Andhra Pradesh

Don't lose your cool

Yandamoori Veerendranath

Three-fourth of our problems are imaginary. One-tenth are consequences of previous acts. They can be resolved only if we stop worrying about the problems

A woman came home to find her husband in the kitchen, shaking frantically with an electric wire running from his waist towards the kettle. Intending to jolt him away from the deadly current, she whacked him with a handy plank of wood, breaking his arm. Until that moment he had been happily listening to his Walkman!

This real life incident is the best example to illustrate what happens when you lose control while taking a decision to solve a problem under tension. Earlier we were discussing about various stages of problem such as panic, inertia etc.

Mastery

The difference between a successful and normal person is that the former thinks about ways to come out of the problem, whereas the latter broods over the matter under the pretext of thinking.

Calm down first, so that you can think normally and take a decision. After coming out of the `panic stage' collect the ammunition to combat the crisis. The inspector sent you a word to come and meet him the next day. Think of various reasons why he should have called you.

Keep some money with you, check up whether you know any higher up in the department, or call on a politician or any rowdy in your locality, normally both being one. Consult your lawyer and ask him to be ready if the situation warrants his presence.

The most important stage is `bouncing into' the problem. With fear of failure, people normally hesitate to shoot into trouble. A boy does not venture to reveal his love to a girl for fear of rejection.

If you cannot leap into the problem, you start living with the problem, resigning yourself to failure. Instead of wandering before the police station, just walk in.

Professionalism

Sun Tzu, a Chinese warrior and writer of the famous book `The Art of War' says that the best winning move in a battle is to know how to tackle -- whether to attack or defend, from hillock or water base. Never play your cards, beg or plead guilty without analysing the gravity of the problem or intentions of your opponent.

On seeing you, the inspector rises from his chair and hugs you. He has been newly posted and turns out to be your classmate and wanted to give you a pleasant surprise.

He invites you and your wife to his house for dinner.

Suddenly you feel the heaviness vanish. Your face brightens. Later, whenever you remember the dreadful night, you smile.

The life of any problem is shorter than yours. It has not come along with your birth and is not going to stay till death. Problems are like thorns. Unless you have them, you cannot experience the pleasantness after removing them. Envisage your life without any problem or challenge and you will be bored with it.

Three-fourth of our problems are imaginary. One-tenth are the unfortunate consequences of our previous acts.

Nothing can be done about the other 10 per cent. The remaining five percent problems can be resolved if we stop worrying about the rest 95 per cent.

© Copyright 2000 - 2009 The Hindu