Tests, Matchdays, And Concerts

Students study hard every day to be ready for the surprise and scheduled TESTS, whenever they happen.

Sportspersons practice hard so that when the MATCHDAY comes, they are ready to deal with what the competition will throw at them.

Musicians practice rigorously to deliver a great sensory experience to the audience on the CONCERT day.

Without taking the TESTS, a student cannot move up the academic ladder. Without the MATCHDAY challenge, a sportsperson will not be inspired to practice and prepare every day to become a better sportsperson. The motivation to perform well in a CONCERT pushes a musician to practice relentlessly and in the process grow.

Our life mirrors what happens in academics, sports, or musical journeys. Difficulties that we face are like the surprise TESTS that we have to take and overcome. Problems are like the MATCHDAYS, where we have to show up and give our best. Challenges are like those CONCERTS, where we have to showcase our skills and demonstrate our capabilities.

A student cannot complain about the tests and exams. She has to face them and pass to upgrade to the next level. A Sportsperson or a Musician cannot shy away from showing up for the game or giving the performance and still hope to become a better sportsperson or a better musician.

Here is the irony, though. Sometimes when life throws us challenges, we complain. We become despondent unwilling to fight. We cower in fear, and we step back into shadows when we should instead be recognizing that the challenges and problems are actually “TESTS” that upgrade and evolve us to the next level.

Academic TESTS, MATCHDAYS, and CONCERTS don’t happen every day. But the preparation to face them happens every day. Only then can one deal with them and succeed.

Similarly, challenges and problems don’t come to us every day. But life happens every day, and we need to ask ourselves- “Am I preparing and developing myself so that when the challenges and problems occur, I am ready to face them?”

IF you see yourself stuck, where your standard of life and personal well being is not evolving, it may just mean that you are not facing the challenges that life is throwing at you the way a student or a sportsperson or a musician would. Perhaps, you may be dealing with your problems helplessly like a victim when, instead, you should be taking them head-on like you would if you were a student writing an exam.

A student or a sportsperson knows that there is an exam or a game round the corner. So they prepare intending to give a good account when the exam or the game happens.

It is not so in our life. We sometimes live our life every day thinking that everything is chill. We don’t build our skills, competencies, mindset, assuming everything is in control. When we sometimes encounter challenges or problems, we get into a denial that we do not deserve them. We think, “Why Me?” This thinking is silly.

No one can escape the cycle of tests and challenges. Every one of us has to go through those. Problems and challenges are stepping stones for our evolution and growth. We can better deal with them when we are prepared like a good student, sportsperson or a musician would be.