NOT HOW MANY BLOWS YOU CAN SEND...

The morning Yoga session was ending. 

“I am filled with love,” the Yoga teacher announced... “I am filled with love,” the class echoed. 

“I love God,” the teacher declared… “I love God,” the students cried. 

“God is great,” the teacher announced… “God is great,” the pupil followed. 

“I am the best,” the master decreed… “I am the best,” everybody agreed.

Last morning, I was passing by this temple where the Yoga class was being held. There were men and women - some elderly, some middle-aged and some young. The session was ending with those affirmations… those auto-suggestions: 

“I am filled with love,”… “I love God,”…. “God is great,”…. And, “I am the best.”

I could hear the chorus even after I long passed that temple… and even after hours long gone behind!

In my office, I felt glad for all those people who were starting their day on such positive note. I felt glad for the teacher, too… What a wonderful way of changing this world! I was really glad… and telling myself, “Hey, I am filled with love… I love God… God is great… I am the best.”

But then, I also wondered: “What brings the best out me?”… “What makes me strong the strongest… The greatest (Not sounding arrogant.)?

It takes a hell lot of things to bring the best out us. It takes a hell lot of fire to produce steel. It takes a hell lot of blows to make us tough, the strongest… Yes, the greatest, if we wish to crown ourselves to be!

“I am strong”… “I am the best” – these are just some statements. It takes a hell lot of feelings to turn them into our beliefs… And, it takes even more than that to turn these beliefs into realities. 

But, the teacher was right. We have to step into this world with such state of mind, with such heart. Everything begins with a word, a thought, a feeling and an action. “Let there be light,” even God had begun the creation with His ‘wish’… with His words!

The other day, Suchin Tendulkar, my hero, reached the mark and set the benchmark which is tough for any human to reach. It is not about the hundred centuries that he has now scored. It is about those nineties – very close hundreds – that he has so painfully missed… scores of them! It is about the agony of returning back to the pavilion on a duck, even on the first ball… With your head down in shame… That fear, that sadness, that frustration… It is about being declared out when you are not… and, you just can’t do anything but walk back with dignity, suppressing your anger, concealing your pain… It is about being able to be there, still there, with hope, with brilliance, with your nerves of steel and heart of gold! Yes, when the prophets of doom keep swearing, “Sachin is dead!”

What brings the best out of Tendulkar?

Why is he still there?

Still going great?

For the same reasons, I adore Amitabh Bachchan, my another hero. Come on, it is not easy to be there like him, either! So, it is not about his movies that have become mega-hits; the TV shows and Commercials that have brought him money and fame… or, the awards and titles that have been showered upon this legend. To me, it is about the innumerable movies that have tanked, the business ventures that have sunk, the financial beatings and shame of being hounded by the creditors, the pain and fear of being isolated by your closest friends when you needed them the most, the malicious campaign, the incessant criticism and the those prophets of doom, again, who keep declaring – “Bachchan is a dead meat… Over!”

Yes, to me, strength comes from the tests of fire. From your resilience… Your abilities to bounce back… Rise from your ashes, like the legendary Phoenix.

Yes, it is not the number of blows 

you can send on your opponent… 

It is the number of blows 

you are able to withstand… 

before you can really knock him down!

Yes, it is the power of resilience … Your ability to take blows without getting vanquished… that is going to bring the best out you. Steel out of you. The greatness!

So, the Yoga teacher was right. Those elderly men and women were strong… the greatest! Those middle-aged housewives and the young couple were the strongest, as well! 

As I was passing by the temple, I too had repeated with them: “I am filled with love,” “I love God,” “God is great,” and “I am the best… the strongest…. the greatest!”

But, I knew that just passing by this temple was not enough! I needed to pass through a hell lot of fire, and taste a hell lot of blows, to be strong like steel… and, fine like gold!


The greatest!

GERALD C’CUNHA

Pics.:Ronald Fernandes