|| The Opportunity to Play ||

One of the well-known sports player was asked what the best part of playing games is? He said, "The best part is that I get the opportunity to play." This is called real spirit in-game and real spirit of life. From birth to adulthood, we get so many small opportunities to play or to lead our life but in the rat race and our day-to-day hectic life, we don't pay attention to it. Those who have all the facilities of life don't value those opportunities and those who have a difficult life, rather than looking for small opportunities coming their way just see people higher than them and regret not having bigger opportunities. Those who seek small opportunities coming their way achieve the best and have success in life. I feel that from the time we come into this universe and God's arranging food for us through our mothers, till we reach our old age, God arranges all the opportunities for us. Let's start paying attention to that and play well in life.

Krishna was very fond of playing ball with his gwal friends. A river nearby Gokul had a snake(Kalia) that was troubling the Brijvasi by poisoning the water. Krishna wanted to create an opportunity to meet Kalia the snake and kill the devil who was troubling people. Though everyone in the village worried, he created a very smooth Krida and killed the devils. The results made the Brijvasi understand how important it was to kill the devil. “To uncover your true potential, you must first find your limits and then you have to have the courage to blow past them.” Unless you don't use your courage, you can't generate results. Life is full of opportunities. You should know how to play in the best possible manner. Krishna is one such personality who knew how to overcome all the challenges of life. Let's learn from him.

Kapil Dev, Dhoni or many such cricketers started with one small opportunity to play and used it in the best possible manner. Today, they are huge names in the field of cricket. In the Olympics, Asian Games, Wimbledon or any popular games, when our country flag flies high, we feel so proud. We leave everything to see and encourage our players. We also keep extra cheerleaders to add celebration to that. Every big stroke i.e. a four, a six or our player taking wickets, we feel like celebrating each opportunity. People spend so much money to see or bet for a country to win. Not just cricket, many other areas like winning Hollywood awards like Grammy awards or Cannes festival; wherever we get the opportunity to represent our country, our feeling only changes. We become so conscious about such opportunities that we do our best and see that we maintain the dignity of our country. I have one question in mind what about getting similar opportunities in other areas of our life, why does this feeling change? Sometimes, apart from the ground on the field, they forget the feeling for the country. Are we also forgetting what is real as a country???

I feel that in each area of work when it comes to representing ourselves as our country, every place should be the same. I still remember when I got the humanitarian award at the American Academy of audiology, I was the first and only audiologist who was about to get this award. I was given 4 minutes to speak. In those four minutes, I had to represent my country. I worked so hard for that speech. I did the study of what people generally perceive when one receives the award. What kind of speech they enjoy listening to. Whether they like professional or emotional speech? For you, it's an opportunity which is going to represent your country. As it is everywhere, people think India is economical, not strong, still consider it a developing country, which in reality is not true. We have so many brilliant minds who work hard to save and maintain the rich culture of our country. I worked for two months on my speech and made sure that I play this opportunity to represent my country in the best possible manner. I made my four-minute speech having the meaning of each and every word and I spoke like a leader of our country. How about we all start doing this?

 

I have seen in my practice so many Indians when it comes to the need for rehabilitation of any issues in life they prefer to come to their own country. We only have to realize the warmth of our country. In a group play, the more you work together, you succeed. Your unity gives you more and better opportunities. Our team's collective results in cricket make our country proud. In some groups, one does the exercise and the other doesn't work. Everybody needs to put similar efforts in every way- emotional, behavioral, physical and psychological. Likewise, one thing this pandemic has taught us is that apart from physical exercise, "There is no exercise better for the heart than reaching down and lifting people." If we all start talking and understanding this opportunity to be a better human being, our whole world will change.

 SPORTS in our life plays major changes in our life. I have seen deaf kids having tremendous change once we started sports education for them in schools. They started enjoying their studies. They started coming to school all days. The confidence in them through play created a lot of new opportunities for them. Brain development in these kids was much faster. Working in a group, understanding each other and each other's needs, supporting and visualizing how best one can win those qualities were much better than any other normal person. Since the hearing organ is improper, all other senses are so sharp that they do so many good activities with their focus. Today we all need to look at them and learn how to make the best play with given opportunities. What I learn from them is, ''To be successful in whatever you do, you don't need a beautiful face and heroic body, what you need is a skillful mind and ability to perform." Isn't it amazing learning?

 God has given us one opportunity to have a life that is then up to us to make it good or otherwise. Learn to be the best in whatever you can. You don't have to prove or compare. Just look in the mirror and you only have to be the best for yourself. It is the same at all levels, whether you represent your country, community, family or your own self. You need to look good in your own eyes. Spiritual, physical, psychological, behavioral or emotional. Use all the parameters to create opportunities to make the best play of your own life.

 You need not win or lose. Game will keep moving, it's you who need to decide how to look at game and take it ahead, whether you want to give your best or just lose the hope. I believe when you decide to play what you need to do is "just play the best for yourself, it's your own life and playing is important."