In spite of all measures, life cannot be predicted or contained. Hence, we should live our lives consciously, intensely, and fiercely. Our fears can limit us only to the extent we allow them to.
4. “Don’t be satisfied with stories, how things have gone with others. Unfold your own myth.”
In 2003, Carr, a 32-year-old New Yorker, had a regular check-up at her doctor’s office and discovered that she had a rare and incurable cancer, Epithelioid Hemangioendothelioma. Instead of losing hope, she challenged her disease. Armed with a new nutritional lifestyle, she created a series of self-help books and documentaries. She subsequently launched a wellness website which was highly successful. Today, Carr is celebrating a decade of “thriving with cancer,” and is now revered as a prominent expert on healthy living.
5. “Raise your words, not voice. It is rain that grows flowers, not thunder.”
Actions speak louder than words. Similarly, being clear, precise, and meaningful in your communication ensures that you get your desired response. For example, as a part of his comeback, Steve Jobs followed the rule of three during presentations. Jobs divided his iPhone presentation into three sections. He said, “Today we are introducing three revolutionary products. The first, a widescreen iPod with touch controls. The second is a revolutionary mobile phone. And the third is a breakthrough Internet communications device.” He finally concluded, “Are you getting it? These are not three separate devices, they are one device and we are calling it iPhone!”
Rumi’s work lives on from the 12th century. How about your work – will it withstand the test of time?