A rope traveled the breadth of my waist and clung in tension to the mast of the motorboat. A parachute hung loosely over my head, fluttering in the wind. As far as I could see was the expanse of the blue sea underneath a light blue umbrella of the clear sky. With a little apprehension, I put on the life jacket and slithered my arms into the thick brackets of elastic but tough polymer fastened to the ropes that held the parachute to the mast. An uneasiness had descended in my mind since the time I had boarded the motorboat. I did not know how to swim. This was my first attempt at parasailing. I clutched the reins to the parachute tightly as I stood at the edge of the boat.
The ferryman pulled a lever, and the rope, as if suddenly emerging from a secret crevice in the floor, hurtled up towards the sky at an oblique angle, lifting me along. It continued its ascent until the people on the boat had reduced to tiny dots sailing in the vast sea. When it steadied, I could see other ferries and ships scattered across the shimmering water. I could see the bustling activity on the coastline, and admire Lord Murudeshwara's gigantic statue watching over the town with the sun forming a halo around its head. I loosened my grip on the acrylic and stretched out my arms, letting go of all fear and submitting myself to the calm wind. And then, hundreds of metres over the Arabian sea, I was flying. It felt great, as if I had been liberated from a long acting bond.
We all possess fears - of the dark, of ghosts, spiders and snakes, of burly monsters; of commitment, of loss or failure, of humiliation, heartbreak and despair. Some of them are apparent, some are buried deep inside our thoughts. Some of them can be overcome, others are simply invincible and at times render us helpless, clouding and conquering our ability to think logically. Fear often leads us astray, away from our deepest ambitions and our most heartfelt desires. At certain points in our lives, often unknowingly, we all fall victim to the prowling beast of prey that is fear. Days, months and even years after our timid surrender, when we realize the blunder we committed, we regret our actions. We wish we could travel back in time to go for that football game as a member of the school team, to take up that lesser paid job or internship that we liked more, or to speak the words we could never muster the courage to bring to our lips. Sometimes there is still time for corrective action. Sometimes, it's too late. It's just a matter of how far we have wandered, and when we come to know of it.
Fear is not invincible. We can defeat it. We should know it when we are being lured into its net. We should decide, then and there, if we can afford to take the easy route and give up. Or we can take it head on, and fight for a win.
The trick is to let go.
And this, ladies and gentlemen, is my new year's resolution. To keep winning.
The ferryman pulled a lever, and the rope, as if suddenly emerging from a secret crevice in the floor, hurtled up towards the sky at an oblique angle, lifting me along. It continued its ascent until the people on the boat had reduced to tiny dots sailing in the vast sea. When it steadied, I could see other ferries and ships scattered across the shimmering water. I could see the bustling activity on the coastline, and admire Lord Murudeshwara's gigantic statue watching over the town with the sun forming a halo around its head. I loosened my grip on the acrylic and stretched out my arms, letting go of all fear and submitting myself to the calm wind. And then, hundreds of metres over the Arabian sea, I was flying. It felt great, as if I had been liberated from a long acting bond.
We all possess fears - of the dark, of ghosts, spiders and snakes, of burly monsters; of commitment, of loss or failure, of humiliation, heartbreak and despair. Some of them are apparent, some are buried deep inside our thoughts. Some of them can be overcome, others are simply invincible and at times render us helpless, clouding and conquering our ability to think logically. Fear often leads us astray, away from our deepest ambitions and our most heartfelt desires. At certain points in our lives, often unknowingly, we all fall victim to the prowling beast of prey that is fear. Days, months and even years after our timid surrender, when we realize the blunder we committed, we regret our actions. We wish we could travel back in time to go for that football game as a member of the school team, to take up that lesser paid job or internship that we liked more, or to speak the words we could never muster the courage to bring to our lips. Sometimes there is still time for corrective action. Sometimes, it's too late. It's just a matter of how far we have wandered, and when we come to know of it.
Fear is not invincible. We can defeat it. We should know it when we are being lured into its net. We should decide, then and there, if we can afford to take the easy route and give up. Or we can take it head on, and fight for a win.
The trick is to let go.
And this, ladies and gentlemen, is my new year's resolution. To keep winning.
