Once More, One Last Time

 

The Last Run

The aircraft had been on the search and rescue mission for quite some time. The sailor ‘over board’ had still not been spotted. The crew had done whatever they could have, but to no avail. The weather wasn’t great and the sun, too was about to drown. The captain could feel the knots in his stomach. A sense of defeat filled the cockpit. It was time to call off  the mission and set course for the base. 

He took a hard look at all those dials in front. The fuel onboard could hold them up a little while more. Something within told him, “May be, one more run, One last run…”

He then took a long deep breath and spoke into his radio "Running once more, One last time”.

The aircraft banked and turned right back into search and the crew pressed itself to the mission one last time, It was now or never.

Suddenly, as if from nowhere appeared, someone, bobbing in the seas below.

'One last time' and a life saved. A decision that snatched life from the jaws of death. 

 

Neither Fiction Nor Miracle

In fact, it’s a story often witnessed, albeit in different forms by almost anyone who has been part of extreme search and rescue missions. Good or bad, the outcome, it is only the headlines that remain in our memory. The superhuman efforts that made it possible, is invariably overshadowed by euphoria around victorious rescues.

“Baby saved alive from rubbles after twelve days”. “Children saved alive from flooded cave after 18 days”. There are so many such headlines across the world every day! Nobody talks of the one who 'decides' to stick on and if at all done, not for long.

Such rescues are not just miracles but the end pieces of ‘never give up’ acts of dedication. When conditioning and conditions compel almost everyone to give up, there could be one, just one, who refuses to give up; the one, who wants to take ‘one more run, one last run’. 

It is the courage of that one person, who calls for that ‘one more, one last attempt’ and his/her will to push the envelope of hope beyond the normal that forces victory. Hope, is the most valued asset, in the midst of despair

But does every such ‘last run’ yield results? Sometimes, yes. Certainly not always.

 

The Web Not Attempts That Matter

Our elders told us the story of King Bruce and the spider and taught us that perseverance produces success". We were told to attempt and reattempt, so that one day we could succeed. 

Success doesn't necessarily come from repeatedly attempting something that we have repeatedly failed in. It is foolish to reinforce failure. It is worse to persevere with repeated failures, for each failure dents self-esteem and ebbs the will to go forward. It kills us from within and pulls us down in our own eyes and others too.

There is none yet born who hasn't failed. He who claims having not tasted defeat ever, is a liar. Preceding every success, would be innumerable failures. The ability to, draw lessons from each failure, identify own flaws and challengers’ strength, understand situations and its demands, see and seize opportunities besides capability and willingness to rework strategies separate the successful from others. Failure offers us the chance to reattempt and win, provided we are willing to learn and course correct.

We were told that King Bruce, motivated by his ‘spider guru’, vanquished his enemies in his seventh attempt. We were never told nor did we ever bother to see through, that the story was less about the number of his reattempts but more about the craft of creating better webs (traps) to lure the enemy into his chosen killing fields.

Our story should be less about repeated attempts and more about pursuit of our aims with better preparation after every failure.

Ignorance and Perseverance

Known or unknown to us, there are many factors that influence the course of our daily lives. We have control over few. We have no control over many. But worse, we think we have no control over very many. Here lies the catch.

Awareness about our strengths and weaknesses helps. We naturally associate limitations with expectations and therefore tend to pitch our aims low. It is terrible to be held back by awareness of our weaknesses. Unfortunately, we are conditioned to under- pitch and so underperform once we become aware of our limitations. Knowledge of own weaknesses must not result in lower aims and expectations, but propel us to address and find ways to overcome those limitations.

Not every limitation originates within. Many are passed on to us by beliefs and practices. These are yokes that bind us to the millstones of poor expectations. It takes a lot of courage to break free of such shackles.

On the other hand, one could be blissfully unaware of such constricting norms. It is then heroes like Cliff Young emerge. Such ignorance doesn’t bleed one’s efforts to push oneself far beyond the normal and set standards for others to follow. Ignorance is bliss only in such cases.

 

The Inner Voice

To expect all labour to bear fruit, is vanity. Not to attempt for fear of failure is foolishness. It’s only by committing and persisting can one achieve success. Failure is an omnipresent truth. The knowledge, where, when and how much to labour is wisdom. To rise from failure is courage.

The wise and mighty too, are not insulated from failure. Each failure comes with innumerable valuable lessons. It is important to see lessons in failure and learn from it. Ability to learn from others’ mistakes is a divine gift and learning from own mistakes, human yet wise. Perseverance is not just about being at it. It is more about relentless application with continuous learning, course corrections and choice of appropriate means. There is a voice within us that tells us where and when to stop.

Listen carefully.

The voice, even when faint, is felt by the wise. Many remain deaf even when it is loud enough to be heard by everyone else.

Fortunately, one can easily train oneself to be wise!

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