A new life

Here's an article I wrote for the Times neighbourhood of Sarjapur and HSR layout, in Bangalore. (Issue: 2nd November 2012)

You can also find it here. 

Cricket - a metaphor for life

What can I say that hasn’t been said before? Over the years, a lot has been said in praise about Sachin Tendulkar and it continues till date – 20 years since he burst into the international limelight. But today I write about Sachin Tendulkar as my guru and not as the cricketer we all love.

How many of us have done something that will give us a sense of pride to last a lifetime? And how many of us did something noteworthy when we were 16? And have any of us been at the top for 20 continuous years without a single blemish?

Since 1989, I have spent each of Sachin’s and my birthdays and more, thinking about how the maestro has reached such great heights at such a young age and still kept his feet planted firmly on the ground. Single-minded devotion, discipline, hard work, passion and equanimity are some of the lessons to learn from Sachin’s life. He has made me want to achieve a lot in life and be like him in everything I do. With reams of accomplishments that he has already attained, I wouldn’t be surprised if in a few years from now, ‘Sachin’ becomes an adjective!

There have been innumerable instances where I have drawn inspiration from Sachin’s on-field and off-field demeanour. Whether I have been low for not doing well in my academics or any other sphere in life or when I went out to play for my team during my gully cricket days, there was always one man who helped me get up on my own. If I felt like running away from a situation, I would ask myself: would Sachin have succeeded if he had said he didn’t want to face the fastest bowlers of his time – Imran Khan, Wasim Akram, Malcolm Marshall and the likes?

I believed as a ten-year-old that I could beat the opposition in cricket despite they being twice my size or age. I knew that my friends banked on me to play well and ensure a team victory – similar to what India hoped of Sachin. Or so I’d like to believe! But that belief was something that makes me the person I am today. I attribute a large portion of the confidence I carry to Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar!

I'm sure this is the effect Sachin has on many Indians across the country. Unknowingly he influences us to be stronger and emerge successful from every trial that we face. For twenty years, this stocky dynamo has had an effect on a billion – if this is not power, what is?

I have had the privilege of watching Sachin play in Mumbai’s stadia, and the aura of the man is something beyond belief. The reactions of the crowd when he enters the ground or even merely touches the ball can be understood only by being part of it. And I don’t need to tell you about the frenzy when he is batting majestically!

Thinking back over the last twenty years, cricket and Sachin have helped me grow as an individual, become mature and made me live by the belief that I will be able to meet any challenge that life throws at me.

Cricket, for me, has been a beautiful metaphor for life, and Sachin my inspiration!

Positivity

Today, on my way back home from work, I had an interesting conversation with my colleague Gayatri (who was kind enough to offer me a ride home in her BMW).

She was telling me of the dialogue she had with her 5-year old son a few days ago. Her son, probably the youngest of the children in the colony, came to her in a fit of anger. He was being bullied by another kid; justifiably, Tarun was venting his feelings to his mother.

“Ma, I don’t like Nikhil. He pushed me to the ground today, did not let me bat and also made fun of me. Tomorrow, you give me a sharp knife and I will go and kill him." Now, let us not get into a discussion of how television and movies have created a bad impact on kids and blah! One, I don’t believe in that statement and two, that is not the point of this post.

Gone are the days when the mother would scold or beat her child to knock some sense and discipline into his/her head. (Russell Peters might disagree, as he advocates parents beating their kids to prevent them from being social outcasts; but this too, is not important here.) What amazed me was the way Gayatri chose to handle this situation.

It would have been very easy for her to rebuke her child and get angry with him for speaking in the manner he did. But she chose to sidestep the matter for a short while. Having fed him dinner and finishing her motherly chores, she broached the topic again at bedtime. She then gave him an evil idea, which only an ingenious mother could have thought of.

“Tarun, forget the knife and killing Nikhil. I’ll give you a better idea. Tomorrow, you complain to Nikhil’s mother and tell her how he is troubling you. She will then get angry with him and hide all his toys. I am sure he will feel sorry and next time he will behave better with you,” she told him.

Oh, the joy on the child’s face - priceless! And the idea, a masterstroke!

My reinforcement: A positive approach and a positive mindset will have far reaching effects on one’s life. We can always find a well-disposed and innovative solution to all issues in life. The important thing is to look for it!