804. Salaried Employment

People take note of a rising star when his coffers are receiving cascades of fortune. Common prudence sees that the continuous RISKS he takes make him a notable. A man risks his all - maybe a small fortune - and succeeds and comes by a few crores. Should he desire to rise, life at every step demands that he risk his all at the moment. Men who once successfully risked their all and rose, refuse further risks and level off. A rising star is one who constantly risks. That is what makes him an entrepreneur. Unemployed people clamour for jobs. They do not readily consider the alternate option of self-employment.

Salaried employment offers security. The first casualty of self-employment is that sense of security. Unless one comes to enjoy the security of insecurity, he is not meant for self-employment and the attendant risks. Salaried employment is a part, self-employment is a WHOLE. The part, if enamoured of the whole, must part with its security and court ever-present insecurity. In the philosophy of Sri Aurobindo, part and whole occur everywhere. One understands, but it is still abstract. How can the part become a whole? Can a salaried employee become a successful self-employed person? He can, if he chooses. In a house, a father earns. Other members do their duty, maintain the house, make a happy home, and live in enduring gratitude. But no one else earns. Earning capacity is the whole; efficient management of the house is a part. Should one of the family members come forward to earn, it is great. All members of a family are sometimes earning members. It is always possible for all members of the family to have the attitude and responsibility of an earning member. In that case, the income of the family will rise to the level of everyone earning. This is a cardinal principle of management.

We come across instances in growing companies where a department or some members act with that sense of responsibility. It is a question of one's inner attitude. ‘Headhunting' is a phrase among the business community where the efficient man in one concern is paid more to move to another concern. In such cases, he will be paid Rs. 10,000 more if his present salary is 60,000 or at best 20,000, never more. One who has taken this attitude and enjoyed his education as an enlightening education was offered a prestigious job by the Prince of that trade. He was offered six times his present salary. The candidate hesitated and before he could voice his hesitation, it rose to eight times. That is to be a self-employed entrepreneur while in salaried employment. One experiences paralysis of thought on receiving such proposals. In this particular case, the candidate was true, sincere, honest, truly deserving the aspects of CANDOUR. To it, he added a bright knowledge that made his work brilliant or even scintillating. It was really illumination. One writer happily phrased it as ‘illuminating candour'. He enters into the spirit of his work, enlivens its aspects, energises its course, makes his own personality LIVE, which brightens the prospects of his work. His mind is entirely on the work. The Prince of employers takes note of him. That is SPIRIT in life, values in work.