Chips are down, the odds are stacked up against you, and the only way for you is to fightback or stage a comeback. How many times do you like to make excuses saying that the chips were down, or you did not succeed because the odds were stacked up against you. Yes, you may have many instances to recollect, where you have given up – and that is because you wanted to, but there have surely been some occasions when you have risen to the occasion and surmounted the challenges to emerge triumphant. (we are not saying victorious!)
Some call this killer instinct, will power, determination, or the lack of it!
We tend to be ruled by schedules, may be half a work day, or full, a week, a fortnight, a month, a quarter, half year or a year. We resolve to do something, and embark on it, face a setback, and decide to take a fresh start – from the next session that we tend to determine. In such situation, it is like the resolve essentially gets squared, so if your achievement potential was 4 today, and you don’t succeed, and postpone it for tomorrow, then, you challenge is to surmount 16. Just imagine the task on hand, the time over-run on account of setback, and the fresh targets to be achieved along with the backlog, and hence the challenge not just doubling, but squaring up.
No wonder then, we face `fresh task blues’; weekly blues on resuming after a holiday; maybe a weekly blue for a quarter; and so on.
Sports is perhaps the best field to take inspirations from. An individual or a team reaches a hapless position, and everything seems lost. At that instant, something miraculous happens, and every factor beginning with morale, and determination, coupled with skill and ability suddenly transforms. A person in an individual sport – being nowhere in the reckoning, suddenly seizes the moment and makes that big leap into the forefront. Sometimes, it is a team that transforms itself for that brief period to produce a stellar performance towards the end and claw back into the game. Where did this focus come from? There was a sudden concentration on NOW! Or Never, and this translated into the transformation.
At such junctures, I wonder what must be going on in the mind of the the then leading person or team? A slight attitude of complacence – a feeling of having come so near, and just the final touches to be given, towards the goal, but getting drowned in the sudden avalanche of opponents morale. Just think of the some memorable sporting moments, and the individuals or teams sides you supported, and the swing of fortunes that made them winner or loser
This happens with you too in your life, because When you really want, you just go ahead and act on it, to get your desired result!
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Surfing – the deeper meaning of the word!
Surfing the internet, I stumbled upon some sites on beach surfing – and was intrigued on the term surfing, for this led me to a startling discovery of life itself. Surfing surely must have been a term borrowed from the exciting water-sports. You surf channels, you surf sites – just to indicate that how quickly you are changing or trying to find something that pleases you.
Surfers actually denotes a culture based on riding the waves. If you are surfing on devices then you have a problem of focus, but in actual terms if you do beach surfing you need lots of focus! The challenge for beginners is being able to catch the wave at all – a phrase similar to missing the BUS!
Typically what a surfer does is to paddle toward shore -- attempting to match the speed of the wave, in a hope that it carries him forward. We are all trying to identify trends and big ideas that will propel us into a `sustainable motion’ of prosperity.
As the surfer stands up and proceeds to ride the wave, by positioning the surfboard just ahead of the breaking part (white water) of the wave. Skilled surfer tend to catch a wave in the middle and maneuvers their way to the shoulder (or edge) of the breaking wave. So be it with people who have skill and knowledge in life – calculated risk, overcoming the challenge to finish the course.
Conversely, a surfer who takes off on the shoulder often becomes an obstacle for more skilled surfers taking off in the 'impact zone' and is deemed a shoulder hopper. In a world dominated by materialistic desires, we have all been witnesses to blemishes, events, and rogues (corporations and individuals), who shaped up as winners. , but eventually paid the price of achieving dubious distinctions.
Surfers' skills are tested by their ability to control their board in challenging conditions, riding challenging waves, and executing maneuvers such as strong turns and cutbacks (turning board back to the breaking wave) and carving (a series of strong back-to-back maneuvers). These can only be achieved by those interested in the long-haul, and is evident form individuals, groups, corporations, and institutions that are committed to their causes, despite any distractions.
Be it with regards to information, Be it stock markets, Be it life, the concept of “Surfing” applies everywhere, but before all that – who is the person who rides the wave forever, most of us do, but for a brief period (winning). When in state of normalcy, we are all waiting to spot the next wave to ride (losers) and emerge as winners for that brief moment! That Momentary feeling!!!
Surfers actually denotes a culture based on riding the waves. If you are surfing on devices then you have a problem of focus, but in actual terms if you do beach surfing you need lots of focus! The challenge for beginners is being able to catch the wave at all – a phrase similar to missing the BUS!
Typically what a surfer does is to paddle toward shore -- attempting to match the speed of the wave, in a hope that it carries him forward. We are all trying to identify trends and big ideas that will propel us into a `sustainable motion’ of prosperity.
As the surfer stands up and proceeds to ride the wave, by positioning the surfboard just ahead of the breaking part (white water) of the wave. Skilled surfer tend to catch a wave in the middle and maneuvers their way to the shoulder (or edge) of the breaking wave. So be it with people who have skill and knowledge in life – calculated risk, overcoming the challenge to finish the course.
Conversely, a surfer who takes off on the shoulder often becomes an obstacle for more skilled surfers taking off in the 'impact zone' and is deemed a shoulder hopper. In a world dominated by materialistic desires, we have all been witnesses to blemishes, events, and rogues (corporations and individuals), who shaped up as winners. , but eventually paid the price of achieving dubious distinctions.
Surfers' skills are tested by their ability to control their board in challenging conditions, riding challenging waves, and executing maneuvers such as strong turns and cutbacks (turning board back to the breaking wave) and carving (a series of strong back-to-back maneuvers). These can only be achieved by those interested in the long-haul, and is evident form individuals, groups, corporations, and institutions that are committed to their causes, despite any distractions.
Be it with regards to information, Be it stock markets, Be it life, the concept of “Surfing” applies everywhere, but before all that – who is the person who rides the wave forever, most of us do, but for a brief period (winning). When in state of normalcy, we are all waiting to spot the next wave to ride (losers) and emerge as winners for that brief moment! That Momentary feeling!!!
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Food, Clothing, Shelter - Where's the End or the Start?
May 2011 be the year of the LOSERS!!!
May you loose the desired weight,
May you loose your habit of procastrination,
May you loose your worries and sleeplessness,
May you lose all things you consider bad and gain prosperity and peace!
This basically sums up our desires – that we are always battling against and are emerging winners (gaining in). Food, Clothing and Shelter they say are the basic necessities, but do we let our necessities remain basic ever.
Comparing the classes, the rich, the middle and the bottom of the pyramid, who are all achievers (winner) in their own regard, brings us to a very interesting observation of commonality of the above qualities.
We like to indulge, splurge and binge on food, whenever we get the opportunity – and the result shows in terms of being overweight, obese. Result, we resolve that yes we can conquer this and embark on a half-hearted battle, till we find our excuse of `Achilles Heel’ and say that this is very difficult to follow and then give up.
The man on the road is not able to eat because he is not able to afford food, while the man who is well to do is not able to eat, because of many ailments. Both are dieting, but following a different kind of diet – call it compulsion. Both can get into robbing – one stealing food, and the other eating what is prohibited. Both are worried and are spending sleepless nights thinking about tomorrow. One thinking of where will my bread come from, while the other thinking – what will my bread be and as a result what will my health be?
Let us get to clothing – and there too, we like to have an inventory as if we are going to dress up the entire village, but these are stacked in personal cupboards, wardrobes as prized possession that no one has access to. The man on the road has perhaps a pair or two of clothes, that he guards as his personal possession, and the man in the mansion has far too many that he guards as his possession. Both are possessive. One is worried about his limited collection, and the other about his unlimited collection.
As regards shelter, that too has become quite expansive beyond the basics. Three to four people stay in a space where 30 years back 30 people would have been staying. Yet the complaint is that the space is not sufficient – be it Flats, Apartments, Villa’s, Bungalows, Farmhouses, and Resorts. While a homeless person is searching for a roof, the one inside a roof is worried about the leaking roof or what the new roof under the existing roof (false ceiling) look like.
Inequality they say, Class Divide, rich and poor they say – but atleast they have a common worry and spend sleepless nights over Food, Clothing and Shelter! What do we do about it -- Well the problem will get solved tomorrow, so procastrinate!
May you loose the desired weight,
May you loose your habit of procastrination,
May you loose your worries and sleeplessness,
May you lose all things you consider bad and gain prosperity and peace!
This basically sums up our desires – that we are always battling against and are emerging winners (gaining in). Food, Clothing and Shelter they say are the basic necessities, but do we let our necessities remain basic ever.
Comparing the classes, the rich, the middle and the bottom of the pyramid, who are all achievers (winner) in their own regard, brings us to a very interesting observation of commonality of the above qualities.
We like to indulge, splurge and binge on food, whenever we get the opportunity – and the result shows in terms of being overweight, obese. Result, we resolve that yes we can conquer this and embark on a half-hearted battle, till we find our excuse of `Achilles Heel’ and say that this is very difficult to follow and then give up.
The man on the road is not able to eat because he is not able to afford food, while the man who is well to do is not able to eat, because of many ailments. Both are dieting, but following a different kind of diet – call it compulsion. Both can get into robbing – one stealing food, and the other eating what is prohibited. Both are worried and are spending sleepless nights thinking about tomorrow. One thinking of where will my bread come from, while the other thinking – what will my bread be and as a result what will my health be?
Let us get to clothing – and there too, we like to have an inventory as if we are going to dress up the entire village, but these are stacked in personal cupboards, wardrobes as prized possession that no one has access to. The man on the road has perhaps a pair or two of clothes, that he guards as his personal possession, and the man in the mansion has far too many that he guards as his possession. Both are possessive. One is worried about his limited collection, and the other about his unlimited collection.
As regards shelter, that too has become quite expansive beyond the basics. Three to four people stay in a space where 30 years back 30 people would have been staying. Yet the complaint is that the space is not sufficient – be it Flats, Apartments, Villa’s, Bungalows, Farmhouses, and Resorts. While a homeless person is searching for a roof, the one inside a roof is worried about the leaking roof or what the new roof under the existing roof (false ceiling) look like.
Inequality they say, Class Divide, rich and poor they say – but atleast they have a common worry and spend sleepless nights over Food, Clothing and Shelter! What do we do about it -- Well the problem will get solved tomorrow, so procastrinate!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
