It’s obvious that whatever we do emanates from what’s inside the head, but in sports there’s a lot of talk about keeping ‘head position’ steady. After his batting master-class in the on-going Champions Trophy that’s brought misery to the Pak bowlers with another rousing century, King Kohli’s stance while facing the ball, is a hot topic of discussion. Experts feel that the super timing comes from his head being still. This makes him see & prepare for the balls landing than if the head’s bent down. Ace sprinters and swimmers invariably adopt the forward position to achieve a head-start in close contests !
From a different domain, communication gurus lay stress on proper ‘Eye Contact’ and on looking straight and a speaker who’s peering downwards rather than at the audience will hardly be effective. When leaders of opposing parties indulge in ‘eyeball to eyeball’ confrontation, they express angst & antagonism rather than inspire confidence, but then their agendas are different ! In building relationships, women are said to prefer dealing with men who look directly in the eye and not those with shifty glances and furtive ways.
Parents and teachers try to imbibe values of culture & old traditions in children so they acquire dignity & grace to hold their heads high (with pride) and not have ever to hang them (in shame). Tagore’s stirring lines ‘Where the Mind is Without Fear and Head is Held High’ rang in our ears from school days. But despite exhortations, ‘rote’ system of education compels students to dive into books & laptops and put their head down to the business of getting requisite marks for qualifying in the tough competitive exams that will later ensure jobs. Can’t manage that – don’t go around strutting with nose in the air.
Yet reading the success stories who those who made it count, tell us that many struggled at first but never ‘lost their heads’ facing adversities. The coolest minds solve problems eventually with their focus. Leaders are known to take best decisions when the chips are down and the dice is loaded against them. Risk taking is not for the weak-minded and it’s ones who take calculated risks & not afraid of setbacks who become change masters !
Taking bold decisions in life is like flipping a coin, because these are the two distinct sides to a coin, representing the choice someone makes before it’s tossed. There’s no real evidence to back it, but most people seem to call ‘Heads’ quite spontaneously and then of course some call ‘Tails’ too. History reveals that this practice originated from ancient Rome where coins often had a head on one side and a ship (“navia”) on the other. Given ingrained life lessons to always ‘Use Your Head’, it’s the real calls we make that matter !
Working on Living 