Every four years, the Olympic Games inspire us with stories of champions – their struggle, perseverance and excellence. Some of these champions win medals, like ace shuttler PV Sindhu and wrestler Sakshi Malik, both from India. Some miss out by a whisker, like gymnast Dipa Karmakar and Scottish swimmer Hannah Miley. Still others suffer a more tragic reversal of fortune, like Sakshi’s compatriot Vinesh Phogat who suffered a knee dislocation and French gymnast Samir Ait Said who snapped his leg. But in each case, the outcome of their Olympic journey is not what defines them.
There are many factors of varying influence that play a pivotal role in shaping a champion’s journey. Some include skill, genetic makeup , coaching, mentoring and societal support. While we can discuss at great length the relative influence of each of these factors, research has shown that the defining aspect of a champion is his or her own attitude, particularly in the face of failure. True champions are not fazed by failure. In fact, they recognize failure as a stepping stone to success. By emulating this attitude, we too can improve greatly in ou journey towards becoming spiritual champions.
Firstly, champions are committed. That commitment embraces not just the perks of performing well but also the tremendous personal sacrifices needed to become better at their chosen activity. Their love for what they do inspires them to stay on course and conquer all the obstacles in their path.
Secondly, champions are optimistic and resilient in the face of failure. They view a difficult challenge or a failure as an opportunity for improvement. This does not mean they are not affected emotionally. Personal disappointments aside, a true champion will rise up, shake off the dust, and continue on the path with a new strategy.
Lastly, champions are proactive and internally motivated. When faced with failure, champions don’t give up. Instead they thoroughly analyze their performance and double their efforts to overcome the weakness. In fact, the most dominant champions are the ones who focus internally on bettering themselves, rather than focusing on outperforming a specific competitor or competitors. By focusing internally, they are pushing themselves to be their very best in all aspects, rather than aiming for a single fixed target. This aggressive process of constant self-improvement will lead them to outperform their competitors, simply as a byproduct of their quest for total perfection.
We too can adopt the above attitudes in our journey towards perfecting selfless service and surrender to God and Guru. By being committed to this goal, we can make the physical and mental sacrifices necessary to always put their happiness ahead of our own. Of course, it is not possible for us to succeed immediately. Anger, greed, lust, worldly attachments, envy, and pride pose challenges to us along every step of the path. Only by the grace of the Guru are these defects revealed to us.
Though this process is painful and will likely include many failures, we must learn to be resilient and optimistic in the face of our day-to-day defeats. Shree Maharajji mentions in his lecture on “Satsang” that this undying optimism, particularly when facing material setbacks or when being insulted by the Guru, is the first sign of surrender. We can (and must!) proactively analyze and improve ourselves while maintaining full faith in the unconditional grace of God, instead of letting individual defeats hold us back.
As Swami Mukundananda mentions in his commentary for Chapter 11, verse 34, of the Bhagavad Gita, “Do not be dejected. Fight and you will conquer the enemies of your mind, because God wants you to succeed. Your effort will be instrumental, while God will fashion your victory by His grace.”
Let us become spiritual champions!
