Here is a doubt that was asked in a recent satsang.
When doing karma yoga, we are told to be calm inside, not be motivated by the fruit of our actions, to remain unfazed by appreciation.
At the same time, in the outside world, we are expected to do the exact opposite. Be aggressive, ask for a bonus, an increment, a promotion, a better opportunity and what not.
So are we then pretending to be one thing on the outside, while doing something else on the inside?
Maybe initially. Inside Rama, Outside drama. But that is only for starters.
The real magic happens when all work and all thought is aligned towards one goal alone.
What is that goal? To do the work at hand, to the best of one’s ability. And this pretty much sums up karma yoga.