PLAYING THE 'BIG GAME' TO SOAR ABOVE DAY TO DAY HURTS


PLAYING THE BIG GAME





A key element of my journey to be more authentic has involved having the courage to be more vulnerable. Recently, I expressed my vulnerability to some one close only to feel ridiculed. Rather than receiving empathy, I felt judged and even ridiculed.

Last week, the verdant and rainy drive from Pune to Panchgani provided a great setting for some soul searching. I brought this issue to up with  Syd – an amazing guy who I met barely a year ago, but feel a deep connection. 

We spoke on various issues about our lives…. The conversation pasted below is not an exact reproduction. It is however my honest attempt to get to the gist of our chat on this one topic. I wrote it down primarily to process it for myself. If this resonates with you, wonderful…..

SANJAY - So tell me, how do you handle rejection when you are being vulnerable but the other simply is not sensitive to it, or worse scoffs at you?

SYD (In a laid back manner that so characterizes HIM)  – I try and play the BIG game, Sanjay.

SANJAY – The big game? What is that?

SYD – I have tried to align myself to a larger goal – “To make the world work better for all.” And when I do that, the smaller things don’t seem to matter much. I know I am working for a larger cause and when I do that the universe will support me. Yes, there maybe a few road-blocks….but overall, I find that as long as I stay committed to this higher cause, the smaller stuff doesn’t bother me much.

I PAUSED……AS THE PROVERBIAL PENNY DROPPED.

I thought back to my choice of my career 25 years ago…..How I flowed so effortlessly when I felt a deep connection to cause greater than my own advancement/success. It also brought back memories of when I had lost this ‘bigger’ picture and become more self-centred.  Then thoughts and images of the people from many grassroots NGOs across the world who were passionate about the causes came to mind and how they smiled so effortlessly.


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To play the big game as a way to soar……What a fascinating concept. Staying with it…….

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