Simplicity Revisited

“There is no greatness where there is not simplicity, goodness, and truth” – Leo Tolstoy
Roger Federer, the greatest tennis player on record today first entered the tennis court as a ball boy in Basel Open (his home court) as a young kid. He had one great desire to win that tournament after becoming a tennis professional. He entered the final twice but did not win it both times. Finally, the third time he reached the finals; he was able to win the tournament and showed high emotions on grabbing the title in front of his family and friends. But the story does not end there. When he came to receive the award, he said that he had been a ball boy here once and to that respect he will treat every boy after the presentation for a pizza and hence asked none to leave after the ceremony.
“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”
These lines by Leonardo Da Vinci is a point of view which most may say is a golden phrase but more than that its a way of living. No one earned anything by saying that he will be great; he sat, thought and worked silently in the night. Its not wrong to have high ambitions, what’s wrong is to do nothing about it then. If one did not think of being great, then he would never become one. When Federer decided to treat the kids it was his humility and simplicity that was portrayed to the millions who watched him. There is nothing great in telling people they are inferior; the greatness lies in letting people know that no matter what I achieve, I will always be that simple man.
Michael Phelps once quoted after winning seven gold medals in Beijing Olympics “I’m the same kind of guy before all this happened.”
Merely by winning anything, you don’t achieve greatness. And even if you may world may not always remember you for the right reason. Greats like Mike Tyson, John McEnroe and many more will always be remembered for their short tempers rather than their so many great achievements. Even the greatest of his time Zidane left his last mark on the football field with violence. But to his credit he was one of the finest guys in the game and will always be remembered for his genuineness. But the point is like Phelps said even after winning so much he still is the same guy. He still has those friends who irrespective of his status go out with him. He has his family to whom he is still their little boy, no matter how much gold medals he wins or how much money he earns.
It is said it is simple to be happy, but difficult to be simple. We all have our own egos to satisfy; yes we may boast about our few achievements but then it should be just to our own happiness. To show superiority over others achieves no greatness. If we let our egos rise to our minds than all one achieved in one’s lifetime does not take long to perish.
Henry David Thoreau once said As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler; solitude will not be solitude, poverty will not be poverty, nor weakness weakness.