Friday, August 12, 2011

Attitude does matter...


He made his test debut in Indian cricket team in March 1971 against West Indies. At that time, West Indies had one of the best squads in the history of cricket. This debutante scored 774 runs in a test series with an average of 154.80. He slammed the best bowlers in the world by creating a menace. After this glorious performance, he became a permanent part of the Indian squad. His name was Sunil Gavaskar. 

On a wonderful morning, after coming back from the West Indies tour, Gavaskar was doing his net practice on Shivaji Park, Mumbai. While he was batting, a skinny man who was totally drunk stood near him. With each stroke he played, the thin man used to abuse Gavaskar. This was going on for about 3 hours. Gavaskar tried to show his skill & creativity; but he couldn’t satisfy the skinny man.



But, Gavaskar didn’t lose his temper. He was young; not arrogant. He had proved himself in West Indies, but still, he was humble, patient. He didn’t respond in anger. The skinny & drunk man, who was abusing Gavaskar, was Ramakant Desai, one of the great pace bowlers in the Indian cricket, who ruined his own career because of the habit of drinking.

After the practice was over, Gavaskar noticed the skinny man, sitting on a bench alone. Gavaskar walked to him & asked him humbly, ‘sir, will you please tell me, where I went wrong?’ Ramakant Desai told him the two faults in his batting. Gavaskar, worked sincerely & honestly on them. Today, he is considered as one of the best batsmen in the history of cricket.

Gavaskar could have easily ignored Ramakant Desai’s suggestions. Because after his debut series in West Indies, Australian cricket legend, Don Bradman had said that he is the new Bradman. But Gavaskar always considered himself as the student of cricket.

Today, when we achieve something, our happiness knows no limits. We start considering ourselves as the master of that particular thing. We refuse to be in the process of learning. Because, somehow, we have this prejudice that being in the process of gathering the knowledge is something inferior.As soon as we enter a particular field, we desire to be the master of it.That is where we make a huge mistake.

Whenever you think that you are totally satisfied, you start treating others as inferiors & develop a superiority complex, it is the start of your downfall. A person can grow & develop as an individual only when he feels that he is incomplete within, when he constantly strives to gain the knowledge.

It is said that neither your altitude nor aptitude decides where you go, but it is your attitude to see the things, which makes the difference. It is comparatively easy to be calm & cool when you lose, but when you achieve something, it is extremely difficult to hide the excitement & go on your path without letting the success go in your head. Become more patient & calm to cross the milestones of the success. 

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