I heard the commentator saying that for one of the two players this day would be a defining day in his life. I was wondering how can just another tennis match become a destiny defining match for a player. But it turned out to be one for “Boom Boom” Becker. Boris Becker became the youngest Wimbledon Champion on that day and went on to win several titles and retired as a legend. The South African born Curran faded into obscurity.
Boris Becker announced his arrival to Grand Slam arena in style with that one big performance. I dare say my dear friends, “One performance can change the destiny of an individual’s life”.
Probably a victory of that magnitude alters the belief system of an individual to such a large extent that the sub conscious mind starts to believe that one is cut out for larger, bigger, higher & the best of things in life. Competency levels of players are almost the same but it is the beliefs that gets transformed out of performances like that. When the Beliefs transforms Champions are born.
Several people’s lives teaches us that one epoch making performance, one dramatic victory, one extraordinary speech and a Champion is born.
I was fascinated towards Public Speaking in the year 1994. I had aspired to be a trainer and I knew that it was extremely important for me to develop into an empowering speaker. I used to participate in several Public Speaking competitions. To deliver a 2 minute speech I used to practice for over 200 times. You may find this hard to believe but that was the truth. Even after practicing for that many number of times victory was not guaranteed. I used to win in some competitions but never tasted success in the big stages like in Public Speaking Conventions. Victory & Success was eluding me for years till that career defining day came in my life.
In February 1998 I was given a golden opportunity by My Guru, T.T. Rangarajan (now popularly known as “Mahatria The Voice Ra”) to address in front of over 1800 people at Kamaraj Memorial Hall in Chennai on Friday the 13th. The so called inauspicious Friday the 13th changed my life downside up. I was extremely nervous before I walked up the Dias. Thoughts of failures were surrounding my mind but I was determined to excel. I had worked diligently to deliver the speech but I needed to deliver a flawless performance in the big stage for my mind to believe that I am destined for bigger things in life.
30 minutes later when I heard the applause and felt the adrenaline rush in my body, I was a man transformed. I knew that I could hold the audience with rapt attention. I realized that the size of audience does not matter. My speech was a revelation unto myself. I knew “I have arrived”.
That one performance changed my perspective towards life. My competency levels were the same even before that performance but my Beliefs were transformed. I started to believe that I am cut out for bigger things in life. By April 1998 I became a full fledged Trainer and many people who listen to me today cannot even imagine that I had to practice that hard before that day since now my speeches are just the expression of my mind and heart.
I can quote instances from several people’s lives that all it takes to transform one from an also ran to that of a Champion is one stellar performance which is life changing & destiny defining. The competency & skills were the same before that defining performance and also after that performance, talent is always there in people but that one performance makes the performer believe that he is cut out for bigger things.
It could be that one big sales order that the Executive got that made him believe he is a star performer.
It can be that one spell by a bowler or one innings by a batsman. Remember Sehwag always had the talent but that one brilliant hundred he scored against New Zealand in a tri series at Sri Lanka in 2001. He just didn’t look back after that performance and he had announced his arrival to the big stage. More than announcing to the world he had announced to his own sub conscious mind that he is a Championship material. Before the world crowns you as a Champion, first we should let our Sub Conscious mind to know that we are a Championship material.
It could be that one song a singer sung, one poem that the poet wrote, one role that the heroine performed and everything about the performer transformed. It is not the skills & competency that results in transformation but it is the belief system which undergoes a change that brings about a transformation from being a zero to becoming an hero. Beliefs transform thru’ performances and experiences than thru’ any other means.
Hence my dear friends let us work hard and smart to develop our competences and believe that we are just an evening away from greatness, a page away from becoming a world class author, a speech away from becoming the best speaker, a performance away from becoming a Champion that we all aspire to be.
That performance would “Announce our Arrival” to this world. Let’s strive for that one performance.
Loving you.
JVC Sreeram