Cricket or Medicine?

Question

I want to be a cricketer,but my parents donot agree with me. The want me to see as a docter,but i have no interest in it. How will god help me in this situation?how will i get success & is there any role of meditation? Plz. Help me..

—Ab, India

Answer

Dear Ab,

I sympathize with your desire to be a cricketer but I suspect your parents realize your chances of reaching the top ranks are heavily against you. That’s why they want you to be a doctor.

Their wish is rooted in their desire for you to pursue a path more likely, in their minds, to bring you success and long-term happiness. Becoming a doctor is difficult but less risky than pursuing the path of a sportsman because the former can be attained through your own study and hard work whereas success in sport depends not only upon your personal efforts but also upon your natural, God-given talent measured against very stiff competition.

Not everyone is gifted with a talent for sport. Are you a top level player now in the opinion of your coaches? If so, have them speak to your parents but remember, India needs many doctors but few cricketers.

Must you make a decision about your future now? Keep your options open at this stage and try not to see your problem in terms of either becoming a doctor or a cricketer. I assume you are a student, so is it not possible to pursue both cricket and academics now. In time, this will probably sort itself naturally. I suspect your parents desires for you are not absolute. My guess is they would be satisfied if you were to pursue any worthwhile academic path that leads to a lasting professional career.

My question to you is, “What else interests you besides cricket?” Surely there must be something for which you feel a little enthusiasm outside of sports. Why not explore alternatives to both sport and medicine to achieve a compromise with your family. If you show flexibility, your parents will pressure you less. How about something in the field of Sports Medicine?

Are you training your body regularly? To be a good athlete demands training and dedication but to be a professional demands something even more, usually a natural talent recognized at a young age, supplemented by proper coaching and honed by good competition in a sporting environment. Do you have these? Very few young people do, but even if you do not, sport is a worthwhile activity to keep your body fit and your spirits positive. I highly recommend athletics as a healthy, beneficial complement to academics.

If you do have these qualities, coaches will take notice and they can speak for you. This will have much greater impact upon your parents than your own claims. If you are serious about this, you should be willing to expend whatever effort is needed to pursue both an academic and sporting path until you are clearer about your future and have demonstrated positive results on the pitch in youth leagues.

Meditation can help you find direction and guide you rightly, but first you must become calm and impartial to receive clear guidance. You cannot meditate with a desire for this or that answer to your problems. You have to be willing to accept whatever answer is “Right” for you. Once you are calm and even-minded, God can speak to you if you direct your questions to Him and learn to listen in your heart, lovingly and impartially, for His answer. What feels right? Then, take small steps and test your guidance. Which way leads to happiness for both you and your family?

I pray for your success.

Nayaswami Jaya Helin
Ananda Sangha, India