The difference

"I am going for badminton at 8:30 am", exclaimed my younger daughter. 

"Nice. Who is playing with you?"

"V and S"

"Good"

"I am not good at it. But, I kind of enjoy playing it."

"Why do you think you are not good at it?" I wanted her to think.

"I don't play well."

"You are trying to compare yourself with V and S. Every time you go and play, try to be a little better than yourself. Then you would not feel that you are not good."

"Hmm, Will you come to play?"

"No. I have some work. I used to play as a kid. I was a district-level runner up in 6th Std."

"Were you good at it?"

"No. I thought I was bad at it. It so happened that the school had to represent the zonal level. Our PT teacher randomly took us, and we won. Next, at the district level, we were runner-ups."

"Really! Did you go next year?"

"No. My class teacher discouraged me in that direction. I was good at academics, and she wanted me to focus on it."

"Oh!"

Mini-me (the voice within me) stared at me and said, "You were stupid. Had you continued, today you would have been physically fit" I pushed mini-me aside with a Grrrrr and attended to my daughter.

"So, you never know what you might enjoy until you try and push yourself for some time in that direction. Now, you go and enjoy your play."

'I', 'I', 'I',

the idea

of a body ...

before me, after me, within me,

the spirit