"Fear and Hope.” These two things dictate most of our actions and most of our thoughts. We look at our future either Hopefully or Fearfully. They are key deciders for our actions.
Whenever we are given something, we look at it either in the rays of hope or in the shadows of fear. Rays shows us the light or the fear engulfs us through the darkness.
Why we have this hope and fear? Because, whatever we do, it will have its own outcome. Either we win or we lose. And guess what? The world around us judges us on the outcome. Not so much on the efforts.
So, we are heavily dependent on the outcome of our efforts. It’s all outcome my friend. The world judges on the outcome. Nobody cares for the effort you put in unless you win.
So, how to deal with this outcome anxiety? What if we fail? What if we miss out the opportunities? I was curious for the answer for it. But in the Bhagavad Geeta, Shree Krishna Paramatma says- “Do your work and leave the outcome to me.” That’s true. Afterall, he knows what’s best and what’s not? Isn’t it? Also, on the same topic Swami Vivekananda also said some interesting and few eye-opening things. Let me share my thoughts on it….
Work for the sake of work.
On one hand Swami Vivekananda suggests to work incessantly/ relentlessly and on the other he suggests to work without any attachments. Swami Vivekananda wishes us to work for the sake of work. Some people work for money, some work for recognition etc., There are hundred other reasons if not thousand for people doing the work they do. Swamiji asks us not to find a reason to do a work. The given work should be done for the sake of that work.
Imagine if you are cleaning your room. It is the work that’s on your hand right now. So, why you want to clean the room? “My parents will appreciate it, for that appreciation I do this?” Or “Today some guests are arriving so, to impress them I am taking this work on my shoulders?” Are these motives to do a work? A big no my friend. Don’t do any work with any of these kinds of motives. The room should be clean. That’s the motive to clean it. This work is done for the sake of it. You don’t care whether someone appreciates the work or someone will be impressed by it. What you care is just to clean the room. Isn’t it a wonderful approach for all the things we do?
Also, Swamiji says to work like a Master and not like a slave. Take complete ownership and responsibility for all the works you do. Imagine it as the favourite video game of yours. How you play your favourite video game? You take special care for the equipments of your video game. Until you finish the mission or untill you reach some level in the game, that game will be all on your mind. Just like that, own whatever work you do. Reading, Writing, Eating all of them combined.
All of these are about how we have to do the things. But the anxiety thing comes at the outcome stage?
Here’s the answer I found…
Even if you are the master of the work and you love to do it, remember you are not bound by it. “Bondage is terrible” he says. Let me quote it from the book "The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda." It goes like, “Work as if you were a stranger in this land, a sojourner; work incessantly, but do not bind yourselves; bondage is terrible. This world is not our habitation, it is only one of the many stages through which we are passing”.
Thus, being both completely taking responsibility for what you do and unattached to the outcome of it, you take out the anxiety of the outcome. Well, the world may judge on the outcome. But you know that you are a stranger as Swami Vivekananda said who did the best you can. You own what you do and you are not bound by the results of it. When you are not bound by the results, judgements on those results doesn't affect you much. The anxiety of outcome slowly vanishes into thin air. 
May the divinity in us awakens all of us.
Hare Krishna.
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