Sports have wonderful lessons for life. When we play any sport, say for example tennis, we stay completely aware during the game. We can't be certain about the shot we are going to play. We look at the shot played by the opponent, observe our own position, the speed of the ball, its movement and position and then, having analysed all these elements, we hit a shot. As we keep playing tennis, this analysis comes naturally to us, and we do not have to make efforts. Initially, when we learn to play the game, we struggle. Sometimes we will be slower and miss the ball. Sometimes we will be faster and move ahead of the ball and will lock our shoulder, and we will play with a locked shoulder. Sometimes we will hit harder than needed, and sometimes the speed will be less. Slowly, as we keep playing tennis, we develop a very precise judgement naturally and play the right shot.
Life is also like a game. We can't be certain of anything. Everything is changing. In relationships, family, organisations, and this world as a whole, everything is changing. We are playing a game with many players, and all the players are making moves and playing their games. We can't be certain of anything. We can't say that we will play a pre-determined shot irrespective of what other players are doing. That will be quite stupid. That's why we can never be sure of the right way or best way of living life. It will evolve. We just have to be attentive and fully in the present moment. We miss a move by a player and will end up playing a bad shot.
The goal post, the rules of the game and the players we play the game with also change with the game we play. The same game can also be played with different rules. The rules of T20 and test cricket matches will be entirely different. What matters at the end of the day is how well we played the game and how mindful we were while playing these games. At the end of the day, it is just a game and nothing matters. But at the same time, when we have made a choice to play the game, what matters most is whether we play it well or not.
We don't remember the scores of different matches we played or how many trophies we have won. Even if somebody remembers that, such memories just occupy some useful space within the brain for something utterly useless. What matters is whether the game was fulfilling or not. We feel fulfilled after playing a game if we gave our hundred per cent to the game in terms of both effort and attention. If we were fully aware and made our 100% effort, we would feel good. Similarly, it does not matter in life as to what we achieve. The currency of the "monopoly" game and the "points" earned in a virtual game have no value outside that game. What matters in life is how well we played in terms of effort and attention. A day in the office is fulfilling if we are mindful while carrying out our work, we listen to others, we do not react, and we mindfully try to find solutions and make the best of our efforts. Devoid of these factors, all the awards, rewards, promotions and hefty pay packages are just meaningless. Similarly, in a relationship, what matters is how well we listen to our partner, how deep our conversations are, whether the wall of separation disappears or exists in a subtle sense, whether the suggestions are coming from our own rights and wrongs or from a deep understanding of the partner and their life goals, whether the conversation can take place in a setting where there is no "I" and "you" and just ideas floating around and getting mixed making it impossible to identify their source and at the end of the discussion, both feel fulfilled having discovered something amazing.
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