Smelling Blood : The Beginning

He rushes in, eyes focussed on his aim, the plan looks much clearer and wind or no wind, something seems to be backing him up. There is a distinctive skip in his stride and his faculties seem to be co-ordinating much better. The body looks far from fatigued even after an endless day of concentrated effort. And one hears the familiar voice of Shaz, deriving a vicarious sense of purpose,"Kumble has smelled blood!!"

The "smelled blood" phrase had always impressed me somewhat. A predator on the prowl that had had an appetizer of sorts, and was now hungry for more. Nothing could distract him from his purpose any longer. Sheer determination and a no-nonsense attitude.

All true. But today, I realized this was not all. So far, I had been objective in my view of this "predator". I could observe its body language which gave all the hints of someone possessed. But I could never think from the perspective of this predator itself.

I had wondered, at a subconscious level, what "smelling blood" would mean to me? But I never encountered such a moment where I could sense that I had "smelled blood". I have been progressing on the path which Life and I have been charting out for me, with arguments, agreements and disagreements. I have felt motivated on a lot of occasions but it did not appear as "thrilling" as it was while watching Jumbo bowl the way he did.

I sensed that "thrill" today. It may have been a very small droplet but nonetheless, I could smell it. And the picture became much clearer. I can relate to the feeling. It's like an opportunity which opens up the entire field for you. You can hear your heart drumming excitedly, the oxygen levels are tremendously high and the sleep-deprived eyes don't want to take rest. The mind is still on the ground level but a part of it wanders places in the very same instant. You are thinking of ideas and possibilities but at the same time you know where your aim lies. Your mind is alert to all the equations that may play out and also the obstacles that lie ahead. But over and above this, you can see the horizon and you would do anything to reach there.

How is this feeling distinct from the usual feeling of motivation? I believe it is to do with the distant vision which is the differentiating factor. One may feel motivated in bursts of time, which are interrupted by occasional troughs. And the feeling has to be somewhere revived (lunch, tea or drinks). But when you have "smelled blood", you would not be over concerned about the occasional obstacles. And while there may be bad deliveries, close shaves and resistance offered, you would now know that it is you who is going to prevail. It is a beautiful feeling and I hope it keeps coming back to me.

Yes, this feeling, is not everlasting. The predator would feel hungry again, just as another match always awaited Jumbo. And there will always be an effort to "smell blood", to trigger off the sparks, to launch one into a higher orbit. And as long as the creature lives, there would be another day. And therein lies the lesson: every conquest is not a destination, it is a Beginning.