Life Lessons learnt from Sharath Kamal

8 lessons learnt from Sharath Kamal - Ace TT Player

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In John Barth’s words, "Everyone is necessarily the hero of his own life story".

?But, few end up becoming one in our stories too. And, those are called inspirations. It was quite recently that I even had an opportunity to listen to this humble man who has literally risen from the ashes and withstood the tests of time - Sharath Kamal

?For the uninitiated, Sharath Kamal is an Indian professional table tennis player who has made the country feels proud all across the globe. He is the first Indian table tennis player ever to be a Senior National Champion ten times. It was in 2019 that he was awarded India's fourth highest civilian award, Padma Shri. With no signs of slowing down, he has won 19 matches out of 21 at the 2022 Games. And, ever since his exceptional debut in 2006, he has secured 13 CWG medals.

Being an inspiration to both youth and old today, there are a lot many lessons we can learn from his exceptional journey. Not that I haven’t heard other inspiring stories during my interviews with achievers across industries and sports, but, this one made me reinforce certain attributes of a successful person.

?So, here are the 8 lessons that I learnt from him:

?1.????Never-Give-Up

Despite being in the limitations of age 40, the sportsman Sharath Kamal never let them cross his way. Even when he was 1-3 down in crucial knockout matches, he chose not to give up. He mentioned that one must not look forward to erasing the memories of defeat.

In his opinion, a step-by-step journey is needed to turn a plan into a successful one. He believes that failures teach us. There are a lot of learning one can derive from them. Despite being in a wheelchair for a long period of time, Sharath Kamal never let go of hope. And, there came the day when he was playing an international level match.

Had it let his failures define him, today’s Sharath Kamal with new records would not have seen the daylight.

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2.????Trust Yourself

?According to the ace players, the key to winning the game on the court and in life is to Believe in Yourself. Grit and determination are the pathways to be successful in life.

?Sharath advises us to hang around, enjoy the process and exercise patience to taste success. State of mind plays a major role in Sharath’s opinion. Having clarity in your head can lead you to your destination not today but tomorrow definitely. He never stopped believing in himself and doing what fell into his reach. Making every effort count is what one should work upon instead of the outcome like he said.

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3.????Stay in the Present

Do you know, even Sharath was not ready to handle the changes that took place in his personal life during the time of crisis like getting married, having kids and others? Yet, he never closed the doors for comebacks. He thinks that one must not waste the time that he/she has with oneself.

?We all are wired to overthink and draw immediate conclusions when things turn wrong. In the process, we forget to muse over the present. And, this hampers our growth graph. Acknowledge what you have done right. Before people say it or not, say it yourself. If not success, it can make your efforts count for yourself and your family.

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4.????Be Calm

?It was only from 2015 that Sharath could witness a rise in his performance growth. All other times, he had to wait for his turn to shine. However, he was always calm and composed while playing either a tennis match or dealing with the problems of life.

?Just like in a match, we all come across several do-or-die situations in life. In such times of nerves unsettling and fear chilling down the body, we often end up making inaccurate judgments and impulsive decisions. Just like Sharath – Don’t let pressure seep through your skin and ruin it for you.

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5.????Don’t Escape but Face

?Most likely, we all tend to escape when adversity knocks. We are conditioned to avoid unfavorable situations and not face them. However, this makes it all more challenging to either win a game or even play it for that matter.

?When Sharath Kamal was emotionally low, he, instead of letting himself engulfed by the gloom, chose to make it work in his favour. Despite being out of the league for about eight to nine years, he kept trying. And, that’s how he faced life at its face value and stands as a successful example today.

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6.????Efforts Matter

What we all do is focus on the result and makes it paramount for everyone around us. However, it is important to understand that one cannot govern the result; we can only work our best to make it turn in our favor. So, as Sharath said, put in all the satisfactory grinds, stay in the game, and give your best irrespective of the outcome it will lead to.

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7.????Adapt to Change

To be adaptive to change is one of the common features seen in champions from different walks of life. The constant urge to work on oneself and upgrade the performance is what keeps a sportsman and even a common man get going in life.

?Sharath is the only active paddler in India who has coped well with various transitions in his journey. So, we must find a way to embrace the changes and make them ball from our court.

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8.????Be Thankful

Our game is our skill but it’s the effort and hard work of many people who have supported us throughout as well. Sharath believes that one must never fail to offer gratitude to his mentor and the team, one must be thankful to the ones who have supported us in our lives. Teamwork is what makes success even better and bigger. Isn’t it?

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Along with worshipping epic heroes of all times, it’s today that we should seek to learn from real-life ones as well. And, Sharath Kamal is no different.?

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