I yearn for P- P for Patience….

A break from Raagamallika legacy...I felt this thought was striking vehmently in my mind for too long.Hence I share with you...my maniac odyssey of "The Legacy of..." will resume shortly..

Often the most trivial attributes in mankind grows into importance when confronted with outside world. We hear people talking them over and over again. Yet there is nonchalant attitude that surmounts our thoughts – ‘I have it in abundance…Its others who need to care about it’. Attributes like Integrity, Honesty, Discipline, Confidence, and Patience et al- we all seem to possess them. Yet there is always a defining line which demarcates a successful person who is proud owner of these qualities and the rest of the lot. The Success not necessarily associated with professional and materialistic term but the one where holistic approach of a person effuses prosperity.

Patience is the word I often use to hear in Cricketing circles especially in Test Matches. Test match arena is always perceived as real test of character, stamina and skills of player. Very few sport stretches the players’ mental strength session after session, day after day for a five day period on trot. The experts commenting about the quality of a batsmen or bowler, having “Patience”, to grind for hours and hours to reach that apogee of success. Players attribute their success more to their temperament than their technical skills. That left me baffled most times – why there is so much fuss about such a trivial characteristics which each and every individual possesses.

I was wronged and wronged in a big way. Not many of us in fact possess Patience. I can say about myself with regret that I don’t have “It” even in sporadic measures in my personality. More often than not I sensed my inners self or ego challenging me to make things happen rather than wait for it to happen. I don’t know which quality is more important in long run of a mankind. Yet I feel sometimes waiting for things to happen can lead to rich dividends than forcing it to work by hook or crook.

A quality in human being is often judged in relative terms. When the physical parameters is not supporting your strengths , its more than fruitful to allow those external circumstances that Fifteen minutes of Glory. Wait for the right time to wear it down and then strike with vengeance. Perhaps that’s what Patience is!! Unfortunately what I feel is my ego never allowed me to accept my adversary to bask even in that momentary and illusionary glory. Always questioning my manhood and strengths I presume that’s where life at times bluffs you- when you spent your energy trying to surmount far lesser goals than that final destination.

I was reading the Autobiography of Lance Armstrong, the seven time champion of Tour de France, few days back. Often these autobiographies works as mirror for me where I put myself in author’s mind and then start analyzing what would have I done if I was confronted with same situation. Remarkably I find myself thinking on the same lines as the author do yet I never tried to implement it in my day to day activities. Coming back to Lance Armstrong, he had already won the most arduous competition in the cycling circuit – Tour de France- when destiny cracked the biggest joke on his physical existence. He was diagnosed with Prostrate Cancer and doctor put his survival rate as low as 40 %. Leave aside his passion cycling, it was doubted whether he will be able to survive the affects of Cancer treatment.

Armstrong admits that till that point in his life he believed he can make anything and everything work his way for his happiness and success. He can vanquish any opposition with his skills and self belief Patience was the word which didn’t exist in his dictionary. For him waiting for right time was a defeatist attitude. Cancer taught him the biggest lesson of his life. At times in a battle you have to give enemy an extra inch to gain a mile. More often than not this enemy is none other than our very own Ego and Overbearing Consciousness.

Profession or in personal terms the life sets its own due course. Yet thinking too much about my future and neglecting my present I often run out of Patience. I look back at times when I could have gained more as an Individual whether in terms of my goals, ambitions or relationships had I given the circumstances, situations and adversary due respect and chose the appropriate time to strike back.

Certain things in this world are indeed beyond my control and I need to respect this cycle of Life. I yearn for Patience to understand this phenomenon…