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Bulletin 132 Date : 8th May 2008
Being Yourself

I really enjoy a good game of squash, even though I’m not particularly good at the game. A few years ago, I bought a video featuring the former world number 1 player, Jhanghir Khan. He glides around the court with such poise and control and, with a flick of the wrist, projects the ball to exacltly the place he wants it to go. With feline nimbleness he is able to reach into every corner of the court and still return to the centre, ready for the next shot.

In stark contrast, when I play I am lurching around like a headless chicken, agonisingly reaching into the back corner one minute and then stampeding across to the other side of the court, gasping for breath and pleading for mercy.

And that’s just the warm-up! The fact is, I can’t play squash like Jhanghir Khan, and I never will.

I’ve known people who were really good at their job, well respected by their colleagues and really happy in what they were doing. Then, an opportunity arose with more money, company car, and higher status and they feel that this, for them, is the way forward. After a while, they became unhappy and frustrated, looking back with regret on the way life used to be. They realised that what, at the time, looked like the right step forward was actually a step in the wrong direction. Now, I’m not saying we shouldn’t try and make the most of our talents and abilities but we need to ask ourselves first, ‘is this really me?’ Climbing up the ladder is hard enough but climbing back down again is even harder.

Do you ever stop to ask yourself:

• Who is this person I call me?
• What am I here for?
• Where are my gifts and abilities most needed?