Success vs. Joy
- LXXV -
Seek Your Passion
Cricket is a sport in which statistics are meticulously maintained. Millions follow the game and every snippet of information is recorded – be it the number of runs scored, balls bowled, catches taken and much more. Each record is highlighted and repeated all over by the media.
A sportsperson has a different attitude to that of a spectator. Every sportsperson who has broken a record or created a new one knows in his heart that someone will better his record in the future. History has shown time and again that sportspersons do not care much for records. The genuine sportsperson has found joy in doing well what he or she was meant to do.
Focus on what you relish doing. Indulge in your passion. You cannot be involved in anything for long if you do not love it. I have played the game for eight hours a day, almost each and every day, not for one or two years but for more than 20 years. I couldn’t have done what I have if I did not genuinely love billiards.
At times I thought I was only good at billiards and nothing else. Such thoughts made me feel inadequate at times. I decided to explore other avenues. I tried my hand at business. I set up a travel business, but did it give me joy? I have tried playing golf. That did give me joy. I remember playing four hours in the morning and three hours in the evening. I tried learning about the state of the world’s economy and the political situation in the country and in the world. It did not give me joy. I have now reached a stage where I only want to do things that give me joy.
Spirituality and personal growth are interlinked and a continuous process. There has been much written on this subject. However, at this stage of my personal development, I believe if you go through two or three books on the subject carefully, you discover that most of them basically lead to the same truth.
I also believe that if spirituality has to be imbibed, it has to be practiced as a lifestyle. It is pointless talking about spirituality but not making a real effort in changing your habits.