bhaskar saikia

In life, there is always a second road. And the course of our life depends on which road we choose—the one we are walking now, or the other we could take. We human beings, though belonging to the same species Homo sapiens, are not the same. We are all different individuals, with different aspirations, dreams, and desires. That’s good. That’s what makes the world such a vibrant place to live. Otherwise, if we all began to behave in a similar way, there wouldn’t be much difference between us and robots. It’s good that we have not chosen an automated lifestyle.

However, because we are different, we also see a huge contrast in the world. But despite the myriad differences, humans can broadly be divided into two categories—optimists and pessimists. As someone once brilliantly summed it up, both the optimist and the pessimist live, but the way they live their lives makes all the difference.

To give you an example, let me share a short story told in a communication seminar by Mr. Vikramaditya Choudhury—a wonderful person I had the opportunity to interact with many times in my life. The story is about two people—one an optimist, the other a pessimist.

The optimist wants to go to the park, but the pessimist says that crows will shit on them if they go. The optimist insists the crows will not. Reluctantly, the pessimist agrees to go along. But the moment they enter the park, a crow shits on the optimist’s head. The pessimist instantly says, “See, I told you so.” Taking out his handkerchief from his pocket, the optimist replies, “Thank God, elephants don’t fly.”

This little story so eloquently shows the difference between an optimist and a pessimist. While a pessimist lives in the fear of something going wrong, an optimist—even if something has gone wrong—looks at the brighter side of life and moves on. The optimist in the story didn’t dwell on the crow droppings on his head. He moved on, instantly thanking God for not giving elephants wings—because elephants can really shit! Had the crow done the same to the pessimist, he would have cursed his friend, the crow, God, and his entire life.

While a pessimist never seems to be in control of life, an optimist always tries to assess the situation and stay positive. No wonder, all the successful people are optimists.

We—regardless of our attitude—are all talented. And we all have to go through failures and bitter defeats. But it is always the one who remains positive despite failures who goes on to succeed, while more talented people often fail. Talent alone can’t guarantee success. It’s the positive attitude that counts.

I recall what Rocky said in the famous Rocky movie franchise: “It ain’t how hard you hit; it’s about how hard you can get hit, and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done.” Maybe that’s how battles and wars are won—and when it comes to life, it’s no less than a war. Muhammad Ali said something similar: “It’s not about the hits you take; it’s about how you get back up.” And that, my friend, was not just about a boxing ring, but about life.

I have seen many promising and talented people waste their lives after a single big failure, saying, “I quit.” That’s certainly not the way to reach success.

I am not writing this after reading a few self-help books or collecting inspiring quotes. Believe me, we all have our share of failures and defeats—and I am no exception. I could have quit, but I am not a pessimist to do that.

In bad times, I just do one thing I learned during my cricket coaching days (though I quit playing cricket, I never gave up on life). That lesson is priceless. In cricket, when you’re batting and wickets are falling regularly, and you’re not in the best of form, the only thing your coach would say is: hang on there. If you hang on long enough, the runs will come and the pressure will ease.

Of course, just “hanging on” at the crease is no piece of cake. Anyone who has played leather-ball cricket on a mat pitch will understand that you have to take a few blows on your body to survive—and it really hurts. Agreed, a leather ball might not take your life (though some cricketers have tragically died), but the pain can be unbearable. However, something interesting happens after you take your first nasty body blow—you begin to focus more, your feet start to move, and just like that, by merely hanging in there, the runs begin to flow. Many wonderful innings have come from this simple, yet painful, coaching tip.

So personally, I survive hard times by just hanging in there—because I know the day will come when I can flourish again. And when that day comes, I make hay while the sun shines.

The only secret? I always remain an optimist.