We must always assess how practical our ambitions are, writes Ajit Kumar Bishnoi
A boy was good in cricket since school days. Children always sought him to be in their team. This almost ensured their victory. This went to his head and he began to imagine himself to be a Sachin Tendulkar. Obviously, his primary attention shifted to playing cricket rather than applying himself in studies. His parents noticed it and warned him, but he was not listening. His focus was on excelling in cricket. His grades dropped and his parents became very upset. They tried to reason with him. They told him that a Tendulkar comes in a decade or so. Do not imagine yourself to be of that talent. Yes, you may be good at the school level but that is nothing compared to the international level. They asked him, “What happens if you don’t succeedIJ How will you support yourselfIJ Without proper education, you will be neither useful to yourself nor to us.”
But this boy was adamant. He was not listening to sane advice; his heart was set on becoming a great cricketer. Falling grades ultimately ended in failure; he could not clear his Class XII exam. The pressure from his parents grew intense. Not finding any other option, he ran away from home and went to Mumbai. One distant relative lived there. He explained the situation to them and requested for shelter while he proved himself on the cricket field.
Two things went in favour of the boy. This couple was not too friendly with the boy’s parents due to some misunderstanding in the past and for which they blamed them, and the sincerity of the boy. However, they gave him only two years to prove himself. If he could not come to the international standard by then, he was no longer welcome in their house. He was 17 already and he should be able to show his mettle by then. They also had a faint hope that if the boy succeeded, they may get a share of the pie which he may earn as an international cricketer, who is paid well.
The boy joined a local club and made slow progress. He was not catching the eye of the coach of the Mumbai team, though he had seen him play many times at the club level. Just when the allotted two years were about to lapse, the Mumbai coach called him for nets and allowed him to play a friendly with the State team. Unfortunately, the boy flopped and he was back in his club. By now, his relatives had enough of him and he was asked to leave.
Where was he to goIJ He was certainly not going back to his parents, and he still had some hope. “Was he still not young enough at 17,” he thought to himself. But where was he to stayIJ In this search, he met a man who offered to give him shelter if he agreed to do what he proposed. This man was a pickpocket and with the credit cards becoming very common, his income was declining though he was very good in his art. After a stay of a month when they became good friends, he made a suggestion to this boy. They will kidnap a rich man’s boy and share the booty. This way the boy will have enough to pursue his love of cricket. He explained that for kidnapping, two persons were required otherwise he would have done it himself. The boy reluctantly agreed but their amateur attempt failed and they were caught.
What is the moral of the storyIJ Ambitions are very good. They provide motivation to make something of life. However, they cannot be open-ended, because it may not be based on ground realities — one may be assuming too much, ie beyond one’s resources. One must assess as one goes on to see how practical the ambition is. Because if the ambition fails to materialise, one is doomed, especially if one has chosen the path of ‘by hook or by crook’. Hard work is necessary but unfair means are not acceptable. Welfare of the self should never be compromised or well-being allowed to be damaged.
Bishnoi is a spiritual writer and can be reached at spiritual@ajitbishnoi.com