The Power of your Thoughts – Lessons from Ex- Cricket Captain Ganguly & Superstar Vikram

In our day-to-day life’s, we go through ups and down, success and failures that tests our resilience, strength, and determination. Often, we find ourselves at crossroads, where challenges and setbacks stand as formidable barriers between us and our goals. Many of these tend to happen despite our best efforts and hard work. In these moments, the difference between success and failure lies not in physical attributes or resources, but in the strength and clarity of our thoughts.

I was recently reading the first book of ex Indian Captain Sourav Ganguly who is widely regarded as one of India’s most successful and influential cricket captains. His aggressive leadership, along with his ability to foster new talent, is often credited with transforming Indian cricket, particularly its performance in overseas tournaments and matches. In his book Ganguly refers to a particular conversation that he had with ex West Indies opening Desmond Haynes during the early stage of his career.

During this conversation Ganguly recollects how he was told his next day's performance on the field was actually linked to what he thought of the previous night. So, if his thought was that the opposition bowlers were formidable, and he would struggle against them and end up giving catches to the close in fielders this would invariably happen the next day. If he was confident the previous night of how he would punish the bowlers during his stay at the crease the same would most probably play out during the next day's play. In this book Ganguly recollects how during several crisis situations he referred to this conversation and his actual experience of how this actually did work out for him to come out of the challenges in flying colours.

Our mindset and the beliefs we hold about ourselves can either propel us toward greatness or condemn us to mediocrity.

Success, more than anything, is a mental game—one that could be won or lost in the space between our ears. The quality of our thoughts dictates the quality of our actions.

This does not mean that we do not need to have skill nor that we need not put in the hard work but there are times which we all experience despite all this we struggle that’s when we need to reiterate that the mental fortitude to believe in yourself even when the odds are stacked against you. This mental resilience—this ability to control one’s thoughts—has the power to shape the reality we experience.

A few weeks back I was also listening to an interview with Tamil superstar Vikram where he was sharing his journey from a struggling actor to one of the most respected figures in Indian cinema

During the very early stages of his acting career, Vikram met with a terrible accident while riding his motorcycle. The injuries he sustained were life-threatening, and the doctors were contemplating the amputation of his leg. For an aspiring actor the idea of losing his leg was a devastating prospect.

How could he succeed in an industry that demands physical agility and perfection, where action sequences and dance numbers are integral parts of cinematic storytelling?

This was the moment of reckoning for Vikram. He could have given up, accepted his fate, and walked away from his dreams. But instead, Vikram did something remarkable—he chose to believe in a different reality. He refused to accept the doctors' grim prognosis and willed his body to recover through the power of his mind. He visualized himself not just walking again, but running, performing stunts, and eventually reaching where he has today.

Vikram’s story is a powerful testament to the idea that the mind is a critical determinant of our physical and emotional well-being. When the body is pushed to its limits, the mind can create pathways to recovery and success that seem impossible to others. By refusing to let go of his dreams and by focusing his thoughts on recovery and future success, Vikram altered the course of his life and career.

While Ganguly and Vikram’s stories are remarkable, they are not isolated examples. History and modern-day experiences are filled with instances of individuals who, by changing their mindset, reshaped their realities and achieved extraordinary outcomes.

What we think is more than just fleeting ideas; it’s the foundation upon which we build our futures. The thoughts we cultivate become the lens through which we see opportunities, respond to challenges, and ultimately craft our destiny. In life’s darkest moments, when the road ahead seems fraught with insurmountable obstacles, the ability to choose a different thought, to believe in a brighter outcome, can mean the difference between failure and success.

We may not control every circumstance, but we can with practice always control how we think, how we react, and how we envision our future. The stories we tell ourselves today are the realities we live tomorrow.

So, as you move forward, remember you have the power to shape your reality, and it all begins with the thoughts you choose to cultivate. To understand more about this journey and for getting regular updates do subscribe to my LinkedIn page, Rejo's Business Bytes, or my website, rejofrancis.com