Striving towards Excellence

-Karthik Gurumurthy

I've been thinking a lot about how we react to the frustrating realities that we face in India. You know what makes my blood boil? All those traders blocking walkways, officials demanding bribes for basic documents that should be free, police abusing their power, and politicians who couldn't care less about the people they're supposed to serve. It's like the troublemakers are running the show everywhere.

When I dwell on this stuff, I feel like my head's going to explode - like someone poured hot acid into my brain. My whole body tenses up! Sometimes I find myself thinking, "Is there really no way to fix any of this?"

I'm not alone in feeling this way. Plenty of people vent like this, getting angry to the point where their blood pressure skyrockets. Others just retreat into themselves, feeling defeated. And honestly, their frustration makes perfect sense.

But I heard this story that got me thinking differently. There was this marketing superstar (MS) waiting at an airport when they announced a four-hour flight delay. Instead of groaning like everyone else, he just said, "Fantastic!" The guy next to him was baffled and asked what could possibly be fantastic about it.

The MS explained, "Well, there are three likely reasons for the delay: something's wrong with the plane, something's wrong with the pilot, or the weather at our destination is bad. I wouldn't want to fly under any of those conditions!" When they announced an additional delay later, he again said, "Fantastic!" His explanation? "More time to prepare for my next seminar."

The confused passengers finally asked if he was genuinely not irritated. He admitted, "I'm saying 'fantastic' specifically to avoid getting irritated. What other choice do I have? By saying it, I'm creating the energy of how I want to feel." He called it "transformation vocabulary" - words that create a more empowering mindset.

So how do we deal with issues like corruption and bribery that seem intolerable? On one hand, wishing for a corruption-free society is ideal but not realistic right now. On the other hand, just saying "It's impossible to end corruption, so just accept it" isn't right either.

Some people get worked up over everything - from major corruption to tiny mistakes at work or home. Their blood pressure spikes, they lose control, and sometimes they even lash out violently. That approach just creates more problems.

It reminds me of boxing - you need to control your emotions and play by the rules. Life is even more complex because we're playing multiple roles in different "games" simultaneously.

I think of it like fish in the ocean. Some are tiny and get eaten by predators. Others are sharks that survive by attacking everything around them. But then there are dolphins - they swim in the same ocean with all the dangers but know how to navigate without becoming prey or predator.

Maybe that's the answer - can we be like dolphins? Enjoy life, be good people, but also know how to keep a safe distance from negative influences while still thriving in the same environment?