GOOD TIMBER DOESN'T GROW WITH EASE













“Good timber doesn’t grow with ease;
the stronger the wind, the stronger the trees.”
~ J. Willard Marriott

In every field, there are Legends who leave an enduring legacy. Every political leader is a not a Statesman. Similarly, every sports person is not a sports Legend. In Business, Movies, Music, Social Work, Architecture, Law, Art and in every other field – yes, there are stars who occupy a distinct place and shine there for a long, long time… while other stars fade away quickly.

What makes a person a Legend? What gives him that durability… that enduring power?

Yesterday, I was talking to a friend of mine, a great cricket buff, about the durability issue in cricket. “Only Sachin Tendulkar could play for that long (24 years) at such level. Even the fine cricketers like Sunil Gavaskar, Rahul Dravid, Saurav Ganguly played only for 10 to 15 years on an average. That’s great considering the productive age of the players to play competitive international cricket. But, the current players, who play aggressive cricket without any rest in between, will not be able to endure that long… Big money, quick fame and crazy lifestyle are some other factors which will not allow them to stay long.”

I could relate what my friend said about cricket to other fields, too. In the Hindi film industry, Amitabh has lasted gloriously for over four decades. Raj Kapoor, Devanand, Dilip Kumar and many others like them had stood faithful to their craft and shone for decades. In music industry, Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle, Mohd Rafi, Kishore Kumar, S.D. Burman and R.D. Burman… In the sphere of  Art, people like M.F. Hussain… In Business domain, J.R.D. Tata and G.D.Birla to name a few…

What I am trying to get at is this: Something makes individuals and their Establishments tough and last longer in their respective fields… Talent and discipline, combined with character, patience, passion and vision… yes, above all a bit of luck – which I wish to call ‘Grace’ – are what constitutes that ‘Magical something’…

Many, many young ones around us, today, who are obsessed with the vocabulary of ‘Start-ups’ and ‘Packages’, who also do not wish to marry the partners they are in love with… who do not desire to have their own children… who ‘only believe in what they see’ and ridicule the idea of ‘seeing what one believes in’… yes, this young lot is an impatient lot. It wants it ‘now’… and wants it ‘big’!

Nobody told this generation the story of ‘Goose that laid Golden Egg’… Nobody told them about the unshakeable belief that drove the legendary founder of J.W. Marriott Hotels, John Williard Marriott:

“Good timber doesn’t grow with ease;
the stronger the wind, the stronger the trees.”


GERALD D’CUNHA


Pic.: Anil Bedi

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