Do we kNOw to say NO?

 

Mitchell Strac - The Hindu newspaper

Recently a newspaper clipping of Mitchell Starc called my attention. For the not so cricket fans (if there is such a thing in India) Mitchell Strac is part of the Australian cricket team, which few days back won the WTC (World Test Championship 2023) defeating India by 209 runs. This Australian team became the 1st team to have won all major ICC tournaments.

His last appearance in IPL was way back in 2015. He played in IPL for only 2 seasons for RCB bagging 34 wickets and is one of the most successful overseas bowler. By estimate, between 2015 to now (2022) Strac's potential earning at IPL which he has let go, would be 10 million AUD.

In several interviews, Starc mentions his priority is international cricket, his dream of representing his country Australia in 100 Test matches. Hence to keep himself fresh physically and mentally for national commitments, he opted out of 2023 IPL tournament, instead choosing to spend time at home with family.

Why this newspaper clipping struck me? 

Well it made me think, What it takes to say NO to a Trend, to Popular Culture, to Big Quick Money and to Peer pressure when his fellow 47 Australian cricketers participated in the IPL auction the world's richest cricket tournament. 

Well for sure, couple of things:  

1. Vision (a strong personal vision, of manifestation of one's life). 

2. Clarity between Needs and Wants.  

3. Knowing one's Priority - what's most important for him/her. 

4. Conviction to carry on, on the roadless travelled without succumbing to the external pressures and internal self-doubts. 

The key question to reflect upon from Mitchell Strac's story is Do We kNOw to say NO? 

- May be Life is not meant to be so complicated and cluttered. 

- May be Life can be Simpler and free-flowing.

- May be Life can be Designed by rules what matters to us most.

So maybe the answer is not to do more, rather to do what matters! 

It's about kNOwing to say NO to things which do not align with one's Vision. 

To say NO to things which are not one's needs.

To say NO to things which are not one's priority and to say NO to the feelings of self-doubts and external pressures when one set's foot on the roadless travelled. 

Do we kNOw to say NO? 

The possible answers are No, Yes, Maybe or shades of all of them. 

Irrespective of where we lie on the spectrum of answers, the more important thing in Life is to Ask the Right Question.

With a Thanks Mate! gesture to Mitchell Strac's :) leaving you all (including myself) with this Big Question - Do we kNOw to say NO?