Happy Deepavali
Would you do the same?
Sometimes even those who get left behind in the race can end up teaching you a lesson or two!
Vinita Dawra Nangia TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Sitting in the stands, as we cheered on the athletes participating in the Men's steeplechase event at Commonwealth Games, we saw the Papua New Guinea representative, Sapolai Yao, fall behind. He maintained a steady pace and didn't falter despite being several paces behind the pack that thundered away, sailing over hurdles and splashing through water.
As the distance between him and the rest grew steadily, never once did he allow the pressure to get to him. He neither increased nor decreased his pace; he just plodded on. There came a point in his seventh lap when the rest crossed him and were now running a complete lap ahead of him. This too didn't affect him or his pace. He plodded on.
The race had finished for the rest when this guy started his last lap. Keeping the same, steady pace, he ran through the hurdles, jumping, running, or splashing where required. He had the crowd's complete attention now. The rest of the athletes cooled off and moved away. He carried on. When he finally reached the finish line, he got a standing ovation from parts of the crowd. Agreed, most people clapped more in mockery. However, I would like to believe some of us applauded his spirit too.
What was he thinking as he ran? How was he feeling? He knew his was a lost cause, and he was shooting to prominence in front of an international audience not for his achievement but for his grand failure. And still, he just went on....
I heard my elder son ask his brother, "If you had been in his place, would you have carried on or given up?" The younger one replied, "Of course carried on! There is no option. You have to carry on for your country. What about you?" The elder brother replied thoughtfully, "Yes, I would have carried on too. But poor guy, how must he feel!"
Any Games throw up plenty of examples of courage and fortitude; lots of records set, broken, and crossed. For me, this "loser" as most would call him gave me many moments of introspection. Would I have carried on or given up in his place? I have no answer. In the face of such immense pressure, with a stadium full of people and beyond them, an entire world, watching me! The guy must have had nerves of steel, that's for sure.
Did he go back home satisfied that he never gave up nor pretended an injury, or did he cringe at the ignominy of finishing last? Whenever you follow a game closely, be it lawn tennis, badminton, or cricket, you can clearly figure out the moment at which the player gives up; the eyes tell you all. And from that moment onwards, the faults and the mistakes begin. And the outcome is clear.
On the other hand, if you keep your fighting spirit alive and put in the same efforts till the last, even if you feel sure you are going to lose anyway, that's when Destiny may surprise you. The trick is to keep focused on what you are doing and not let anything disturb your equilibrium. As Sapolai Yao did. All he was focused on was finishing what he had set out to do.
Yao had everything going against him. He was from one of the "smaller nation" participants in these "friendly games". He is just under 5 feet tall — the shortest amongst the participants in this race. The Delhi heat didn't help either. And then of course, he was the last to finish.
And yet, Yao left an impression. Not just with me. Not just in India. He was also popular with the Melbourne public at the Commonwealth Games in 2006 for his efforts in the steeplechase!
But I still don't have an answer to the question — would I have carried on with such dogged persistence if I had been in his place? I don't really know... Would you?
Attachment contains the above-mentioned Article along with Snap of the Great Hero we are speaking here...
Awaiting for your comment/suggestion/advice/reply...
From India, Mumbai
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1Would you do the same?
Sometimes even those who get left behind in the race can end up teaching you a lesson or two!
Vinita Dawra Nangia TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Sitting in the stands, as we cheered on the athletes participating in the Men's steeplechase event at Commonwealth Games, we saw the Papua New Guinea representative, Sapolai Yao, fall behind. He maintained a steady pace and didn't falter despite being several paces behind the pack that thundered away, sailing over hurdles and splashing through water.
As the distance between him and the rest grew steadily, never once did he allow the pressure to get to him. He neither increased nor decreased his pace; he just plodded on. There came a point in his seventh lap when the rest crossed him and were now running a complete lap ahead of him. This too didn't affect him or his pace. He plodded on.
The race had finished for the rest when this guy started his last lap. Keeping the same, steady pace, he ran through the hurdles, jumping, running, or splashing where required. He had the crowd's complete attention now. The rest of the athletes cooled off and moved away. He carried on. When he finally reached the finish line, he got a standing ovation from parts of the crowd. Agreed, most people clapped more in mockery. However, I would like to believe some of us applauded his spirit too.
What was he thinking as he ran? How was he feeling? He knew his was a lost cause, and he was shooting to prominence in front of an international audience not for his achievement but for his grand failure. And still, he just went on....
I heard my elder son ask his brother, "If you had been in his place, would you have carried on or given up?" The younger one replied, "Of course carried on! There is no option. You have to carry on for your country. What about you?" The elder brother replied thoughtfully, "Yes, I would have carried on too. But poor guy, how must he feel!"
Any Games throw up plenty of examples of courage and fortitude; lots of records set, broken, and crossed. For me, this "loser" as most would call him gave me many moments of introspection. Would I have carried on or given up in his place? I have no answer. In the face of such immense pressure, with a stadium full of people and beyond them, an entire world, watching me! The guy must have had nerves of steel, that's for sure.
Did he go back home satisfied that he never gave up nor pretended an injury, or did he cringe at the ignominy of finishing last? Whenever you follow a game closely, be it lawn tennis, badminton, or cricket, you can clearly figure out the moment at which the player gives up; the eyes tell you all. And from that moment onwards, the faults and the mistakes begin. And the outcome is clear.
On the other hand, if you keep your fighting spirit alive and put in the same efforts till the last, even if you feel sure you are going to lose anyway, that's when Destiny may surprise you. The trick is to keep focused on what you are doing and not let anything disturb your equilibrium. As Sapolai Yao did. All he was focused on was finishing what he had set out to do.
Yao had everything going against him. He was from one of the "smaller nation" participants in these "friendly games". He is just under 5 feet tall — the shortest amongst the participants in this race. The Delhi heat didn't help either. And then of course, he was the last to finish.
And yet, Yao left an impression. Not just with me. Not just in India. He was also popular with the Melbourne public at the Commonwealth Games in 2006 for his efforts in the steeplechase!
But I still don't have an answer to the question — would I have carried on with such dogged persistence if I had been in his place? I don't really know... Would you?
Attachment contains the above-mentioned Article along with Snap of the Great Hero we are speaking here...
Awaiting for your comment/suggestion/advice/reply...
From India, Mumbai
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This is what Bhagavad Gita says: "Do your duty. Don't be worried about the result." In many places, people are remembered not only for the result but for their efforts. There have been plenty of freedom fighters, from Jhansi ki Rani to Kattaboman in the South, who fought for freedom. They are remembered even today not for their success but for their efforts. Hats off to Sapolai Yao.
From India, Madras
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From India, Madras
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The answer to this question seems very difficult. However, if Noah, being a prophet, could carry on with his work for 120 years endlessly with discouragement, why can't we carry on in our lives.
Let's live life and accept things the way they are. There is a nice posting by one of my friends attached herewith, especially for you, Abhay.
Holding On, Praying Expectantly.
by Rick Warren
God is always on the alert, constantly on the lookout for people who are totally committed to him. 2 Chronicles 16:9a (MSG)
"The way you use the middle of your life has more influence on your end than the beginning."
We've discussed cultural distractions, voices of doubt, and tempting shortcuts. The fourth pitfall you will face during your Decade of Destiny is discouraging delays.
The truth is, when God gives you a dream, there will be delays, difficulties, detours, and dead ends along the way. These things are a natural part of life. But you can be ready for them.
The antidote to discouraging delays is to refuse to give up on the dream God gives you. As I said, a lot of people start out well, but they give up too quickly. They don't hope.
H-O-P-E: Holding On, Praying Expectantly.
Now if anybody had a right to be discouraged, it was Noah. Do you know how long it took Noah to build the ark? 120 years. Could you go 120 years on a project without one word of encouragement from anybody else in society? In fact, could you go 120 years with everybody ruthlessly ridiculing you and saying, "That guy is nuts. He thinks he hears from God."
Noah trusted God. And when he heard God's warning about the future, Noah believed him even though there was no sign of a flood. I bet there were many days that Noah didn't feel like going to work, but for 43,800 days, he went to the same place and he worked. He never gave up.
Now listen, the way you use the middle of your life has more influence on your end than the beginning. A lot of people think, "Oh, I have to begin right or I won't end right." No. It's what you do in the middle of your life -- when you don't give up even though you feel like it -- that determines the end.
You could have messed up a whole bunch in the beginning, and you might be thinking, "I'm going to give up on a dream. I'm going to settle for second best." But if you hang on and refuse to give up, the rest of your life can be the best of your life. That's what Decade of Destiny is all about. The decisions that you make in the middle of your life will determine your end.
Don't give up on the dream. Don't give up on the marriage. Don't give up on your health. Don't, don't, don't give up. God is in control and the final chapter of your life, you haven't read yet. God's already written it, but you haven't read it yet.
The Bible says, "God is always on the alert, constantly on the lookout for people who are totally committed to him." God is looking for people that he can bless. I want you to be one of those people in the next ten years.
Pray -- Jesus, I know that in the days ahead there will be times of discouragement. But I want to do exactly what you tell me to do, and I want to refuse to give up when I feel like giving up. I want to hold onto the dream that you give me. I want to be one of the people that you can use and bless in the next ten years.
From India, Mumbai
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Let's live life and accept things the way they are. There is a nice posting by one of my friends attached herewith, especially for you, Abhay.
Holding On, Praying Expectantly.
by Rick Warren
God is always on the alert, constantly on the lookout for people who are totally committed to him. 2 Chronicles 16:9a (MSG)
"The way you use the middle of your life has more influence on your end than the beginning."
We've discussed cultural distractions, voices of doubt, and tempting shortcuts. The fourth pitfall you will face during your Decade of Destiny is discouraging delays.
The truth is, when God gives you a dream, there will be delays, difficulties, detours, and dead ends along the way. These things are a natural part of life. But you can be ready for them.
The antidote to discouraging delays is to refuse to give up on the dream God gives you. As I said, a lot of people start out well, but they give up too quickly. They don't hope.
H-O-P-E: Holding On, Praying Expectantly.
Now if anybody had a right to be discouraged, it was Noah. Do you know how long it took Noah to build the ark? 120 years. Could you go 120 years on a project without one word of encouragement from anybody else in society? In fact, could you go 120 years with everybody ruthlessly ridiculing you and saying, "That guy is nuts. He thinks he hears from God."
Noah trusted God. And when he heard God's warning about the future, Noah believed him even though there was no sign of a flood. I bet there were many days that Noah didn't feel like going to work, but for 43,800 days, he went to the same place and he worked. He never gave up.
Now listen, the way you use the middle of your life has more influence on your end than the beginning. A lot of people think, "Oh, I have to begin right or I won't end right." No. It's what you do in the middle of your life -- when you don't give up even though you feel like it -- that determines the end.
You could have messed up a whole bunch in the beginning, and you might be thinking, "I'm going to give up on a dream. I'm going to settle for second best." But if you hang on and refuse to give up, the rest of your life can be the best of your life. That's what Decade of Destiny is all about. The decisions that you make in the middle of your life will determine your end.
Don't give up on the dream. Don't give up on the marriage. Don't give up on your health. Don't, don't, don't give up. God is in control and the final chapter of your life, you haven't read yet. God's already written it, but you haven't read it yet.
The Bible says, "God is always on the alert, constantly on the lookout for people who are totally committed to him." God is looking for people that he can bless. I want you to be one of those people in the next ten years.
Pray -- Jesus, I know that in the days ahead there will be times of discouragement. But I want to do exactly what you tell me to do, and I want to refuse to give up when I feel like giving up. I want to hold onto the dream that you give me. I want to be one of the people that you can use and bless in the next ten years.
From India, Mumbai
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Hi Abhay,
A great story! Frankly speaking, I don't know what I would have done. When we hear of such things, we feel 'what's the big deal? I would have done the same thing. Anybody would have.' But things are not that easy. It was an international event. Millions of people watching you, few in direct contact and uncountable on televisions.
Everybody faces such a situation.Some ask their girlfriend out for a dinner even if they know she is not gonna come. Many IIT aspirants know that they are not going to make it. I'm not talking about negative thoughts or low self confidence. This is something beyond that. Something that Mr.Sapolai Yao had that kept him steady.
The part well said in the story is "if you keep your fighting spirit alive and put in the same efforts till the last, even if you feel sure you are going to lose anyway, that’s when Destiny may surprise you". We all do try. But that does not last the final moment. We have so many examples in our society. Last month there was a news an old 76 years old completed his masters degree from IIT. What we should learn is to keep trying. If we are so determined that any damn thing come into our way we are not going to stop, not even God can stop us from achieving the thing we want to.
And of course, we all can learn a lot from so called "losers". The fact is people repeat the mistakes those are done by others already.Also we get make a thing called success by viewing our own mistakes. Thats why we always shout for experience, let it be cricket or politics. But do all these people use their mistakes to 100%? Or do We?
Regards
Sagar G.
From India, Mumbai
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A great story! Frankly speaking, I don't know what I would have done. When we hear of such things, we feel 'what's the big deal? I would have done the same thing. Anybody would have.' But things are not that easy. It was an international event. Millions of people watching you, few in direct contact and uncountable on televisions.
Everybody faces such a situation.Some ask their girlfriend out for a dinner even if they know she is not gonna come. Many IIT aspirants know that they are not going to make it. I'm not talking about negative thoughts or low self confidence. This is something beyond that. Something that Mr.Sapolai Yao had that kept him steady.
The part well said in the story is "if you keep your fighting spirit alive and put in the same efforts till the last, even if you feel sure you are going to lose anyway, that’s when Destiny may surprise you". We all do try. But that does not last the final moment. We have so many examples in our society. Last month there was a news an old 76 years old completed his masters degree from IIT. What we should learn is to keep trying. If we are so determined that any damn thing come into our way we are not going to stop, not even God can stop us from achieving the thing we want to.
And of course, we all can learn a lot from so called "losers". The fact is people repeat the mistakes those are done by others already.Also we get make a thing called success by viewing our own mistakes. Thats why we always shout for experience, let it be cricket or politics. But do all these people use their mistakes to 100%? Or do We?
Regards
Sagar G.
From India, Mumbai
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After reading this article, I was stumbled for some time. As it has already been mentioned in the article, one should have the guts to carry on without shyness or inferiority.
The guy who fails should have more sustaining power than the one who wins. In my view, the loser possesses more mental power (in the case of this athlete Yao, it is the circumstances or environment that pushed him towards last). Hence, Yao has the best mental strength among all the athletes.
To be honest, I was not interested in watching the games and do not remember the names of our Indian athletes who achieved victory. But after reading this article, the only name that I remember is Yao. Like me, many others would have remembered or recalled his name through this article.
Receiving a standing ovation or appreciation in failure is unique. I hope to see Yao in Scotland as well, with more spirit, and may God bless him with more advantages.
Hitler said, "When we fail, we have to explain; when we win, we need not explain." Yao, you have won.
Regards,
Periaswamy K
From India, Madras
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The guy who fails should have more sustaining power than the one who wins. In my view, the loser possesses more mental power (in the case of this athlete Yao, it is the circumstances or environment that pushed him towards last). Hence, Yao has the best mental strength among all the athletes.
To be honest, I was not interested in watching the games and do not remember the names of our Indian athletes who achieved victory. But after reading this article, the only name that I remember is Yao. Like me, many others would have remembered or recalled his name through this article.
Receiving a standing ovation or appreciation in failure is unique. I hope to see Yao in Scotland as well, with more spirit, and may God bless him with more advantages.
Hitler said, "When we fail, we have to explain; when we win, we need not explain." Yao, you have won.
Regards,
Periaswamy K
From India, Madras
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Dear All, INSPIRING INCIDENT! GIVE UP? NEVER! CARRY ON? DEFINITELY! FOR SUCCESS SIMPLY IS GETTING UP ONE MORE TIME WHEN WE FALL DOWN !
From India, Delhi
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From India, Delhi
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Dear All,
This is a good example of competing with yourself. Just like in a marathon, every person who completes the race is a winner. The runner compares their performance with their own past performance and does not compare themselves with others. This perspective highlights the importance of strategy, planning, and execution. I will remember this for a long time to come.
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This is a good example of competing with yourself. Just like in a marathon, every person who completes the race is a winner. The runner compares their performance with their own past performance and does not compare themselves with others. This perspective highlights the importance of strategy, planning, and execution. I will remember this for a long time to come.
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Hi All, This is very inspirational.... Simply I can say "Fight to Finish..." On Finish something will be there for you...Don’t Give Up...
From India, Vadodara
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From India, Vadodara
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Thank you for the details, Riyaz.
You are quite correct in quoting the example of Noah, who, if she had thought about the humiliation she must have suffered from her nearby people, would never have made history to be reread and reread.
From India, Mumbai
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You are quite correct in quoting the example of Noah, who, if she had thought about the humiliation she must have suffered from her nearby people, would never have made history to be reread and reread.
From India, Mumbai
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Hi Abhay,
To be very frank, I am going through a phase in life where I have to decide whether I should give up on my dreams or take whatever comes my way. I am still lost; this is indeed a godsent message to me. I need to take time and find the answers.
Thanks,
God Bless!
Ruby
From India, Bangalore
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To be very frank, I am going through a phase in life where I have to decide whether I should give up on my dreams or take whatever comes my way. I am still lost; this is indeed a godsent message to me. I need to take time and find the answers.
Thanks,
God Bless!
Ruby
From India, Bangalore
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Though he couldn’t win the medal but surely he wasn’t a loser. Good Interpretation... Regards, Singh S
From India, Delhi
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From India, Delhi
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Dear Abhay,
Only yesterday while sitting with a fellow counselor, she mentioned to me regarding this article in the Sunday TOI. Incidentally, I have the clipping right in front of me while I read it on your post.
I strongly believe that good things multiply faster than we think.
As for the content of the article, it is definitely the kind of spirit or life skill that we strive to inculcate in the younger generation. It is very easy to give up, but most difficult to carry on even in the face of adversities. And those who can do that, emerge as winners.
As for who won and who lost - I don't know the gold medalist of this event nor do I remember the 'winners' who took back the booty. Success to me is "accomplishing what you set out to achieve". In that sense, Sapoli Yao is a winner in the real sense. History will talk of him for the glory of his defeat - his spirit and the grit - medal winners will change but his accomplishment will remain as a true sportsman.
Regards,
Aradhana
Child Psychologist
Delhi
From India, Delhi
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Only yesterday while sitting with a fellow counselor, she mentioned to me regarding this article in the Sunday TOI. Incidentally, I have the clipping right in front of me while I read it on your post.
I strongly believe that good things multiply faster than we think.
As for the content of the article, it is definitely the kind of spirit or life skill that we strive to inculcate in the younger generation. It is very easy to give up, but most difficult to carry on even in the face of adversities. And those who can do that, emerge as winners.
As for who won and who lost - I don't know the gold medalist of this event nor do I remember the 'winners' who took back the booty. Success to me is "accomplishing what you set out to achieve". In that sense, Sapoli Yao is a winner in the real sense. History will talk of him for the glory of his defeat - his spirit and the grit - medal winners will change but his accomplishment will remain as a true sportsman.
Regards,
Aradhana
Child Psychologist
Delhi
From India, Delhi
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Thanks for the beautiful post. Hats off to the spirit of the athlete. I strongly believe he has done the right thing. Life is not always about winning or losing. One should be focused on the finishing line and must have the guts to face the world. Quitting should never be an option, because quitters never win and winners never quit. For me, the athlete in question has won. Maybe not the race, but the hearts of the million. Congratulations.
From India, Mumbai
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From India, Mumbai
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