You have to be honest to yourself
10/18/2015 07:37:00 AM
Went through a
brilliant article by Sanjay Manjreker in which he has written about MSD's
limitations. Recently, while shooting a TV commercial with
Mahendra Singh Dhoni, I got a chance to pick his brains. I asked him, "What
do you think was the one single reason for your outstanding success as a
sportsman?"
He said, "You have to be honest to
yourself."
I was slightly disappointed with the answer. I
thought it was a lazy response to a question he has been asked many times.But then he went on to elaborate on what he
meant. He said, "You have to be honest about your own ability. Had I tried
to make a career in another sport, I would not have been successful. I knew my
limitations as an athlete, and with those limitations I was reasonably
confident of achieving some degree of success in this sport."
People
who know Dhoni well and have played alongside him also tell me he is very
honest about his limitations - even in the sport of his choosing. He never aspired to be the best
batsman in the world or the best wicketkeeper in the world; he just kept it
real. If you wonder why he did not bat higher up the order as much as he might
have done, perhaps there is a clue there: maybe he thought he was not cut out
to bat at those positions.
This
revelation by Dhoni was, for me especially, quite profound, because I am the
exact opposite. I always try to overreach and then inevitably end up getting
frustrated at not achieving what I had set my eyes on.By nature I struggle to be realistic about my own
ability, and importantly, my limitations.
There are many like me. It takes a lifetime
for some cricketers to know their limitations, and when they finally do, their
careers are almost over. For others this realization comes just in time for
them to have long, worthy careers and become successful international
cricketers. No wonder Dhoni turned out so special - he started his journey
enlightened. One should know about
one’s limitations. This applies to us
also. I’m giving an example here. Don’t take it personally. Recently RBI Grade
B exam was announced. Almost all of them who are eligible want to fill it. But
before filling it how many of us have thought about the paper. Many of us who
don’t even know ABC of finance & economy want to go for it. They’ll have to
study from scratch. Most probably they won’t finish and will falter at that big
hurdle. They’ll lose their energy and
will get frustrated even more. Won’t it be great if they think about their limitations
and focus at their strengths? Work much
harder for getting final selection in IBPS which they can do.This is not meant to be a dispiriting message. People are happiest at
work and life when they use their strengths, not focus on becoming someone they
aren’t. To the contrary, wonderful things in life can open to you when you
accept the fact you have certain limitations, but along with them certain
strengths. Amplify and build on your strengths and quit wasting your time on
your weaknesses. You’ll be amazed at what
you might accomplish – maybe things you never dared to dream.
Thankyou Wish For Sharing with Us
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