Breaking the Loops: Presence, Leadership, and Wisdom from the Gita & Guru Granth Sahib

Four Loops That Pull Us Out of the Present

One of the simplest and most effective models I return to is Otto Scharmer’s framework of the four mental loops that keep us from engaging fully with the present:

① Stuck in the past — replaying old conflicts, overanalyzing what should have happened.
② Anxious about the future — living in “what ifs,” anticipating problems that may never occur.
③ Blaming others — externalizing challenges instead of seeing our own role in the system.
④ Over-identifying with the self — being trapped in our own viewpoint, unable to see the larger field.

Each of these loops drains energy and pulls us away from the only place where change is possible: the present. The now is where decisions are made, relationships are built, and transformation begins.

Ancient Wisdom, Same Truth

The Bhagavad Gita captures this with clarity: “You have a right to your actions, but never to your actions’ fruits.”Krishna’s guidance is simple — act fully in the present, unbound by past regrets or future anxieties.

The Guru Granth Sahib echoes this through Chardi Kala (resilient optimism) and Hukam (divine order):
“ਜੋ ਹਉ ਕੀਆ ਸੋ ਮੈ ਪਾਇਆ ॥ ਜੋ ਮੈ ਦੀਆ ਸੋ ਤੂਝੈ ਦੇਖਾ ॥”
(What I have done, I have received. What I give, I see returned.)

Both teachings are radical reminders: suffering often arises from resisting what is. Presence begins when we stop fighting reality.

A Simple Practice

When you notice yourself caught in one of these loops, pause and ask:

• Where is my attention right now?

• What shift would bring me back to presence?

Because leadership — whether of self, team, or society — starts here.

So I’ll ask you: which of these four patterns shows up most for you?