They say, an idle mind is a devil's workshop. Well, it's true to some extent.
An idle mind also offers an interesting opportunity to introspect. The realisations that a mind has in these simple moments are often deep and usually real. And we, in our busy lives, fail to identify with them.
I would like to make a note of few thoughts which crossed my mind - either at work, or before I slept, or in moments I was alone.
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Common Sense is a misnomer.
An unanswered question is an hydrogen balloon on the loose. The mind is your sky.
Ignorance is not bliss. Never. In fact, it's a time bomb.
Confidence is when I can look at you, into your eye.
Nothing is more comforting than a friend who knows you well and understands you well. Be thankful to God for such friends.
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A Plethora of Thoughts
P.S. The sky is the limit for such intriguing thoughts.
Sachin Tendulkar (God for Cricket Lovers in India and across the world) scored his 100th century in International Cricket in style today, silencing all his critics forever.
In a One Day International match against Bangladesh, played in Mirpur, Dhaka, pregnant with heavy expectations, Sachin finally took the burden off his shoulders and reached a milestone that will stand the test of time.
Sachin Tendulkar scored Century of Centuries
No man - ever - has scored a century of centuries. Sachin is the man.
People break records. Sachin Tendulkar creates records.
I was lucky enough to watch Sachin scored his century in style. As he progressed slowly in the tricky 90s, the entire nation held its breath and prayed that Sachin did not falter on the final steps.
Sachin Tendulkar conquered his mind and did not let the nation down. Taking a single of Shakib Al Hasan, Sachin became the first man (and maybe the only man ever) to score 100 100s. He looked up to God Almighty to thank Him for this stupendous success.
Sachin was modest in his celebrations. Yet, he would have been immensely happy on reaching his milestone. Most importantly, he told the world that the milestone was for his country.
Sachin Tendulkar 100th Century
To look back, Sachin has been playing international cricket for the last two decades.
Sachin made a classical debut against Pakistan way back in 1989. At a young age of 16, Sachin faced the battery of Imran Khan and co, and showed a promise to reach great heights.
Sachin made excellent progress over the years and became the most feared batsmen for bowlers around the world. You can recollect the Desert Storm innings by Sachin, where he knocked the steam out of Shane Warne in Sharjah in the mid 90s.
Sachin has always been hungry for more success. He echoed one thought - Yeh Dil Maange More.
Sachin Tendulkar Yeh Dil Maange More
Sachin launched a thousand cricket careers. Sachin gave many a bowlers sleepless nights. This video says it all.
Sachin's commitment to cricket has been exemplary. During the 1999 World Cup in England, Sachin lost his father. Sachin came back to India to complete his responsibilities, and flew back to England in a few days. In the next immediate match, he scored a century, blessed by God and his father. Need we say more.
In the 2003 World Cup, Sachin powered India into the finals, right from the doorstep of being knocked out in the first round. India lost in the finals, and Sachin's dream of winning the Cup for India was still unfulfilled.
India was knocked out of the 2007 World Cup in the early stages. The entire nation feared that a player as illustrious as Sachin would have to retire without a World Cup win under his belt. Sachin had other things in mind.
And in 2010, Sachin became the first man in the world to score a double century in One Days. He had achieved a feat which was unheard of.
And come 2011, the hopes of the entire nation rested on Sachin and Dhoni's men to win the Cricket World Cup 2011. Dhoni's men won the World Cup in style, sending the nation into a state of delirium.
The players did it for one man - Sachin Tendulkar.
Sachin Tendulkar World Cup 2011
And as Sachin Tendulkar pursued his century of century for the last 1 year, the chatter for his retirement kept on growing. Sachin, however, persisted. Dhoni kept his faith in the master blaster.
And today, Sachin achieved the impossible. Sachin scored his hundredth century. He achieved a mind boggling record.
Sachin Tendulkar has created a name for himself in the annals of history. A name that can never be erased. Let's have a look at Sachin talking about his mega achievement.
It is not without reason that people say in India - Cricket is a religion, Sachin is the God.
Sachin has knocked the antics of the shameless Mamata Banerjee from the first page of the news papers. Sachin has taken of the glam (or disappointment) from today's Union Budget.
And tonight as he sleeps, he can sleep peacefully with the hope that he has realized peoples expectations from him, if not anything else.
Finally, it would be worthwhile to recollect this quote.
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"When Sachin Tendulkar travelled to Pakistan to face one of the finest bowling attacks ever assembled in cricket, Michael Schumacher was yet to race a F1 car, Lance Armstrong had never been to the Tour De France, Diego Maradona was still the captain of a world champion Argentina team, Pete Sampras had never won a Grand Slam.
When Tendulkar embarked on a glorious Career taming Imran and company, Roger Frederer was a name unheard of, Lionel Messi was in his nappies, Usain Bolt was an unknown kid in the Jamaican backwaters.
The Berlin Wall was still intact, USSR was one big, big country, Dr Manmohan Singh was yet to "open" the Nehruvian economy.
It seems while Time was having his toll on every individual on the face of this planet, he excused one man. Time stands frozen in front of Sachin Tendulkar. We have had champions, we have had legends, but we have never had another Sachin Tendulkar and we never will."
- Author Unknown
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P.S. It has come to notice that Pakistan bowlers have ordered several packets of Huggies from the local pharmacy. Believe me, it won't help. The hotel staff would have to deal with wet beds for the next two mornings.
A friend told me something yesterday, and it goes as below :-
"If you want 'quality', 'low cost', and 'shorter time to deliver'... I can give you only Two".
I would like to add the below.
The person who made the demand (which prompted the above response) can be sometimes (or many a times) unreasonable. Maybe, the person is bound by his internal unreasonable compulsions.
In such a case, you can reply back to him, "Tell me a way to make a baby in less than 9 months, and I will give you Quality, and Low Cost, all in a Short Time".
If a stunned silence doesn't follow, then the sun will not rise in the east tomorrow morning.
Human beings (you and me) experience a mixed bag of emotions in our life. There are different circumstances which provoke these emotions. There are varying experiences which elicit these emotions.
And if there is one situation or context which educe a plethora of emotions, it is Waiting.
Yes, Waiting in Anticipation.
I am Waiting
Think about the time when God Almighty would have created Adam and Eve, and waited for a moment, before releasing his creations on this very earth. He would have been supremely Delighted.
Think about the time when you are creating something. As you see your creation take shape, and await its completion, you experience intense Joy.
Think about the time when the baby is growing, and the parents are waiting for him or her to take the first baby steps. This wait would be characterized by Affection and Love for the baby.
Hope
Such emotions are indeed precious, and would be definitely better that the way I have projected. Let me delve into my own mind and look at some emotions I would have experienced.
Let me go back to school time. Back in school, waiting for the examination results would sometimes evoke Fear. What if I scored poorly in a subject? What if I didn't pass? And so on.
In those days, no one had heard about the internet. Snail mail was the in thing. E-Mail was an unknown commodity. People used to learn DOS.
The students had to give a self addressed envelope to the school folks. They would dispatch the results on 30th of April. And from the time the exams ended, till the results actually arrived by post, days and nights would be filled with Anxiety. And even Hope. And fervent prayers to God.
Anxiety
And after the results having actually arrived, and the burden being put off the heart, the care free bird (that I was) would play his heart out in the summer.
To add, such feelings of Anxiety, sometimes on the higher side, were cyclic and were repeated every year.
During the Engineering days, the exams were held every 6 months. The silly thing was that the results for a particular semester didn't turn up until the last month of the next semester. Such a long wait was often characterized by Frustration, and a deep sense of Anger for the evaluation mechanism.
And if I have to flashback to my placement exam, the wait of 8 hours - between the exam and the selection announcement - caused intense Stress and Tension.
Stress
I completely understand that a wait of 8 hours is very short as compared to the days and months which some people go though before landing up with a job. But the fact that it was a short wait itself added to the anxiety. It was like a T20 match, where before you know, the result is out.
There have been moments, where waiting for an acquaintance to turn up, resulted in Annoyance. Friends, however, are exempted from this feeling. There have been times, where the wait for a lonely weekend to pass away quickly, caused extreme Despair.
The wait before MSD cracked the last sixer in the World Cup finals had been filled with Excitement. The wait, before God Himself did the rescue act in the difficult times, were characterized by intense Fear and Helplessness.
Agony
The wait to ask a question, while the mind still being made up, caused relentless Agony. And if the question itself was not to be asked, or the point itself was not to be stated, the wait was followed by deep Regret and Remorse.
The wait for a dear friend to return a call was sometimes heart wrenching, causing Anguish. It was filled with moments of self doubt, and utterly low self confidence.
Envy
Lonely moments of waiting, in a public place, have often invited Envy and Jealousy in the mind. These are usually followed by pangs of guilt for having such disturbing thoughts. And sometimes, with feelings of Hope for a brighter future.
The wait for a friend evokes a mixed bag of emotions. I am yet to give a name to it.
The wait before sleep takes me over is sometimes characterized by Pride on the good work done though the day, or with Happiness resulting from help being extended to someone. Sometimes it is filled with Worry, and many a times with Gratitude and Contentment.
Contentment
A friend recently told me that she gets nervous while she gets ready to do her work. She added that she gets excited too. Isn't it surprising that these two emotions coexist? Yes, they do and they manage to get the best out of her.
Nervous but Excited
I wonder why does a mind experience these myriad emotions while waiting.
Is it because the future is unknown? Is it that we expect a particular picture of the future, and use these emotions as tools to realize the future as we want it? Well, questions are many, answers are few. I'm waiting for the answers. I don't think they would come out of some copybook. It would have to be a realization, provoked by Time and God Almighty.
Ultimately, waiting is a pause in our busy life, a pause to gather our thoughts, to appreciate life, to be thankful for the past and to shape up our mind and put the best foot forward in the future.
