Before I begin this article, rather my take on the whole concept of 'failure', I believe I should let you know about why I am writing this.
My first inspiration was something Arundhati Roy said in one of her essays in "The Algebra of Infinite Justice". Forgive me as I cannot quote her words. Forgive me if I have read her wrong. But what I made out of those few words really inspired me. She wasn't even talking about failure. The essay had something to do with Dams, or nuclear bombs or something. As a preface to her essay, she added a personal note about how her first novel became a so-called success and how she is looking forward to writing a bunch of worst-sellers soon.
Now, God of Small things was an international best-seller which also won the Booker Prize in 1997. According to the author, it was a so-called success. "So-Called!" And as I read her words, I could hear her giggle about penning a few worst-sellers. The ease with which she blurred the line between success and failure, the freedom with which she spoke of her writing and how much she enjoyed what she was doing. That really moved me. Success meant nothing to her. She cherished failure.
A couple of weeks back, enjoying the most beautiful moments of my Chennai life - being away from Chennai, I happened to catch a few scenes from the movie 300. The story of Sparta! Ahh... lying down on the sofa of my living room, in the comfort of my home, breathing the air of my home-town, dinner being cooked by my dear Amma.... I MISS MUMMY!!! I WANT TO GO BACK TO TRIVANDRUM!!!!
Ramon - Focus!
Alright, alright, sorry to get distracted. Don't blame me! The mere thought of Trivandrum wets my eyes. As much as I enjoy this bachelor life in Chennai - Articleship, homemaking, movies, books and blogging; as much as I am celebrating my own world, celebrating the independence and the responsibility, Chennai does not stand a chance against Trivandrum. It isn't so much about which city is better. It is about being fed and nourished with every luxury imaginable against fending for yourself with limited means and no television. Do the Math!
300! 300 spartan soldiers against the world's largest army. 300 men against the world's mightiest empire. Before the battle began, one of the Spartan soldiers had a look at the monstrous Persian army he was about to face. With full knowledge that what was before him was merely the tip of the ice-berg, he smiled. He welcomed the challenge. No, it wasn't the challenge he welcomed, it was the failure. Or probably, the opportunity of failure. And for that soldier, like any other soldier, failure meant death. But he welcomed it. With a smile! Every braveheart in the Spartan army did. They laughed as it was raining arrows. When they were warned that the Persian army will, "Blot the sun with their arrows" they laughed; "Good! We will fight in the shade!" The army failed. The movie was a success.
Failure is hard. Heartbraking! What is worse is listening to a lecture about how failure is a stepping stone to success, and why you shouldn't get depressed when you face a failure. As Chaten Bhagat mentioned in one of his articles, it is perfectly natural to cry when you fail. It is just human, perfectly natural. But what I am talking about is the idea of failure.
Right now I am fumbling for words. It is hard to say what I want to say without making it sound like a philosophical lecture. And there is no way I am going to disappoint my readers by giving them a lecture. So lets forget words and go for the next best thing. Equations. Here's mine:
Success = Failure
It is time we forget the idea of success and failure. It is time we stop equating success to happiness and failure to bitterness. It is time we understand that failure and success are just residual matter. Waste. Insignificant by-products. Does it not seem to defy logic that all the hard work and effort we put into something is finally judged by a silly little climax? Is it not stupid that our struggle, which might have been a fight that lasted for years, is being judged by someone else? In terms of Success and Failure. Has this 'somebody' seen the effort we put, the pain we have been through? After all, who is a better judge than we ourselves? Is it not enough that we satisfy our conscience? Is it necessary that we convince ourselves to every somebody and anybody? Isn't it the journey we have been through that is important?
Failure is about confidence. It is the epitome of courage. It is the symbol of struggle, and only the mighty warrior can earn it. It takes a mammoth to fight a battle. And an even bigger one to take failure head on!
Failure is about optimism. The firm belief that whatever happens in this world is for our well being. In the end, everything adds up. Failure and success and just a part of the journey. Part and parcel of the game. In the end the world becomes a better place. And failure is a part of this building process. Every failure makes us better. Improves us! Haven't you noticed that happily ever after is always preceeded by failures and disasters! A realisation that there is somebody up there. And he or she will always set things right. And since we are talking about setting things RIGHT and not screwing things up, it is most probably a HE!
Read Alchemist? Paulo Coehlo's book. Well, I did and it wasn't my favourite. And right now I don't even remember the whole story. But I do remember that it was something about omens. In the beginning of this article did I not mention why I am writing this. Well, here is one more. Because I have been getting a lot of omens. The other day there was an article about an entrepreneur who started 10 companies. Of which 6 where failures. And his favourite company, happened to be his biggest failure. And failure over here means millions of Dollars! My favourite star - SRK, revealed in one of his interviews that more than 50% of his films are flops. It was just a matter of time that I revealed my take on "Failure".
Live life and be happy. Blur the lines between success and failure and move on. It doesn't matter if the odds are stacked against you. Because when the world turns its back on you, you turn your back on the world. Realise how strong a fighter you are and give it the best shot. With pride and confidence, go for it! And when you feel you have that starting trouble, that trace of fear seems to be holding you back, you can choose from an array of punch dialogues. Aal izz well! Spartans - ATTACK! And the best of all...
Hakuna Matata
Love
My first inspiration was something Arundhati Roy said in one of her essays in "The Algebra of Infinite Justice". Forgive me as I cannot quote her words. Forgive me if I have read her wrong. But what I made out of those few words really inspired me. She wasn't even talking about failure. The essay had something to do with Dams, or nuclear bombs or something. As a preface to her essay, she added a personal note about how her first novel became a so-called success and how she is looking forward to writing a bunch of worst-sellers soon.
Now, God of Small things was an international best-seller which also won the Booker Prize in 1997. According to the author, it was a so-called success. "So-Called!" And as I read her words, I could hear her giggle about penning a few worst-sellers. The ease with which she blurred the line between success and failure, the freedom with which she spoke of her writing and how much she enjoyed what she was doing. That really moved me. Success meant nothing to her. She cherished failure.
A couple of weeks back, enjoying the most beautiful moments of my Chennai life - being away from Chennai, I happened to catch a few scenes from the movie 300. The story of Sparta! Ahh... lying down on the sofa of my living room, in the comfort of my home, breathing the air of my home-town, dinner being cooked by my dear Amma.... I MISS MUMMY!!! I WANT TO GO BACK TO TRIVANDRUM!!!!
Ramon - Focus!
Alright, alright, sorry to get distracted. Don't blame me! The mere thought of Trivandrum wets my eyes. As much as I enjoy this bachelor life in Chennai - Articleship, homemaking, movies, books and blogging; as much as I am celebrating my own world, celebrating the independence and the responsibility, Chennai does not stand a chance against Trivandrum. It isn't so much about which city is better. It is about being fed and nourished with every luxury imaginable against fending for yourself with limited means and no television. Do the Math!
300! 300 spartan soldiers against the world's largest army. 300 men against the world's mightiest empire. Before the battle began, one of the Spartan soldiers had a look at the monstrous Persian army he was about to face. With full knowledge that what was before him was merely the tip of the ice-berg, he smiled. He welcomed the challenge. No, it wasn't the challenge he welcomed, it was the failure. Or probably, the opportunity of failure. And for that soldier, like any other soldier, failure meant death. But he welcomed it. With a smile! Every braveheart in the Spartan army did. They laughed as it was raining arrows. When they were warned that the Persian army will, "Blot the sun with their arrows" they laughed; "Good! We will fight in the shade!" The army failed. The movie was a success.
Failure is hard. Heartbraking! What is worse is listening to a lecture about how failure is a stepping stone to success, and why you shouldn't get depressed when you face a failure. As Chaten Bhagat mentioned in one of his articles, it is perfectly natural to cry when you fail. It is just human, perfectly natural. But what I am talking about is the idea of failure.
Right now I am fumbling for words. It is hard to say what I want to say without making it sound like a philosophical lecture. And there is no way I am going to disappoint my readers by giving them a lecture. So lets forget words and go for the next best thing. Equations. Here's mine:
Success = Failure
It is time we forget the idea of success and failure. It is time we stop equating success to happiness and failure to bitterness. It is time we understand that failure and success are just residual matter. Waste. Insignificant by-products. Does it not seem to defy logic that all the hard work and effort we put into something is finally judged by a silly little climax? Is it not stupid that our struggle, which might have been a fight that lasted for years, is being judged by someone else? In terms of Success and Failure. Has this 'somebody' seen the effort we put, the pain we have been through? After all, who is a better judge than we ourselves? Is it not enough that we satisfy our conscience? Is it necessary that we convince ourselves to every somebody and anybody? Isn't it the journey we have been through that is important?
Failure is about confidence. It is the epitome of courage. It is the symbol of struggle, and only the mighty warrior can earn it. It takes a mammoth to fight a battle. And an even bigger one to take failure head on!
Failure is about optimism. The firm belief that whatever happens in this world is for our well being. In the end, everything adds up. Failure and success and just a part of the journey. Part and parcel of the game. In the end the world becomes a better place. And failure is a part of this building process. Every failure makes us better. Improves us! Haven't you noticed that happily ever after is always preceeded by failures and disasters! A realisation that there is somebody up there. And he or she will always set things right. And since we are talking about setting things RIGHT and not screwing things up, it is most probably a HE!
Read Alchemist? Paulo Coehlo's book. Well, I did and it wasn't my favourite. And right now I don't even remember the whole story. But I do remember that it was something about omens. In the beginning of this article did I not mention why I am writing this. Well, here is one more. Because I have been getting a lot of omens. The other day there was an article about an entrepreneur who started 10 companies. Of which 6 where failures. And his favourite company, happened to be his biggest failure. And failure over here means millions of Dollars! My favourite star - SRK, revealed in one of his interviews that more than 50% of his films are flops. It was just a matter of time that I revealed my take on "Failure".
Live life and be happy. Blur the lines between success and failure and move on. It doesn't matter if the odds are stacked against you. Because when the world turns its back on you, you turn your back on the world. Realise how strong a fighter you are and give it the best shot. With pride and confidence, go for it! And when you feel you have that starting trouble, that trace of fear seems to be holding you back, you can choose from an array of punch dialogues. Aal izz well! Spartans - ATTACK! And the best of all...
Hakuna Matata
Love
No comments:
Post a Comment