Page 60 - Sanidhya_2024

The Game-Point!

After the passage of the CoVID pandemic, I shifted to Bijapur, Chhattisgarh, Secondly, sometimes
where my father was posted. There, my evening routine had changed from there comes such a situation
surfing reels on social media platforms to regularly playing badminton on in the game that opponents
the court. One of my dearest friends, Aarav, who was almost six years are continuously earning
younger than me but still, his sports skills were perhaps six times better points and your graph stands
than mine. Actually, his father too was a fantastic sportsperson, and stagnated at a specific point.
utilizing this opportunity, Aarav also started taking lessons from his father During this phase, you are
from a very early age. So, this was bound to happen. If I talk about my unable to find a way to cap
win-loss ratio with him, then it must be something close to 1:4. But even the opponent’s hike and
winning only a few matches against Aarav gave me some philosophical raise your points. This also
understanding or relations that I wanted to share. happens in our personal,
Shivendra Kumar Jha
In the game of badminton, even if you gain a head professional, as well as social S/O Shri Dharmendra Kumar Jha, Com-
start and maintain your lead till 10, 15, or even 18 points, there is no lives. But I felt that what we mandant 236th BN, CRPF
guarantee that you will certainly win the match. The winner would be the need to do in such situations is
one who crosses the benchmark of ‘21’ first. No matter if you surpassed not to lose our cool and concentrate with the aim to just
your opponent at every checkpoint and you were leading throughout the gain a single point. Once you get a point, you get the
match, you would NOT be the winner if the opponent reaches the final ‘opportunity’ of service in the game, and if you utilize
point of ‘21’ earlier than you. Yes, you would have been the winner if the that opportunity wisely and serve a beneficial service,
match had ended at 10, 15, 18, or 26 or 31 points, but that isn’t how it you again get another opportunity, and this cycle goes
happens. You have to be ahead at the right moment. The same stands on, which ultimately drags you closer to victory. And
true in the case of our lives also. If one is born with a silver spoon or say if vice versa, once you lose your cool, you get caught in
one has some advantage over you, there is no surety that the said person the trap! So, in the game of our lives also, we should
will turn out to be more successful in the future. He may have topped all try to gain or wait for the right opportunity to act or
the classes throughout his school life, may have numerous certificates in react. Responding in anguish would be again falling in
his appreciation, and whereas you may be just any other mediocre boy/ trap of the opponent. And please note that if we fail to
girl with not much fame in the school and your locality. But at the end, you recognize the opportunity or miss acting according to
may turn out to be someone like Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, someone like Mark it, then it would be again us who would have to face
Zuckerberg, someone like M.S. Dhoni, someone like Hafeez Contractor, its consequences. One opportunity would subsequently
someone like Nani Palkhivala, someone like FM Sam Manekshaw, or lead you to the other if understood and utilized properly.
someone even more distinguished, and such possibilities are really Hence, we can argue that success is the result of a chain
endless. Though these examples were of a bit high intensity, we can also of opportunities utilized properly.
take examples of our military, bureaucracy, politics, entrepreneurship, etc. Thirdly, as I mostly play doubles in
where academically not so strong people have given out the best results, badminton, I came to understand that trust and
both in service and in the examinations. These extraordinary names were coordination between you and your teammate are of
also the ones who were far away from their opponents at some point in utmost importance if you want to come out victorious.
time, but they knew that winning the checkpoints like that of 5, 10, or 15 No one is perfect and absolute. Each one of us has some
doesn’t matter, but rather crossing that ‘21’ does. They understood that advantageous as well as disadvantageous traits. The
life is a marathon, not a sprint. The match of life doesn’t end after school, focus should be to build a proper strategy according
college, or even after securing a job. It offers you many innings and to these traits and overlap each other’s grey areas. You
provides you with ample opportunities to shine as a winner. So, we should would not always get to choose your team. You have
always have some zeal and enthusiasm saved to play some unexpected to mold yourself accordingly and act strategically with
innings of life and utilize the opportunity to come out as the final winner gaining confidence of other stakeholders of your life.
of the game. Lastly, it’s failure that makes you
Secondly, sometimes there comes such a situation in the game mature, not success. I have noticed that few people get
that opponents are continuously earning points and your graph stands intoxicated by victories and success. They are not able
stagnated at a specific point. During this phase, you are unable to find a to handle even a small defeat. Either they never accept
way to cap the opponent’s hike and raise your points. This also happens the fact they are defeated or they react to that defeat
in our personal, professional, as well as social lives. But I felt that what so aggressively that it ultimately causes harm to them
we need to do in such situations is not to lose our cool and concentrate only. Whereas people who have earlier failed or lost,
with the aim to just gain a single point. Once you get a point, you get the tend to have higher emotional intelligence and act in a
‘opportunity’ of service in the game, and if you utilize that opportunity much more mature manner. I am a strong believer in the
wisely and serve a beneficial service, you again get another opportunity, notion that life is indeed the greatest equalizer. At the
and this cycle goes on, which ultimately drags you closer to victory. And end of the day, I have observed everyone to be almost
vice versa, once you lose your cool, you get caught in the trap! So, in on the same pedestal. So, let’s just live with the flow;
the game of our lives also, we should try to gain or wait for the right things will automatically fall into place.
opportunity to act or react. Responding in anguish would be again falling