CONTINUE FROM HARE WHO DARES – 1
Further conversation between Kabir and Mr.Dev …
How can you be so powerful, confident, happy and full of energy? Will you share your secrete with me?” Kabir asked with some hesitation.
The coach Mr. Dev began to tell the story of his life.
“I have no secret. In fact, few years back I was an unsuccessful and timid individual who always liked to live in his own shell. I always blamed others for my failure; I was jealous of others people’s success. I used to criticize people who were more successful than me. I thought circumstances were responsible for my failures.”
“I was pretending all the time that I was a very sincere, hard working and polite person. I took myself to be a kind, cooperative and responsible person. But when I caught my pretence, I was able to see that I was an uncommitted person who never honoured his word. I had enough reasons to escape from my accountability.”
Kabir could not believe what Mr. Dev was saying. But at the same time he felt like saluting him for his courage to share his dark past so honestly.
Mr. Dev was calm. He seemed to have no arrogance, no attitude or ego. Mr. Dev smiled and continued to share further, “A small story completely altered my way of thinking, of handling my life and my vision. And after that, I was no longer sad or upset. I stopped taking myself as a loser and a failed individual.” His words touched Kabir’s heart.
Mr. Dev said, “That little story made me inquire within me, and my life transformed completely.”
“You mean that Peter Parker became Spiderman?” Kabir asked smartly as he got what the coach was hinting at.
“Yeah, perfect! You got it, Kabir.” Mr. Dev replied with a smile.
“What’s that story?” Kabir asked.
“It’s the story of a hare and a tortoise,” the coach replied.
“What is so life transforming in that story? I’ve read it a hundred times in my pre-primary days,” Kabir said with a little disappointment.
“Do you remember that story? I would like to hear it once again,” Mr. Dev insisted.
Kabir began to tell the old story with least interest.
A tortoise and a hare had an argument about who amongst them was speedy. They decided to settle the argument with a race. They agreed on a route and started off on the race. Hare ran for some time.Then, on seeing that he was far ahead of the tortoise, he thought he’d sit under a tree for some time and relax.
Sitting under the tree, he saw a field of carrots nearby. His mouth started watering and he was tempted to eat those juicy carrots. He couldn’t resist this temptation and ate enough juicy carrots to his great satisfaction. Soon he fell asleep.
The tortoise, plodding on, overtook the hare and soon finished the race, emerging as the undisputed champ. Hare woke up and realized that he had lost the race. The moral of the story: slow and steady wins the race.
This is the story that we’ve all grown up with,” Kabir said.
“Thank you, Kabir, for your great story telling. This same story made me inquire within me and relate it to my life,” the coach said.
Mr. Dev continued, “I wondered what must have happened in the life of that tortoise after winning the race? And what must have happened in the life of that hare? Did he accept defeat forever and never attempted for victory? How long did the hare lead the life of a loser? What were the barriers in the hare’s life which were not allowing him to go for another attempt?”
Kabir was listening to him with enchantment. The coach continued with delight, “I realized there was something missing or incomplete in the story. And that inspired me to alter the end of the story. I introduced one character in the story to make difference in the life of the hare; the new character is a tiger who is a coach to the hare.” Mr. Dev shared his thoughts with Kabir.
“Will you tell me that story?” Kabir asked excitedly.
“Sure, it does not take long,” Mr. Dev replied. “It’s called “Hare Who Dares”. It begins where the old story of the hare and the tortoise ended.”
Are u also eager to know that story – “It’s called “Hare Who Dares” read next blog …continue
