EFFORTLESS... IT'S A MYTH


 

“About the only thing that comes to us

without effort is old age.”

Gloria Pitzer

 

My friend, Hitesh Rupani, runs a music school by the name ‘Gurukul Music School’. This school teaches little kids, young ones and adults to master various musical instruments, particularly guitar. It, also, teaches Western classical music…

And, the school has been there for years. For Hitesh, through all these long years of experience in the field of teaching music, one thing constant – when it comes to students - has been this: they want it to happen fast. Means, achieve the mastery faster, even faster!

So, when young  aspirants see it not happening faster, they lose patience, and along with it, they lose their interest, too…

Music is over... They try the next thing on the menu – sports, dance, acting, gym or any item from the menu.

Unfortunately, nothing from the menu comes effortlessly… Everything calls for long patience, dedication and commitment. They realize, that there is a tradeoff – you get proportionate to how much effort you put in, how long you can stay consistent and committed…

This is the test: you stay or you quit… Sadly, people like Hitesh see the majority quitting…




The other day, I asked little Chinmay in one of our PD sessions, “Beta, how old are you?”

“I am 11, Sir,” said Chinmay excitedly.

“Beta, for how many years, you have been learning Kathak?” I asked the 17-year-old Manasi.

“11, Sir,” said Manasi.

“So, Chinmay, Manasi didi, started dancing Kathak when you were just born!” I teased him and the class…

Anushree, who plays Violin brilliantly, and her younger sister Akshara who is an amazing vocalist – and a dozen other talented young ones around us – have been learning music and dance for long, long years…

And, sports?  Yes, be it any sport, it is only long, long, long hours of efforts – passion, patience, sacrifice, commitment, dedication, perseverance and all of that.

“Effortless… It’s a myth.” Roger Federer’s Commencement speech (2024) at Dartmouth College is doing rounds. The legendary Wimbledon champ puts it in plain words what I have said above – and what you and I know as a plain truth: “Nothing in life comes without efforts.”…




Oh, yes, the only thing that you and I can expect to get effortlessly in life is old age… and decay.

 

GERALD D’CUNHA

 

Pic.: Pixabay


Videos: 1.  H. Sofia  2. Dartmouth

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