"IF YOU COMMIT TO NOTHING, YOU WILL BE DISTRACTED BY EVERYTHING"














Pic.: Ronak D'Souza






“Freedom is not the absence of commitments,
but the ability to choose - and commit myself to - what is best for me.” 

― Paulo Coelho, The Zahir



Today is Amitbh Bachchan’s 73rd birthday. Well, I hear him challenge me: “Budda Hoga Tera Baap.”

In fact, my dad died when he was my present age, at 57! And, I do not know about me!

Bachchan went to death-door several times and came back, only to live well.

I have been a die-hard fan of Amitabh Bachchan ever since I first read a small article on him in our High School reading room. I was in ninth standard, then. The movie he was acting in was ‘Bombay To Goa’. Ever since then – some 42 years must be that – my admiration towards him has only on the ascent. I have never seen any other actor – even a character actor – surviving so long in the man-eat-man film industry. Amitabh Bachchan is not admired by guys like me just for surviving so long… but for inspiring awe in our souls.

In this Post, I wish to focus on that one human character-trait – ‘Commitment’.

To me, this quality of our character is so pivotal that it holds the rest of our success-wheel together, and keep it moving superbly. Most of us lack commitment in life. I keep telling my young students that we all are capable of committing ourselves totally for at least one or two things in life. Please note, I said ‘At least one or two things… totally’.

The reason why many of us fall on wayside is just because we do not commit ourselves fully to something in life. Therefore, that famous reminder from the Wise:

“If you commit to nothing, you will be distracted by everything.”

Believe me, you will be…

The wheel won’t hold itself together… It will fall apart.

Today, Amitabh Bachchan is where he is, and what he is – to me – is essentially because of his awe-inspiring character quality – ‘Complete commitment to his craft’.

I know there is much more to to the Legend. But, for his 73rd b'day today, this one is suffice.

Happy b’day sir. May the ’wheel’ continue to hold itself more robust and inspire!



GERALD D’CUNHA

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

MUTHU KODI KAWARI HADA

Image
Pic.; Ashwin Mohta M y Hindi was always bad. It still is. One reason for this was, that they introduced Hindi for us only in 6 th standard. Or, was it in 8 th ? I don’t remember… I only remember struggling to write and read… leave alone speak! But, I loved Hindi movies, and, strangely, I could understand the dialogues and the lyrics of the songs… I used to sing those songs (of course when no one was around me!) as if I was the lyricist… One of the songs was a very funny one. ‘Muthu Kodi Kawari Hada’. It was from Mehmood’s super-hit comedy – ‘Do Phool’. I was a 15-year-old high-school boy when I had heard that song (not watched the movie). I could grasp the meaning of two words – ‘Muthu Kodi’… which meant ‘Give kiss’… But, what ‘Kawari Hada’ meant, I have no clue till date! It was just like ‘Why this kolaveri di’... Yes, why ask? Simply enjoy the beats… And, the beats are great… The rest... Who cares? Really! So, whatever bit of Hi...
Read more

SELLING MIRRORS IN THE CITY OF THE BLIND

Image
“I laugh when I hear that the fish in the water is thirsty. I laugh when I hear that people go on pilgrimage to find God.” - Kabir T here is a universal human weakness – and it dates back to the days of fallen civilizations – and it is: to place people on pedestal and trying to be smothered by them, feel loved and protected in their company… worship them as mentors, heroes,  gurus, Mahagurus and Satgurus… Make these mortals larger-than-life cut-outs, worship them as flawless, pure and give one’s all… And, then, ‘take’ everything from them blindly as divine… Give everything to them blindly… Eventually, what happens is:  one more dangerous bondage… What was supposed to free you now becomes a new prison… It’s sad to see this happen! T his room, where I am writing this Post, has no image of any deity. I have no image of any Guru or Master around me… My question is: “Am I not able to feel close to Almighty God?  How ...
Read more

"HAPPILY EVER AFTER IS NOT A FAIRY-TALE... IT IS A CHOICE"

Image
“Love doesn’t just sit there, like a stone… It has to be made, like bread; remade all the time, made new.” – Ursula K. Le Guin,  The Lathe of Heaven T welve years ago, when Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie got married, the world began to hail the couple as ‘Brangelina’. It became a fashion for couples around us to call themselves so… Norbert and Teresa renamed them as ‘Noresa’…  Amol and Vishaka baptized their relationship as ‘Amoshka’… and, Salman and Nargis became ‘Salgis’! I and my wife, too, got tempted to re-christian our matrimonial relationship as ‘Germa’... That is, Gerald and Anima, to be precise! B efore I proceed any further, let me make it very clear, here… that, I have no business to judge on the break-up of Brad Pitt and Angelina’ Jolie’s marriage. I have no inclination to go into why, how, what when etc behind it… The couple ‘chose’ to split. And, it’s their choice… Only they know how good or bad… how joyful or pain...
Read more
THE WILD, WAYSIDE FLOWERS
There is, always, something extra-ordinary in the wild, wayside flowers...