PAUSING TO CARESS THE CHAMPION WITHN

 



“You will never be the person you can be if pressure, 

tension and discipline are taken out of your life.”

James G. Bilkey

 

I remember what great Albert Einstein once said:

“Everybody is a genius. But, if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing, that it’s stupid.”

Well, with the permission of the great scientist, I wish to replace the word ‘Genius’ in this quote with ‘Champion’...

This morning, I was teaching this batch of twelfth standard. Two days ago, one of the students, Maansi, who has been always regular and committed to her studies, had requested me for a leave. “Sir, I will be leaving to Chennai for my tournament (Rifle shooting), early tomorrow morning. I will miss a couple of classes. But, I will try to attend online.”

I sent Maansi the zoom link. But, due to a weak network, she had to miss one of the sessions while she was travelling by train. “But, Sir, I will make it up... Solve the sums and show you,” she messaged me. Today, she connected on zoom from her room.

“How’s the tournament going?” I asked Maansi, at the end of the session.

“Going great, Sir,” Maansi responded.


                                                Maansi in action


Three days ago, I had blogged about Namoh, another student of mine, who had proceeded for his Gymnastics tournament in Goa. He had missed two full weeks of my classes. He is weak in my subject; but, very strong in Gymnastics. He is also very sincere... extremely punctual and dependable.



                Namoh (second from our left) and his team with a Silver medal


So, I asked the students who were present physically in my class today: “Do you think, even if Maansi and Namoh return with a Gold or Silver medal, that’s what they will be doing all their lives?”

There was no answer from my students.

I asked the next question: “Do you think, that the discipline needed to succeed in their sport is different from the discipline needed anything else in life?”

There was no answer, either.

So, I further prodded my students, “Do we need discipline in life?”

I wasn’t asking my students these questions to get an answer... I wanted them to think...

As the euphoria of the phenomenal success of our young women cricket team is still fresh in the air – and none of us wants this air to be polluted... yes, we get to hear the inspiring stories about each of these young girls... The struggle and the anxieties, the ridicule and frustration, each one of them had to go through. In the end, as it is everywhere else in life, we only tend to bask in the magnificent glory – of being the World Champions – and, seldom, do we seriously pause to ask: “What makes a real Champion?”




Yes, when someone becomes a Champion, alongside the jubilation, let’s pause to caress the Champion within us who is struggling anxiously to emerge. Trust me, there is one inside every one of us... and, let me repeat this: the discipline needed is the same – whether it is Cricket, Gymnastics, Rifle shooting, or whatever that you and I aim for in life...

Yes, Sir, as Abraham Lincoln said:

“Discipline is choosing between what you want now

and what you want most.”  





Thus, let’s all shoot... Let’s aim for the Moon, and as the old advice goes, even if we miss, we shall fall somewhere among the stars...

 

GERALD D’CUNHA

 

Pic’s: 1. unsplash.com  2. Maansi   3. Mrs. Rupa  

         4. The New York Times Digital

Video: Galen Fott

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