Success vs. Joy

- LXXVIII -

Duties

You may at times be compelled to do something that you don’t enjoy. The call of duty may take precedence over all other considerations. I may hate delivering speeches and attending cultural programs. Nevertheless, I may have to do precisely what I dislike in order to support a larger cause, in other words, playing the role of an ambassador for the game of billiards. Given that the game has provided so much joy in my life, I should be willing to sacrifice some of my pleasure for the game.

You may be a good writer and may want to do nothing other than writing. However, if the organization that has employed you and supported you asks you do something other than writing, you should accede to such a request with pleasure.

During a match, you have to sit out when you miss and your opponent is on the table. You cannot say since I am not enjoying myself, I am leaving. You have to continue sitting out patiently and not let your mind become agitated.

When I worked in the corporate sector, I would sometimes have to sit through two-hour long meetings. I would be bored stiff but could not just get up from my seat. I did not have a choice. The best I could do in such situations was to try and understand what others were saying.

I often tell myself that it is a real challenge to find something new to learn from even an ordinary, routine situation.

Even in trying situations I try not to let my mind wander. I now believe in focusing on one activity at a time. I have in the past dabbled in three or four things together, but not found joy. Be that as it may, I am willing to experiment, to explore and search deep inside to discover what excites me and what gives me joy.

Perhaps success breeds the desire to hold on to hat you have. At times a professional will be leading and within clear sight of victory. But he starts getting anxious about losing.

No matter what happens now, he is unlikely to enjoy that match. I have seen many who have lost by snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.

My career has had its ups and downs. The worst phase in my career was in the early-90s. At one stage I genuinely felt as if I should quit. I had to rest and think hard before I made a choice. I persevered with billiards because it had given me so much joy. And having tasted joy once, I could not settle for anything less. So, I pursued it again.

Do not quit without a struggle. Do not give up unless you have stretched your potential to its limits. Only then will you experience the joy that makes life worth living. This is the joy that underscores success.

Chapter LXXVII :: Chapter LXXIX