Life can neither be defined nor does it be understood with time or energy but can be felt and experienced by our titanic pursuits of realizing its glorious uncertainties. Sport like life has its own share of victories and defeats, fame and misfortune,moments that take us to the apogee of ecstasy and agony. Both Sport and Life have an inexplicable aura and charm associated with them that it becomes easier to contemplate the similarities that one possesses with the other. It will be an interesting and fascinating journey as this article tries to explore what some of the most enchanting aspects, principles of sport if applied in life can make it more exciting and pompous.
The most intriguing persona about sport is its unique way of handling failure. How sport gracefully accepts failure as a part of it and moves on is by far the most enviable aspect of it. Tendulkar with all his might and genius could never be a great captain while Ganguly with all his vulnerability to hostile bowling attacks could become the most successful captain the
country ever had. Failures taught him to think better and gave him the ability to empathize and thereby get the best of his men. Failure, besides making success sweeter gives a whole new perception and dimension to Life. After all it comes down to one single question. Will a smooth sea with its pleasant voyage make a good sailor?
Another dramatic insight is from how sport effortlessly handles the eternal dilemma “Which is more important? The process or the Result.?” Sport emphasizes in making the process of achievement supreme and the result irrelevant. A sprinter has absolutely no control over his opponent in the adjacent lane and the best he can do is to concentrate on his performance
and let go of things out of his control. Sport enunciates how sometimes ambition can turn into anxiety and affect one’s performance and foments on the principle that giving 100% every time is more important than being on the winning side It is an interesting thought that matches are won or lost just because one team does not play to its potential. Sport edifies us to chase
our performance or professional goals relentlessly and letting the result take care of itself. Ian Thorpe, one of the world’s greatest swimmers, once said “for me losing is not coming second. It’s coming out of water knowing you could have done better.”
What makes a man play, toil and give his heart out for victory even if he holds all the records of his sport? Why does a Federer still fight hard in every match he plays even though he has the most number of grand slams than any other man in the planet ever had? It is the appetite to conquer greater heights that have never been explored by fellow men that drives these men. It is about challenging oneself and coming out on top. The joy, curiosity, energy and the child like passion towards the game with which a Tendulkar,a Federer,a Schumacher confront new challenges coming their way is what every man has to emulate in every endeavor of life.
So, next time when you see a sportsman perspiring in pursuit of giving his best, spare a thought for him and spare two for what you can take from him.
