God comes first.

It's no secret that I practice Sanatana Dharma--Hindusim--and that I'm a staunch devotee of Lord Hanuman. I spend 30 minutes to an hour in the morning in worship, praying, chanting, and petitioning him for his protection and success. Throughout the day, his name is in my heart, and his image is foremost in my mind.

So who is He and what makes him so worthy of praise?

Hanuman is the quintessence of leadership, service oriented devotion, excellence and achievement.

Hanuman is a Vanara (monkey), the son of the Wind God, incarnation of Lord Shiva (one of three most popular divinities in modern Hinduism) and the best devotee (Bhakta) of Lord Rama in the multiverse. He was directly tasked by God with helping find his wife Sita, and played a big part in the plan to thwart the 10-Headed Demon Ravana.

His feats are vast, and there are many lessons we can extract from his teachings.

The Nesessity of Curiousity: Hanuman's Attempt to Eat the Sun As a Child

"On your own, you dashed upon the Sun, which is at a fabulous distance of thousands of miles, thinking it to be a sweet luscious fruit."
~ Hanuman Chalisa

One of the first stories we read is recounted during his childhood.

As the son of the wind God, Hanuman had super human strength at a young age. Like most children, he was fearless. He saw the sun cresting the dawn and jumped towards it full speed, thinking it was a giant orange fruit. Surya--the Sun God--saw Hanuman hurtling toward him and screamed out. Indra, King of the Gods, struck Hanuman down with a lightening bolt on his chin. After seeing his son suffer in this way, the Wind God--Vayu--withdrew from the world, suffocating everyone in the multiverse. When the Gods saw this, they immediately apologized and offered Hanuman Divine Boons in penance.

In an ironic turn of events, the Sun God--Surya, would teach Hanuman the secrets of Yoga later.

The Sun became Hanuman's Guru!

What Did This Story Teach Me?

People often punish curiosity early on, especially if they misunderstand your intentions. It's important to unshackle ourselves from the limits that have been set by society on ourselves--even if it leads to discomfort. Consider how the world has given you 'push back' for your own curiosity. Be fearless when you encounter new things and devour them!

The Power of Eloquence and Connection: When Hanuman Met Rama and Lakshmana for the First Time

"You rendered a great service to Sugriv. You united him with Shri Ram and he installed him on the Royal Throne. By heeding your advice, Vibhishan became Lord of Lanka."
~Hanuman Chalisa

Here we have a glimpse of Hanuman as a rallier of troops, and eloquent mediator of royal contacts.

When Ravana kidnapped Sita, he ran past Hanuman and His king, Sugriva. Sita, knowing that her husband Rama would find her once she was kidnapped, dropped an anklet directly on top of the pair without Ravana noticing. Rama, searching for his wife, would run into Hanuman, who explained what he saw in depth.

Shortly after their first meeting, Hanuman used his superior eloquence to connect Rama to Sugriv, who would regain his throne with his help. Later, he would use his peerless speech to crown Vibhishan--defector and brother of Lord Ravana--to sit on Lanka's throne after Hanuman set it on fire.

What did I learn? This taught me the power of collaboration.

Spiritual entrepreneurs are sensitive and introspective. Many of us understand the necessity of alliances, collaboration, and strategic friendship. However, many more of us struggle to DM our clients or those that we admire and make connections. After reading the Ramayana and working with Hanuman, I realized this isn't something I could afford to do anymore.

When you work with Hanuman, shrinking is no longer an option.

Fearlessness and Self-Belief: Leaping Over the Ocean Toward Lanka

"Carrying the Lord's Signet Ring in your mouth, there is hardly any wonder that you easily leapt across the ocean."
~Hanuman Chalisa

Let's step back a bit in our story.

Hanuman is a child. He'd just been granted Divine boons from the Gods after Indra hit him with a lightening bolt for having the audacity to try and eat the sun. After granting him these powers, Hanuman--in typical childlike fashion--becomes a great nuisance to the saints and sages that surround him in the forest. Whenever they would meditate, he would terrorize them. Finally, they cursed him.

He would retain his powers, but he would forget he had them unless someone reminded him.

Later in his life, his friend would remind him of who he was--the Sun of the Wind God--and the vast array of Powers that the Gods bestowed on him in his youth. He would use the power of Self-Belief and Remembrance to manifest his powers and leap across the ocean in one fell swoop to get Sita!

How many times have you allowed people to cause you to forget your power?

As entrepreneurs, it's easy to get in a rut and allow others to convince you that what you're doing isn't working, or won't succeed. You start to allow people to disempower you, and gradually taper back or quit our efforts or quit entirely.

Like Hanuman, it's your job to see an "impossible" task in front of you and execute it seamlessly. Even if it appears to be vast as an ocean, you have a gift and the power to succeed.

You just have to remember what you're capable of.

Jai Hanuman!

How Worshiping Hanuman Is Teaching Me the Power of Valor in Entrepreneurship

How Worshipping Hanuman Is Making Me a Better Leader.

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