Its all in your HEAD

This happened many many years ago. I could say decades but I don’t want to. I was a senior school prefect and one of our major responsibilities was to organize and run the annual sports festival. Those of you who knew me from childhood would know that I came from family of reputed athletes. Yes, you guessed it I was the one who didn’t own a single trophy. The black sheep of the family. One of my tasks at this special event was to coach a group of sixth graders for a team event. Ah! this was a topic in my family. Me the non-sportswoman – coaching a group for a sports event. How is that possible? You can imagine the tasteless humour ha? As you know I never liked sports – that was not my passion. I liked cricket only and again those of you who knew me would know it’s not because of the game – I did not know much about cricket either.. sily mid-off or sily mid-on I thought they were both very silly. But I ask me about the cricketers.. let me put it this way folks.. I was much learned about the cricketers… ha.. ha.. Oh okay let’s leave it for another day.

In school I belong a house – Motwani House (named after one of our great principals’ of the past) that did very poorly in sports. We had a high reputation for academics and arts but not sports. Obviously, my sixth graders also belonged to this house. Every year we came last. That was almost written in stone and acceptable. My six graders believed that and it was instilled in their minds. Every afternoon after school in the hot scorching sun I tried to coach them for the event. Boy, it was a task. It took me about two weeks just to get the little girls to a group. They didn’t want to come for practice. They made every attempt to disappear from the grounds and made lame excuses not to participate. I did not give up – lets say initially for my self too.. for I was scared of facing my critiques at home.. little by little I managed them to earn their trust. I told them all I expect from them is to participate and do their very best as we could not avoid participating. And I told them regardless I would buy them all ice cream just for participating and co-operating. Every day I thanked them for coming in for practice. I appreciated their efforts; I commended on their good work and talked about how we can do our best. Towards the latter part, they would start practicing before I come-in. They worked very hard each pitched in. I was satisfied with their performance and timing. Most of all I was convinced they were doing their best.

On the day of the event I must say I was anxious for my self and my girls. The time came for the event and they went in.. Guess what folks.. Yes, they came first. I was so happy. Overall Motwani house still came last. But in this event they came first. Of course, I kept my promise – I brought them ice cream – mind you I was on a student’s budget. That was my weekly allowance but it was worth it. They did more than what was expected and the girls were thrilled of their accomplishment. And you know what this meant to me? Yes, victory, for the reputation I had earned in my family this was sheer victory.

We often tend to stereotype people and we label them. Many of us put on those labels without really exploring them. We become losers before we really become losers. We take on a message that someone had mistakenly labeled. And we start acting on those as if it’s written in stone. This becomes extremely destructive when it comes to kids, for they may not have the power to question. Unfortunately adults do the same thing too – they take on and live those labels without ever questioning or exploring their abilities.

Lets explore our labels today? Perhaps you are labeled by mistake. Remember you don’t have to live up to that. You have the power to change it.