It was yet another Monday morning when I had to wake up with my alarm to be on time for a long day ahead.The newspapers and a mug of coffee gave me a good fifteen minutes in the morning.Life was back to the everyday pressures right after.A hurried bath and a breakfast, marked just the start of the day ahead.The clock bang 9 am and it was time for me to start for work.That would mean I would only be back home by 7 in the evening for some quality family time.I would chat & smile with my colleagues all day,yet knowing they weren't the ones with whom I desired to be with for the best part of the day.A day after a day would go by routine,even as one was ever as eager for challenges but never knowing what success actually meant,never knowing the purpose of work.Needless to say, anger was just a vent of frustration of a mundane work day.Taming anger, when at its boiling best was a task equal to climbing the Mt.Everest.I wondered if the next forty years would go by just as mechanically as this.
One night before going to bed,a curious question sprang up in mind.I asked myself, "How would I wish a day in my life to be when i would be 60".The answer to this question gave birth to this imagination of mine.I thought its worth a share.
The chilly morning of 2051 was a perfect setting for romance even for a sixty year old, me and my wife.My wife woke me up with warm words of me having a pleasant day ahead.The old man in me had to keep fit,and hence the recent idea to play a sport instead of a boring jog. Tennis and my friends were inseparable.The sixty year old friend club, by now had made it a habit to play every morning for an hour's time to begin the day.The mugs of milk energized me for the game, and my wife for a walk with the friends club ladies.My 25 year old son would come along occasionally if his friends were there to give him company for a game.Today,he did.
The game began.So did the gossips of the grannies as they started to walk around the court.
The game on our court was easy and fun as always.Meanwhile,it was quite the opposite with angry grunts and shouts of frustration on every lost point,at the second court where my son and his friends had a game.I kept an interested eye on their court as much as on ours.I was always eager in understanding what age would do to a person;how would different age people react to a similar situation.I had a perfect setting in front of my eyes for a real-time example to help me understand.On our court,I hit a ball across the net just shaving the base line.To take a call on where the ball pitched was left to our helpless eyes.Amazingly,almost the same had taken place on the court in which the young guns were playing.While in our case it was left to my opponent who was the closest to the ball landing to take a decision,in their case,was the exact opposite.The person who hit the ball was the farthest from the scene of action,shouted the ball pitched in play. Let alone where the ball actually pitched, the observations from the the young mind were emotion driven.
This scene opened up two thoughts.Firstly,what does success mean to people at different stages of their lives?.Secondly,was wanting to WIN coming in the way of holding ones' character in good shape?.
The young soul knows life is all about competition in this hugely populous world with scarce opportunities for the taking.It shall never mind to shout or even lie and cheat to win.No matter if a few hearts were hurt in the way.No matter if it wasn't fair,it shall learn to keep secrets of disgrace to it. After all,winning was everything for it.It defined Success as nothing more than "a materialistic goal",a reason hugely responsible for the route it took to succeed.Hence it always had people around it to FIGHT AGAINST.
The soul which has been this way for so long,when it reached its last few days,understood it need concerned people all around it all the time.After all,Winning wasn't everything to it.It began to understand the real meaning of Success.Success was redefined as "fulfillment of happiness".Happiness was in turn defined as "contentment of mind" and "harmony of our thoughts and action".It strictly said it would be happy only if it didn't hurt any other souls on the way to happiness and success.It also said one must be true to oneself to ensure happiness and eventually as a result succeed.It believed if the soul was in harmony with words and deeds,it was happy and that was success.Hence it always had people around it to HELP OUT.
The reason for the differences in the two tennis courts is now nothing beyond obvious.Anger came out from a young soul which wanted to win that point.Concern for the opponents' view came out from the wiser soul which wanted happiness around,yet won hearts more importantly than just the tennis point.
Now I knew anger and its ill-quality character children are just traits of how one defines success.It now seemed not as difficult to control, as once climbing the Mt.Everest.
I also knew I had to come back to earth from a deep thought when my wife had finished her round of gossips and yelled "Its time to leave,DEAR".(Being my imagination, I have added a DEAR there,wonder if that would materialize even if the rest of the story does.Hopefully,it does)
On my way back home,I wondered if only anyone had told me how success should be defined,I would have lived a better life to be proud of.I didn't have to regret too much as my son had me to tell him just that, while walking back home.
My son started for office that day. As he came back and told me how different life has become,after redefining success at his work place.He said he was happier than ever before,even if maybe not immediately successful.My sixty year old imagination ended there.I am now back as the 20 year old with a NEW DEFINITION FOR SUCCESS, fully knowing I shall keep the values of my character well intact to eventually succeed,sure enough to live a life to be proud of as much as having written this blog!!!
Cheers!!!
The game began.So did the gossips of the grannies as they started to walk around the court.
The game on our court was easy and fun as always.Meanwhile,it was quite the opposite with angry grunts and shouts of frustration on every lost point,at the second court where my son and his friends had a game.I kept an interested eye on their court as much as on ours.I was always eager in understanding what age would do to a person;how would different age people react to a similar situation.I had a perfect setting in front of my eyes for a real-time example to help me understand.On our court,I hit a ball across the net just shaving the base line.To take a call on where the ball pitched was left to our helpless eyes.Amazingly,almost the same had taken place on the court in which the young guns were playing.While in our case it was left to my opponent who was the closest to the ball landing to take a decision,in their case,was the exact opposite.The person who hit the ball was the farthest from the scene of action,shouted the ball pitched in play. Let alone where the ball actually pitched, the observations from the the young mind were emotion driven.
This scene opened up two thoughts.Firstly,what does success mean to people at different stages of their lives?.Secondly,was wanting to WIN coming in the way of holding ones' character in good shape?.
The young soul knows life is all about competition in this hugely populous world with scarce opportunities for the taking.It shall never mind to shout or even lie and cheat to win.No matter if a few hearts were hurt in the way.No matter if it wasn't fair,it shall learn to keep secrets of disgrace to it. After all,winning was everything for it.It defined Success as nothing more than "a materialistic goal",a reason hugely responsible for the route it took to succeed.Hence it always had people around it to FIGHT AGAINST.
The soul which has been this way for so long,when it reached its last few days,understood it need concerned people all around it all the time.After all,Winning wasn't everything to it.It began to understand the real meaning of Success.Success was redefined as "fulfillment of happiness".Happiness was in turn defined as "contentment of mind" and "harmony of our thoughts and action".It strictly said it would be happy only if it didn't hurt any other souls on the way to happiness and success.It also said one must be true to oneself to ensure happiness and eventually as a result succeed.It believed if the soul was in harmony with words and deeds,it was happy and that was success.Hence it always had people around it to HELP OUT.
The reason for the differences in the two tennis courts is now nothing beyond obvious.Anger came out from a young soul which wanted to win that point.Concern for the opponents' view came out from the wiser soul which wanted happiness around,yet won hearts more importantly than just the tennis point.
Now I knew anger and its ill-quality character children are just traits of how one defines success.It now seemed not as difficult to control, as once climbing the Mt.Everest.
I also knew I had to come back to earth from a deep thought when my wife had finished her round of gossips and yelled "Its time to leave,DEAR".(Being my imagination, I have added a DEAR there,wonder if that would materialize even if the rest of the story does.Hopefully,it does)
On my way back home,I wondered if only anyone had told me how success should be defined,I would have lived a better life to be proud of.I didn't have to regret too much as my son had me to tell him just that, while walking back home.
My son started for office that day. As he came back and told me how different life has become,after redefining success at his work place.He said he was happier than ever before,even if maybe not immediately successful.My sixty year old imagination ended there.I am now back as the 20 year old with a NEW DEFINITION FOR SUCCESS, fully knowing I shall keep the values of my character well intact to eventually succeed,sure enough to live a life to be proud of as much as having written this blog!!!
Cheers!!!
