The Lingering Fear of Failure: An Enemy? Or a Friend in Disguise?
2-ways your inner voice puts you down (3-ways it uplifts you)
Life is hard. But for the wide-eyed dreamers, it can get downright cruel.
In 2012, when Life of Pi came out, I was barely 17. Nearly the same age as Pi Patel when he got lost at sea. Yet, I was too young, too naive to grasp the layered themes and subtext. Thus, the following quote made no sense to me:
“Without Richard Parker, I would have died by now. My fear of him keeps me alert. Tending to his needs gives my life purpose.”
It came from the 17-year-old Pi. Later, a grown-up Pi (played by late Irrfan Khan) echoes the same, saying:
“Richard Parker, my fierce companion, the terrible one who kept me alive.”
It sounded dumb. The guy was stuck with a tiger in a boat. Moreover, it was nothing like those Disney fairytales. Richard Parker, the fearsome predator, went for his neck multiple times. To me, it seemed like he was better off alone. Why would he thank this creature for saving his life?
Do you know what’s funny? At the time, I could not predict what was lying ahead. Years later, I found myself voyaging into a similar journey. Ever since then, I have been sailing in the oceans of…
