Second Innings

In Cricket, Test Matches are played in two innings. 

Football and Hockey are played in two Halfs.

Individual games like Badminton, Tennis are played in best of three or Five games/ Sets. 

What is the difference between the First and the Second Innings? 

In the First Innings, we are fresh, our strategies are not known to the opponents, though nervous initially, we tend to be courageous, we are open to new ideas. 

But, we are not knowing the field conditions, the opposition strategies, the synchronisation of the teammates amongst themselves takes time.

While in the Second Innings, we now have experience with us...... experience of the playing conditions, our teammates, the game of the opposition, et all.

The initial nervousness is now replaced by tiredness, if we are lagging behind in the game then maybe Self doubts. 

But then what does the Second Innings implify? 

The Second Innings gives me a chance to regroup, to re-strategise, to rectify the mistakes from the First Innings. It gives me a Second chance to Win!

More than 5 months of Lockdown has literally halted the smooth flow of our life. It’s going to take a huge effort to restart everything like earlier. 

But.... 

It’s the Second Innings which has given me one more chance to Win! 

Let me regroup, restrategise, rectify. 

Let me dig deep into my energy levels. 

Experience of the First Innings will help me to play a different game. 

There will once again be a clean slate to write upon.

The Second Innings will be my chance to surge ahead in life. 

Of course I will play to win!

But, 

This game will no more be of gathering wealth and achievements.

It’s no more about winning and losing. 

More than anything else......

My Second Innings will be for Peace and Happiness! 

Courage

Courage is not absence of fear, 

Courage is inspite of fear. 

Courage is not violence,

Courage is absolute Peace within. 

Stepping out and hitting a six is bravery,

Courage is staying at the wicket in unfavourable conditions. 

A road accident may instigate us to have a squabble, 

Courage is to ensure that the other person is safe and if needed admit him into Hospital.

Swantantrya Veer Sawarkar in Jail for 27 years, yet keeping the spirit of freedom for his Country alive is Courage.

Shivaji Maharaj plotting to escape in Agra when his death is inevitable from the enemy, is Courage. 

Amitabh Bacchan facing the situation inspite of going Bankrupt at the age of 57, is Courage. 

Pulling out swords to fight is an act of bravery but not Courage. 

Courage is depth of Character. 

Courage is Responsibility.

Courage is absence of Ego.

Courage is selfless love for our dear ones. 

Courage is Sacrifice. 

Courage is Persistence, Consistency, following your path to destiny inspite of hurdles. 

Courage is being stable in Crisis. 

Courage is being a Pillar of support inspite of being shattered within. 

Let’s be Courageous! 

Small Victories

Crisis brings forth many emotions.... fear, frustration, irritation, anger, depression, nervousness... all together.

How to come out of it? 

The Pandemic has hit the world big time. So far there doesn’t seem to be a solution for it. 

For me, last some weeks have been a revelation. People knowingly or unknowingly have been doing some interesting activities. 

A friend, a Furniture shop owner, has been busy in his Kitchen preparing different recipes for his family. 

Another, who never liked exercising, is skipping consistently and has already reached his first goal of 1000 skips at a stretch. His next goal being 2000 skips. 

While yet another friend, who until now behaved like a kid himself, has been adoring his new-born baby and helping his wife take care of it day and night. 

The question is, will these activities help them tide over the crisis? 

Will the clouds of despair be cleared by these small acts?

Maybe not. 

But, when I do an activity consistently and succeed in it, I feel good about myself. It gives me a self confidence which can’t be matched by listening to a Guru or praying to the almighty. Amidst the desert of unsurety, sadness, loneliness, this small success acts as an oasis of hope. It makes me feel good about myself. If I repeat a number of such small victories in different phases of my day to day life it will act as the fuel for doing further positive acts in my field of Profession. 

After all, a farmer, not knowing whether it will be a good season or will he be affected by a famine or floods, keeps on tilling his land and keep the seeds ready to sow. He knows only one thing, 

‘Let me do my Best,

He will take care of the rest’.

Let’s involve ourselves into meaningful activities and enjoy the small victories. We cannot escape the big challenge but these small victories will give us confidence to achieve similar small victories in our Profession too, which when added over a period will result into the ultimate victory. 

The Pandemic is temporary but our will power is permanent. Let’s Rock! 

The Great Shivaji Maharaj

• At the age of 15 took the oath of Swaraj
• Along with his mavalas won 35 forts one after the other. 
• Mirza Raje Jaisingh, in the Purandar Treaty, took over 23 important Forts. Shivaji Maharaj remained with 12 unimportant forts. 
• Shivaji Maharaj faces defeat for one year.
• Mirza Raje invites Shivaji Maharaj to Delhi for celebrating Aurangzeb’s birthday. 
• Shivaji Maharaj raises voice in the Court of Aurangzeb for being insulted.
• Shivaji Maharaj put under house arrest by Aurangzeb. 
• For four months, Shivaji Maharaj under arrest, plots a plan to escape with perfection.... and he along with his son, Sambaji do escape. 
• Shivaji Maharaj reaches Raigad and resumes his Rule. 
• Shivaji Maharaj invests 2 years to strengthen his administration. 
• After two years he starts on his Expedition to win back his forts. 
• After many years, when Aurangzeb arrives alongwith his huge army to attack Maharashtra, Shivaji Maharaj summons his Minister in charge of the accounts. 
• Shivaji Maharaj asks his Minister about the number of Forts captured by him so far. 

       His Minister replies, ‘from the river Narmada in Gujarat till the river Cauvery in Karnataka,  Shivaji Maharaj has spread Hindavi Swaraj to 200 Forts’! 

• Shivaji Maharaj smiles and says, all his efforts for so many years of gathering these Forts was for this very day when he would be required to fight the Mughal King Aurangzeb. Now is the time in history which will decide on who will Rule the throne in Delhi. 

The reason for describing this story today is, the testing time we are faced with because of the Pandemic. 

We are under house arrest, our wealth may have got eroded or will be. The enemy is in the form of the Pandemic or later on in the form of economic breakdown. But we should remember the lessons taught by the great Shivaji Maharaj. 

‘Even if our treasures are reduced to 30%  or lesser, even if we are put under house arrest for a long period, even if the enemy is at our doorstep to kill us, we should be stable. We should be proactive to plan, be patient, strategise to escape, work to create systems, be courageous and hardworking towards expansion so that one day we not only gain all the past glory but have more than 6 times the previous peak we attained. 

Nobody knows what the future holds for us. But history definitely has some answers for us. Let’s learn from history and create one ourselves. 

Social Service?

A handicapped man (let’s name him ‘Lakhan’) walking on one leg with a 2 inch thick stick for support, walked past me briskly as I strolled with my Mom for our daily morning ritual. Lakhan was accompanied by his 8 year old daughter in school uniform with a school bag tucked on her back. 

I sympathised with his crippled leg. Not even affording a simple crutch was hurting. A cycle would have served the purpose of taking along his small daughter to school but neither his body nor his financial condition allowed the luxury. 

As my mind floated on these thoughts, my eyes saw a strange site. 

A man on his motorcycle riding triple seat with his 14 year old son, sitting between him and his wife, stopped near Lakhan. His wife alighted from the bike, helped Lakhan’s daughter sit over the Petrol tank of the motorcycle and again boarded the bike. With four of them on top of that 100CC bike, the man rode away. Lakhan turned back for  his home. Not a word was exchanged in this whole exercise! 

We keep on hearing this crap about Social Service. We read these slogans of ‘Save the girl-child, educate the girl-child’ on huge hoardings. 

Here is a poor handicap, resolving to educate his daughter. Another mercenary of god helping him achieve this inspite of not having enough resources himself. Each character involved in this whole process going about as if it’s their everyday job and with a smile on their face.

My learnings : Let not even a hint of ego touch me on my quest towards making this world a better place to live in. Let’s help our fellow being as if it’s our every day job.... with a smile on our face.