8IPL and Durga: Courage Before We Enter a Team Contest

Our name has been called, and the familiar practice ground suddenly feels different. Teammates are moving into position; a few people are watching from the edge. We want to contribute, yet the thought of making a visible mistake has become louder than everything we prepared. In our 8IPL reflection at Ishta Mel, we turn to Durga for courage as participants in a team contest. Our concern is the moment before entering: how can we bring our whole attention to a shared effort while nervousness is still present?

Let the nerves have their proper size

Before a community cricket match, a new player might notice a dry mouth, restless hands or an urge to talk too much. These sensations can become another contest inside the contest. We start asking whether a truly confident person would feel them, and the answer we invent makes us feel even less prepared. A more useful recognition is simple: this occasion matters to us, and our body is responding to that importance.

We can name the feeling without allowing it to describe our entire readiness. “I am nervous about my first match with this group” is a more precise statement than “I cannot handle pressure.” The first leaves room for preparation, ability and a changing experience. The second seems to decide the whole afternoon before we have participated in it.

Remembering Durga, we can seek strength to remain present in a demanding moment. Our quiet prayer need not be long: “May I meet my responsibility with courage and a clear mind.” Then we can return to the surroundings we actually share: the captain's instruction, the position we have been given and the teammate who needs to know we heard. Devotion becomes connected with attention through that return.

Know what belongs to our role

Fear often enlarges our assignment. A new player begins to feel responsible for the entire result, the mood of the team and what everyone will say afterwards. No individual can directly manage all these things. Before we enter, we can reduce the imagined assignment to the actual one: understand our position, stay attentive and communicate clearly with the people beside us.

In the cricket example, the player can confirm where to stand and whom to call when a message is unclear. If a particular responsibility has not been explained, asking before play is part of preparation. It is easier to act with courage when we know what action is required. Uncertainty about instructions need not be carried as though it were a test of personal bravery.

We can choose one short reminder suited to our role, such as “Watch, respond, communicate.” It should point to actions we understand, not demand a perfect performance. A reminder becomes useful when pressure narrows our attention and we need a familiar way back. It also keeps us from borrowing another player's task merely because theirs appears more important.

Agree on support before a mistake happens

Our 8IPL reflection places team courage in the relationships between participants. Before the start, we can agree how to call for help and how to speak after a mistake. A simple “Next ball; stay with us” may serve the team better than several people offering corrections at once. The exact words can vary; what matters is that they return attention to participation without humiliating the person who faltered.

Suppose our new player lets an easy chance pass. Embarrassment may create an urge to disappear at the edge of the action or to attempt something unnecessarily dramatic immediately afterwards. A supportive teammate can help interrupt both responses by giving one relevant instruction. The player, in turn, can acknowledge it and resume the ordinary responsibility of their position.

We cannot arrange for every teammate to respond ideally. We can decide how we will contribute to the atmosphere. Before entering the contest, each of us can commit to clear calls, useful encouragement and restraint in moments of frustration. These are practical ways of sharing courage. They make it easier for another participant to remain engaged when a difficult moment arrives.

Prepare for the first ordinary action

The imagination likes large scenes: a decisive performance, an embarrassing error, a crowd reacting. Yet participation begins with something smaller and more immediate. We take our place, listen for an instruction, observe what is happening and respond to the next demand. Thinking about this first ordinary action can bring an overwhelming occasion within reach.

A short rehearsal can help. We can picture arriving at our position, checking that we understand the arrangement and turning our attention towards play. We do not need to imagine a successful ending. The purpose is to recognise the opening actions so they feel available when the contest starts. Familiarity with the beginning can free some attention for what is actually unfolding.

At Ishta Mel, we value this modest form of preparation because it gives courage somewhere concrete to work. We may still hear our heartbeat. We may still care deeply about performing well. Alongside those feelings, we now have a next action that belongs to us, and a way of reconnecting with the team if our attention wanders.

Enter with strength and room for others

Courage also includes allowing teammates to contribute in their own ways. The loudest participant is not necessarily the most prepared, and a quiet player may need little speech before beginning. We can encourage without demanding that everyone display confidence identically. Our shared purpose becomes easier to serve when there is room for different temperaments within the agreed responsibilities.

Just before we enter, we can make one inward commitment: “I will remain available to the work and to my teammates.” That commitment includes asking when unsure, responding after an error and recognising a useful contribution from someone else. It gives us something worthwhile to practise throughout the contest, whatever the changing situation asks of us.

For us, 8IPL opens this reflection on the courage of taking our place. With Durga in our thoughts, we seek strength that remains attentive, cooperative and composed enough to act. The waiting is almost over. We can feel the nervousness, hear the call from our team and step forward with the responsibility we have prepared to carry.