Success vs. Joy
- I -
The Meaning of My Life is Joy
F or 30 years I have fought an internal struggle in meditative silence. This personal combat has taken place almost entirely around a green baize table in a dark room, the genteel surroundings sometimes at odds with my inner self. I've introspected in an attempt to evolve through a game that appears to have been destined for me. It's now time for me to share the thoughts, sensations, and feelings that made me aware of myself.
This is not a book for sportsmen. It is for you, who have struggled to find meaning in your life, in your own way, just like I have through my game.
The meaning of the word 'joy' is often misunderstood and its value easily forgotten, underrated in the speed of today’s world. I believe I speak from the heart and with conviction, given that I’ve spent countless hours in complete solitude, trying to align myself with my natural being.
I now believe that it is the act of staying in the moment that gives immense, immeasurable joy. To me such joy is the ultimate and true measure of success. I define the meaning of my life as being in these moments of joy.
To experience joy you have to be yourself. When I first picked up the cue I was fortunate that no one was watching. I played for the sheer exhilaration the game gave me. I had no benchmarks, no pre-conceived standards to attain, and no need to impress anyone. Looking back I was also lucky not to have been an instrument being played by somebody else. Not my parents, teachers, cousins, or classmates. I played for myself and I played for the sheer joy of the moment.