Failure of a Father, and Daughter’s Sweet Sweat and Success

One of the greatest misses of my life is clicking the photograph of my daughter’s face yesterday. I saw her for the first time in so much of sweat. Ankita was profusely sweating after her dance practice. Completely drenched , with sweat drops still rolling; she had a face that showed , no arrogance, but achievement, including one of enlightenment that sweat is a sweet, yet healthy.

With sweat-soaked body in wonderful balance, and success-soaked mind; she had a face with no grimace. There was not even an iota of irritation, repentance, anxiety, or stress. With two beautiful, fresh and focused eyes, smiles flowing slyly from the lips, Ankita was standing or walking taller.

With a mind of mindfulness; her face was looking refreshed, sweat-filled, yet fun-filled. It was a composed and complete face that did not show any illness of the earth. A face that was ready to face the race of the world, to reason with and respond to the planet. She had the face flowered with a unique happiness, the best cosmetic for the cosmic facial beauty.

I am sorry; I forgot to take a click to share with you; for you to buy that cosmetic for free.

She has made impossible possible. It was actually not impossible, but a principle that she has put into practice. This is a principle of happiness which is not practiced my most people, for it is painful, exhausting, and irritating. It is the principle of sweat. Sweat is something which people in general do not like. They avoid and abhor it.

However, sweat can be a symbol of success. It is a synonym of hard work, both mental and physical. It also signals the extent to which people are willing to take challenges, bring solutions, peace and happiness— to themselves and others. The idea of sweat makes people run away from it; but I say to my daughter that they actually run away from happiness, to pain and problems.

I had always felt Ankita avoiding hard work. She has herself admitted that she is not hard working, especially in the good use and speed of body. She is an inspiring, energetic, empathetic and altruistic leader in her school, a top class classical Odishi dancer, and a class topper. She is the President of her School Social Science Club- Lyceum, and a Fellow of the Asia-Pacific Schools Initiative, but invisible in yoga, sports or other physical activities.

As body has a tremendous power to enhance achievements, I used to ask her to enjoy sweating. I had always extolled the virtues of sweat, and had challenged her with my prediction that she would never be able to do it. While I had continued my praise of sweat, I did not realize that she had transformed herself so much. She has completely defeated me. And, she has done it so easily.

It was Ankita’s sweet success of sweat. Her face, filled with self-satisfaction, gave me a lot of happiness, generally because of her victory, but especially because of my defeat. I was happy with my own defeat because hers was an unimaginable and extraordinary victory.

This may be the beginning. If she continues sweating like this, she would be able to reduce the miseries of the millions, and wipe off the externally induced sweat of the ignorant, the innocent, the illiterate, and the exploited. As she sweats more for the Sibu International Dance Festival in September, 2017 in Malaysia, I am sure she contributes to a big picture scenario.

Lesson for others:

I advise my daughter not only to work till she sweats, but to enjoy sweat. That means she does not stop when she sweats, but start her enjoyment. If Ankita could do it, everyone can. You too can enjoy sweat.

As sweat is sweet, you should SWEAT:
•See and show sweat
•Wet with sweat
•Earn sweat
•Adore sweat
•Turn sweat into success