The Unlikely Masters

I was taking a workshop a few months back, where I asked the participants to name the personalities that inspire them and their qualities they admire. There were approximately 50 participants and almost everybody shared a different name or a different trait they admire. At the end of the sharing session someone asked me who was my inspiration. Since I was not ready with the answer my mind went through different traits of the people I admire, from the passion and determination of my childhood hero Sachin Tendulkar to the perfection and precision of Steve Jobs. Amongst all these personalities, out of nowhere, one image appeared in my mind and I asked the audience to guess the personality while I started giving some hints.

“I inspire the great determination that this person shows towards his goals. He goes all out in getting the things he really wants without being bothered with any of the challenges that he may face.”

There were hardly any guesses with the first hint so I continued.

“He is always cheerful and doesn’t need a reason to be happy. He is a paragon for mindfulness and lives his life in the present moment, not being bothered by what has happened in the past or what will happen in the future.”

Many of the participants suggested the name of Amitabh Bachchan, some even suggested Dalai Lama, while I gave my final hint.

“He is a brilliant observer and is always eager to learn, never afraid to ask questions. Always exploring new things and is hungry to learn more. His ability to catch up with the new technologies at such a young age is really admirable.”

Now it was becoming chaotic so I had to pause them to tell the answer.

“The person whom I am taking about is none other than my 2-year-old kid ‘Vihaan’.” There was a pin drop silence and then people started smiling when they were able to relate the qualities of a two-year-old with the traits I was mentioning. A big round of applause ended this session.

There is no dearth of talented personalities and inspirations in this world, therefore getting inspired by a two-year-old looks a little out of place. However, at the end of the workshop I was appreciated by many for making them realize that it really doesn’t really matter how big or famous the person is, inspirations can also be drawn from little things in life. Infact, if we admire the qualities of the people around us, it becomes easier for us to get our daily inspirations, as we are able to interact with them on a continuous basis.  

Every day when I spend time with my two-year-old, I learn something new. It’s a wonderful feeling to be with him. When you are with a child you tend to forget all your worries and become a child yourself. I am sure many of you will resonate with my feelings. What makes them so special? Why each of us gets attached to the kids so easily? Let’s look into some of these qualities that we can easily associate with small children:

Drawing happiness out of little things in life. 

You don’t need to give them expensive gifts to make them happy, they are able to draw happiness out of nowhere. Car keys, tennis balls, comb, toothbrush, colours, a small chocolate, a little smile, a small hug. Childhood is all about finding happiness in one thing and then moving on to the other.

Keeps their baggage empty 

They don’t carry anything with them for a long time. One can scold them to make them upset but only for some time as they have the ability to forget and forgive very easily which many of us grown up adults are not able to do. They have a pure heart, full of forgiveness and gratitude and that is why they do not carry any baggage with them.  

Love and Compassion.  

They have utmost love and compassion towards people who are with them and one can easily find it in their eyes, words and expressions. They are there with us both physically and mentally not being distracted with what is going on in the world.

Energy and Enthusiasm

They have the ability to maintain high level of energy and enthusiasm throughout the day. Their ability to enjoy each and every moment could be one of the reasons for their high energy levels. They also enjoy a sound sleep which helps them to rejuvenate their energy levels.

Mindfulness - living in the present. 

They are not worried with what will happen in the future or what has happened in the past. They always live in the present and give full attention to the task in hand and that is one of the reasons why they are so much at peace and live a fulfilled life.

The Explorers

They love to explore new things. Their inquisitiveness towards discovering new dimensions in everything around them helps them in keeping them engaged throughout the day. That is one of the reasons why they are able to learn so quickly.

Never Give Up Attitude 

When they want something they want it badly and they will go to any extent in achieving it. They have high level of perseverance through which they are not stopped by their failures till they achieve what they want.

It is with these qualities that we are able to establish a direct connect with any child. These qualities are more or less similar in all the children of a certain age. That is why it doesn’t take us much time to mix with any child and we are able to establish a direct connect with them the moment we meet them.

Children are the most beautiful things created by God. They have a big heart which is pure and impartial. They have a soul which is full of love and affection. There are so many things which we can learn from a child and this is what makes them the ‘Unlikely Masters’. However, in order to apply all these learning in our life, we will need to do one of the most difficult things and that is to unlearn and empty our cups.