WELL-LEFT

‘Well-left’ is a cricketing expression to indicate a batsman’s act of letting the ball go. It refers to the choice of not offering a shot and keeping bat away from ball. Great batsmen are ones who know which balls are best left alone. One such master batsman, Rahul Dravid was called ‘the wall’ for being solid in defence. When he announced his retirement from the game, there was spontaneous appreciation: ‘well left’!

Casual observers of the game find Dravid’s approach to be excessively defensive and one which slowed down the game. But real enthusiasts find such a stance to be impressive and one which makes it possible for the team to score well. Eventual statistics of Dravid’s record 24208 international runs, inclusive of 48 hundreds are a reminder of his tenacity, patience and perseverance.

Knowing what to take on and knowing what to leave alone are the characteristics of a focussed mind. Sustainable success comes from the ability to avoid yielding to every temptation. Like cricket, life is not about scoring on every ball. We must strive to last longer at the crease and go for larger scores. To be better at lasting longer as well doing well, we must know what we need to take on and what we need to leave alone.

Also, we must be better at moving on by letting go. So many organisations have declined because the leaders could not let go of their powers and positions. The urge to do everything and score of every opportunity, makes us lose our sense of perspective and focus. ‘Well-left’ is a conscious choice to be made in sync with an approach that responds differently and aptly to different stimuli.

Indeed, it is focus that makes us truly deft...
Let’s BE BETTER with opting for ‘well-left’!

- Pravin K. Sabnis