It is achievements than competition that encourages creative and innovative people

It is achievements than competition that encourages creative and innovative people



"Yes. Yes. Yes. I did it", were remarks of my mother when she wove a whole woolen sweater in one day.



"I did it," my uncle said, when he got rid of weeds from his farm in one day.



"Yes, I touched it and played with it," were remarks of mine and my mother when we took a leopard baby in our hands.



"Yes, dolphin kissed me", I said when it kissed me when I was young. Some one said, "It's by fluke". So I went to dolphin, called the trainer and requested him to kiss my small chicks thrice. Dolphin did it and my sister took a photograph. Then I said, "Oye, in such small issues don't challenge me, ha, ha, ha".



"One of my friend used to sit for meditation for 3 hours, once someone said, can you recite the .... part of vedanta for 3 hours besides meditation. I was there, my friend and me look at each other, and we said, "Let's do it". We did it and felt the ultimate joy in our life. Then same person challenged us can you read Bible in 3 hours, we did it. Then he challenged can you read Kuran in 12 hours, we did it. Then he challenges us about Geeta, we did it. Then challenged us about Adigranth, Gurugranthsaheeb, Ramayana, Mahabharata, Theravada Buddhism, Zen Education, ...we did it. Thus, in fact in those Summer holidays we got accustomed with almost all the major faiths at present existing in this world. More than challenge it was joy ride for us. Then he challenged us to find similarities between all. We made it in tabular format. The findings were like this, 95% all the religions say similar things. 4% dogmas are different for objective is same hence 95+4=99% similarity and 1% difference due to physical differences. Finally we reduced those 1% to 0.1%. We realised that God is one and faiths are also one, and procedures are similar. Our life changed, hope it is for good for all.



Once, DNA news paper sub-editor send me email and gave lot of questions on time management, I answered it, suddenly she called me at 11:00 and said we want to make it applicable to B'School students. I finished the writing at 1:00 am. Felt creative joy. Next day I had to go to Kolkata for official purpose, my Aeroplane was at 3:00 am. I went. Slept on when we reached Kolkata. When my colleague and DNA sub-editor called me about publication of interview, more than me my boss was happy. I could know it next day in details when I saw it on the WWW. Creative joy was immense.



One of my neighbor had hobby of searching age old tunnels, monuments, scripts, etc. Once he went to Jungle near Nagpur, at remote place he found few statues carved out of stone. He predicted few more such things there. Called the ASI and they found it. My neighbour was overjoyed for his findings. Again creative joy. Many times he goes for search and returns back only after 3 to 4 months. Family has no objections. His next generation also goes with him but not more than 15 days, being children less than 15 years. Thus, creativity is getting genetically linked to next generation.



Once my friends and myself were challenged to perform a drama on stage. We did it. The joy was so high that my few friends started dreaming big. I was never interested in Glam-Sham that's different story. But creative joy was at its superiority.



In early childhood, once we were playing hide and seek, suddenly I looked at my sister's frock. It was quite big, but, my friends like the idea of wearing it. I did it and rest is history, as no one could recognise me there after. I wore dhoti, pajama, half-pant and what not, I was never caught in such dresses. Creative joy.



Once, I was typing the Post-Doctorate thesis, and making analysis of findings from over 2200 organisations around the world. I told my mother, it is 10:00 pm, I have had my dinner. It was Tuesday night. However, please wake me up tomorrow in the morning as I have meeting on Wednesday, with my PhD Guide and I have to prepare.

Somehow, mother saw the light in the room and thought I am wake up so she didn't disturbed me. She went for work, and routine went ahead. After completing that analysis and writing the whole chapter, I felt the joy of creation and creativity. It was 13:00 pm. I thought I am late hence, I went to meet Professor. He asked me, "Where were you yesterday we had meeting yesterday, not today." I thought he is joking. Then, I realised the whole matter, told him the real story. Finally we came to the conclusion that for almost 40 hours I was doing analysis and typing. No one knew it till I told them. A creative joy is immeasurable when you realise it, feel it and spread it.



Once my colleague and me were thought to be competitors. I said, we'll never be. He said how? We decided to write on same topic. He went east I went west while witting the topic, then he went south I went north. Our analyses were different, writing style was different, experiences were different, taste was different and people who published had two distinct criteria of publication as well. Now, tell me where is competition? He agreed. We felt the creative joy.



Once my colleagues made an idea, why not we send Ashish with these nuts? He meant students, to rappelling? Idea had risk factor and no one was ready to take that risk. 122 students. I did, but before start, I said, "Do what ever except risking life. Everyone will be responsible for their own lives and Team Leaders of 10 students each, will be responsible for their teams well being. Within 5 minutes it was decided. I was out of students domain, so that they could enjoy independently and fully. After coming back I had no story to tell, however, I forwarded my students who had many stories to tell. Creativity was transferred to students, and, I felt joy about next generation has shown creativity. I felt tonnes of joy in creativity of students, who enjoyed ethically and with mixed bag of students having different backgrounds and tastes. Great experience. I gave full freedom to them and gave them limitations they can do. They did it within that frame work. Rest is history.



Once my father was to write, direct and act in Drama, he did it. I saw joy immense joy on his face. He performed so well that when the drama was played before the physically challenged people they cried with joy of creativity, compassion, ...it was out of world experience altogether.



Once competitors played a spoil sport for my sister, who happens to be Medical practitioner. She started realising here other domain expertise. She was creative and successful that her competitors were no where seen. In fact we were brought up by our parents in such a fashion that super competition and super intelligent people cannot destroy us as we always find a way out. We are tough since childhood that as many people as many multiple ways are possible to think and do a job and creativity is unending. In fact once I had shown my students how I can write one sentence with same meaning in 70 different ways. Grammar people accepted 35 ways and other 35 were hard to conceive them, as it was never tried. Creativity is unlimited and unending. Just you have to give a thought, or intuitive thought that's all.



Once in a childhood I said, "Air can be seen with naked eyes". Right in front of some 10 friends. They kept mum, but later they laughed and started teasing me. I said, let us go I'll show you a place where it visible. We took out our bicycle and so next day we went to that dream place where air could be seen, felt, enjoyed". It was secret mission for our household people. I took them to that place and they saw it. Everyone agreed something is visible. In fact that was Mirage. Any how, I felt immense joy after proving my point. However, next day, the news reached to whole city, and I was called next to Einstein. Anyhow we still laugh at that incidence. All my friends were creative and are well placed in creative fields.



I have seen creative people in every corner of this world and beyond. They don't have restricted places. They are in villages, urban, semi-urban, jungles, every where. The world is moving well as they are there. Most of the creative people like me try to stay away from public eye, ears, and glam-sham as we don't like that. In fact many of my best friends are Saints and seers and they also like to live in oblivion. They are actually Sadhus, Saints, Sanyasis, Fakirs, even there Rich friends but trying to live out of domains and quarters of people. It keeps their creativity intact. Few people objected do you mean the fashion designers who live in glam-sham are not creative? I said, "They are but they will face more restrictions to their creativity if they are famous and rich." Any how, it is up to individual what to do and what not to. It is left to them and it is not part of my life and this discussion. No interference in the lives of individual is and should be our motto.



Once I saw one farmer doing creative farming, no one knows him. Apart from sowing fields and getting rich harvest he is also planting beautiful flowery plants at his house. He has one rose plant having at least 20 coloured flowers. He used grafting, budding techniques in such a fashion that the Agriculture Scientists were amazed to see the practical that they taught till that date. The farmer is not rich and don't expect to be rich, he likes the way he is and his family is happy in creative joy. His next generation has learnt more techniques and are now adding creativity in to their Father's field, of course an expanded one by now.



I have seen creativity in Yoga, creativity in Medical field, Innovations in Teaching field, Creativity in almost every life's most important domains that have direct impact on millions. However, the biggest contributors will always remain unknown to the world, that's for sure, as they do it for self-realisation or for self-actualisation and that is unseen by the world, and they are not interest to show it to the world.


Any how, It is achievements than competition that encourages creative and innovative people.

Dr. Ashish Manohar Urkude,
ashish.urkude@gmail.com