Mind over matter

I was perhaps in class 5 when I had heard the Arjuna’s story for the first time and to say I was smitten would be wrong for it had a very deep impact on my thoughts. The way Arjuna managed to shoot the fish in its eye having learnt the lesson of concentration on goal in his childhood was etched on my mind all throughout my growing up years. In that story I learnt how important it is to have a goal in life and keep moving towards it with full concentration, as that is the way to success. In short I wanted to be Arjuna.

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Till a very long time my goals were of course decided by my parents but I tried to focus on them with all my strength and tried to reach there. But somehow, it never happened which resulted into a lot of pain and disappointment. A state level judo champion, interschool competitions winner, ideal student of the school, best dancer in the city, intermediate level sketch artist and a published poet was reduced to nothing when it came to scoring in academics because of which I was tagged a failure.

They felt I did not give my best but I, never for once doubted the theory I had learnt in my childhood. About the goal being the most important thing to be achieved with your concentration and kept on trying with renewed vigor each time. I left behind everything else and began to concentrate only on their goal – my studies.

After almost a decade of having learnt that lesson my life still felt the same - a collage of failed attempts at nothing successful. Yet the journey towards nowhere continued as I believe the goal still exists somewhere in this nothingness waiting for me to accomplish it. Little did I know how wrong I was!

By a stroke of luck I happened to attend a course for self development where on the very first day we were asked to gather in an open ground. I was wondering what self development am I going to do here.

The teacher said we were going to have a race here and asked for volunteers. For the first time in my life I was scared. Scared of losing in front of so many people and it surprised me. For here I was with a rack full of medals and trophies from sports tournaments and today I was ashamed of running in front of some 20 odd people. Irritated with my attitude I volunteered myself immediately wanting to push my capabilities and bring back that sportsman spirit in me.

We were asked to stand near the beginning line. I could hear the thumping of my heart with fear. A fear that I did not know existed in me till now. I had failed so many times till now then today why this fear. I did not realize that this thumping was not due to fear of impending doom rather it was welcome music my heart was playing for the new changes that were going to enter my life soon. My ears were stretched to hear On your marks – get set- go when I heard the teacher saying something only to us five – the people in the race.

This race is the last race of your life. Your life depends on this race. You have to win this one and prove yourself. There is nothing left in your life beyond this. It’s do or die. Give it all that you have in you to this one for after this there is nothing in your life left to be achieved.

As he kept repeating those words I found a new surge taking birth in me. I had not walked leave along run in the last 8-10 years and yet I wanted to win this race. I wanted to give it my best shot this time and prove myself (Thank God I did not ask to whom and just continued with my thoughts!!). The moment he said Go... I sprinted ahead as fast as my fat chubby body could take me. I was about to fall, my legs began to pain but I ran with all my might. I didn’t want to know where I was, if someone was ahead me or behind me. I just wanted to reach that goal. And I did only to realize I had won. Yes, I had won this race!

That day I learnt what I could not learn in Arjuna’s story as a child. I learnt that it’s the passion that is important to drive you towards your goal and not the goal. Someone can make a goal for you and perhaps even pave the way towards it for you but it’s you who has to run towards it. And that is possible only when you have the fuel of passion in you.

This lesson has stayed with me throughout and I have seen my results turn around like anything. Today I see success around me in various forms which is also visible to my loved ones; all because I do things with passion now. There is a time to dream, there is a time to believe and there is a time to do so as to achieve. As it is rightly said, it’s not about the destination it’s about the journey and I would like to add that all that matters in this journey is passion.

Passion matters a lot to me as it shows in the results, for anything done with love can never fail. Passion is the fuel that keeps driving me towards my goals and despite various pitfalls on the way, makes me still dust myself, get up and continue running. It is this passion that becomes the single ray of hope amidst all the grey skies of uncertainties and keeps you going against all the odds.

I had read these lines somewhere and they have remained with me till now for they define me perfectly. To quote them,

“The passion that drives me towards my goals is the desire to give my best in all that I do so that the day I face my maker I am able to smile and say I used all that you gave me and did my best there!”