Page 33 - Here and Now June 2022

In my own “gymnastic”, I often asked myself ---much like Dan initially---if I want to be “the gymnast” who
willingly undergoes rigorous training as part of a long-drawn process OR “only win the gold at any cost in
the Olympics.”

But as I went further, my preoccupation with performance orientation moved towards unhindered
experience orientation through the journey.
Learning lies in the process

One of the earliest dialogues in the film is where Socrates asks Dan if he was happy. Dan answers “What’s
happiness got to do with it. I will be happy only when I get the gold. If I don’t get it, I don’t know what else
is there?”

Learning and enjoyment and pain at times are part of the process, when we observe and reflect and act
and interact thereafter. We all want positive and satisfying end results but if we don’t experience the
process, the end result will not mean much.

In the initial part of the movie, Socrates picks up Dan and throws him into water. As he was falling, all Dan
could think of was about that moment.

Being in the here and now means to be present in the moment and observe self and others in the moment.
The reality is all about being in the here and now. Everything else is trash - the trash of the past that
cannot be changed and of a future that is uncertain.

Later on in the movie, Dan’s accident leaves him with a rod in his leg and his coach and others give up on
him. But Socrates helps him recognize how much he enjoys gymnastics in the moment and asks him to
focus on that enjoyment. He encourages him to do in the moment whatever he could.

“You need to lose your mind before you come to your senses” says Socrates to Dan.
Experimentation, spontaneity, being in touch with one’s own feelings - sadness, anger, hopelessness,
being honest with oneself are some of the key markers of a lab. Keeping an open mind, not rationalizing,
but being authentic and in the moment are some of the approaches that lead to learning in this journey.

“There is never nothing going on.” When this was said by Socrates in the movie, he was actually asking
Dan to pay attention to what was then going on. The words “There is always something going on, there
are no ordinary moments” deeply resonated with me. I have heard those words often from my mentor.
Lab experiences and reflections expanded my ability to see what was going on around me, to pay attention
and truly observe.

There is an inner voice, a gut instinct that guides us. Our observations, attention, being in the here and
now improves and deepens this voice. Taking in all the feedback and working on it and trusting one’s
own connection to oneself leads to growth.

A warrior is conscious of his choice and responsible for his actions.

I ask myself---“How do I impact people; how do I get impacted and what do I choose to do with it?”

Living with one’s own vulnerability and choosing whether to be a victim or not is a dilemma one often
faces. In labs and so in life, learning to choose and learning to take responsibility leads to greater freedom
and effectiveness.

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