The New Year Resolution!!!!!

Hey, its been a while since I put something up here. A lot has changed since the last time I used this form of expression. The calendar on my desk has a new year, my receeding hairline has receeded an inch more. I cracked the CAT with 88%ile and all of that..... Even though we're in a new year, I still dont have a definite New Year Resolution.

Recently an office colleague of mine, forwarded me an e mail which touched my heart. I felt like just putting it up here so that I can get reminded of the important messege that the mail conveys. Perhaps, the underlying messege would prove to be the most important resolution anyone could ever make!!! Here goes the story.....

"A 10-year-old boy decided to study judo despite the fact that he had lost his left arm in a devastating car accident. The boy began lessons with an old Japanese judo master. The boy was doing well, so he couldn't understand why, after three months of training the master had taught him only one move.

"Sensei," the boy finally said, "Shouldn't I be learning more moves?""This is the only move you know, but this is the only move you'll ever need to know," the sensei replied.

Not quite understanding, but believing in his teacher, the boy kepttraining. Several months later, the sensei took the boy to his firsttournament. Surprising himself, the boy easily won his first two matches. The third match proved to be more difficult, but after some time, his opponent became impatient and charged; the boy deftly used his one move to win the match.

Still amazed by his success, the boy was now in the finals. This time, his opponent was bigger, stronger, and more experienced. For a while, the boy appeared to be overmatched. Concerned that the boy might get hurt, the referee called a time-out. He was about to stop
the match when the sensei intervened. "No," the sensei insisted, "Let him continue."
Soon after the match resumed, his opponent made a critical mistake: he dropped his guard. Instantly, the boy used his move to pin him. The boy had won the match and the tournament. He was the champion. On the way home, the boy and sensei reviewed every move in each and every match. Then the boy summoned the courage to ask what was really on his mind.

"Sensei, how did I win the tournament with only one move?" "You won for two reasons," the sensei answered. "First, you've almost mastered one of the most difficult throws in all of judo. And second, the only known defense for that move is for your opponent to grab your left arm."

The boy's biggest weakness had become his biggest strength."Sometimes we feel that we have certain weaknesses and we blame god, the circumstances and ourself for it but we never know that our weakness can become our strength one day. Each of us is special and important, so never think you have any weakness, never think of pride or pain, just live your life to its fullest and extract the best out of it!"

Champions are boring!!!

It is a rainy evening. Its already 8:00 p.m. and I'm anxiously waiting for my mum to serve up some dinner. I am really hungry after a nice long and brisk walk at the seaface. In the midst of this agonising wait, I suddenly learnt an invaluable lesson in excellence!!!


As a matter of habiutual ritual, I was flipping channels... India was getting thrashed at the hands of the archrivals Pakistan in an important Asia Cup cricket match. How could I have continued watching the ordeal! Hence, as a natural progression, I switched to watching the Wimbledon!!! Let me tell you, it's one of the most classy sporting tournaments held accross all disciplines accross the wide spectrum of international sporting arena. Everything about the tournament exudes class, from the ground staff to the ball boys to even the crowd. Even the applause after every point somehow sounds perfectly in sync and rhythemic.

Yesterday, I happen to catch the Quarter Final clash between the World No. 1 Roger Federer and Mario Ancic, who has the distinction of being the last man to have defeated FedEx, on his preffered grass surface, way back in 2002... The champ, hasnt lost a match since!!!


The match, mildly put, was a highly boring, one sided affair with short streaks of brilliance on display by the gutsy challenger, Ancic. But as anticipated, he failed to make too much of a headroom and lost the match in straight sets. And then in hindsight I sat wondering.... Why do so many people die to see such boring matches?? What's so great about this dumb guy who just doesnt know the art of loosing?? What's so great about him??


And then, on serious contemplation... I slowly began to find answers to my questions. The first premise I established was "Champions, more often than not, are boring!!"



More often than not, all of us are in our average lifetime, are faced with our big moments of truth. These are moments which decide, how the coming generations would remember us, or rather, will they remember us at all or not! Champions, as species, are plagued with this habbit of treating such important moments as if they are inconsequential!!!


They go about doing what they do best, the way they know best, which in most cases, is by beating the rest!!! Champions are almost always on top of their game. They are sheer antonyms of excitement. Obviously as one gets excited and nervous, only when one is uncertain about the result. Champions are always sure of what the result would be!!


More importantly, and boringly true champions are humble. As a press person, you will never be able to extract a 'headline statement' out of them which would provoke further sensationalism. They'd never criticise, never throw brickbats as their peers. Aaarrggghhhh so irritating!! They are agonisingly monotonous and colourless in their personalities. They are a gossip columnist's nightmare!!

Also, something which baffles me, is the sheer hunger to win that these morons have. I mean.. why would Sachin want to score a run more in his lifetime... he already has thousands of them stacked up anyways.... or probably.. whats the joy Federer would get in lifting the same damn wimbledon trophy 6 consecutive times...isn't he bored of doing the same thing again and again??? Or to top it all.. whats the fun, Schumi would have got... going almost insanely around a race circuit at top speed like a rat lost in his hole.... for more than a decade!!!

I mean.. there are no answers to these questions!!! But yes, through all this contemplation, I have finally concluded that "Champions are boring" - Probably that's what makes them the champions they are!!!