Monday Musings 211 – Ehtraam
Naseer
I recently read an interview of
the legendary Naseeruddin Shah as his autobiography hits the market, where he
outlines his definition of destiny/luck. What he broadly says is that while he
was still studying acting, he realized that he was not really cut out for the
mainstream cinema, however he sensed that occasionally there were some movies
being made, which indicated that soon a time will come where such cinema will
definitely be made aplenty – and when that day would come, he better be ready.
So Naseer, the perfectionist that he is, prepared himself all those years,
doing odd roles, however relentlessly working, preparing, and chiseling himself
for that day when movies of the kind that he wanted would be made. And when
that day did arrive, Naseer dazzled on the celluloid, literally dominating the
world of parallel cinema. He prepared himself for his destiny.
I find this tale quite inspiring.
I find the idea of ‘preparing for ones destiny’ quite powerful and liberating.
Destiny in common parlance is associated
either luck – which is happenstance, the grand arch of time which makes you be
at the right place at the right time with the right people. The invisible hand
of chance is too strong in this postulation and hence quite limiting to my taste.
Playing poker has better chances.
The other definition of luck is a
preordained path or destination that has already been drafted by someone else
and by implication it means we are only playing the role that has already been
scripted for us. We will reach where we ought to, the subtext being,
irrespective of what I do or don’t. When one throws in the role played by, for
the want of a better word, God, then things become murkier. This model takes
all power of self selection, self direction and self formation away from the
protagonist and binds his movements and his script in the hands of some
puppeteer. That puppeteer despite his alleged divinity is not acceptable to my
sensibilities, even though I might acknowledge some undefined power that
exists.
Naseer Saabs model is beautiful
in its simplicity and by giving the power of decision in the hands of the hero;
it also is uplifting and energizing. I also draw lessons in the corporate world
from Naseer Saabs theory. Do I know what kind of professional, manager or
leader will be required in my chosen field a decade from now? Am I at least
studying the winds of change if not decisively understanding them, to know
where that future might lie? Am I preparing hard enough, long enough, patiently
enough in the wait of that day? If destiny is about being prepared, then the
whole idea of success and how it is achieved undergoes a change. It moves from
the unknown to the known and from the uncontrollable to controllable. What is
the proportion of time spent in the pursuit of that preparation versus the time
spent in agonizing in the wait of that glory?
The best are those for whom the
future does not matter, for they enjoy the present – the second best are those
who prepare for the future for they craft it – the worst obviously are the ones
who wait for it.
Ehtaraam Naseer Saab!
