Bhagavad Gita 18.48

sahajaṁ karma kaunteya

sa-doṣam api na tyajet

sarvārambhā hi doṣeṇa

dhūmenāgnir ivāvṛtāḥ

Abandon not the work born of one’s nature,

Even if touched by fault in its present stature;

As fire is by smoke obscured,

So is every effort by flaws smeared.

My dear Lord, whenever I feel torn because of the tension between the values I cherish and the situations I confront, grant me the insight to navigate those challenges faithfully and fruitfully.

O all-sustaining Lord, if I do not have ideals to hold on to, and if I do not hold on to the ideals that I have, I will end up losing, or even leaving, whatever is important to me, one thing at a time. Eventually, I may not even recognize myself, as innumerable micro-compromises erode, or even erase, the essence of who I am.

O omniscient Lord, let my ideals not make me so inflexible that I can no longer meet tangible real-world responsibilities. Let me never become self-righteous about that dysfunction.

O all-embracing Lord, to find the balance between the ideal and the practical, help me first raise my vision beyond both to you. It is you who inspire me to live a life of ideals, and it is you who ultimately arrange my life’s practical situations. Let me aspire to contribute to your plan through all my choices. May that service attitude guide me to discern when to adhere to my values, when to adjust to circumstances, and when to adapt by crafting a judicious blend of both.

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18.48 Every endeavor is covered by some fault, just as fire is covered by smoke. Therefore one should not give up the work born of his nature, O son of Kuntī, even if such work is full of fault.