One weekend, I decided to escape into the forests and rivers—We have both in one in the...
One weekend, I decided to escape into the forests and rivers—We have both in one in the Sundarbans.
One weekend, I decided to escape into the forests and rivers—We have both in one in the Sundarbans.
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One weekend, I decided to escape into the forests and rivers—We have both in one in the Sundarbans.
Our boat floated through the calm waters of the Sundarbans, the vast mangrove forests stretching endlessly on one side, while many small villages lined the other. As I looked around, something caught my eye—thin and weak nets, possibly made of nylon, marking the boundary between the forest and the settlement.
Curious, I asked the ferry driver, "What are these for?"
He answered simply, "They keep the tigers away."
I couldn’t help but smile. He must be mistaken. Sundarbans Tigers or Panthera tigris tigris, one of the most powerful animals, could tear through that net like paper. How could something so weak possibly stand between a tiger and its prey?
Later, I met my friend Gourav Sharma from IFS, who was also visiting the Sundarbans. I posed the same question to him, expecting a different answer.
"Tigers can easily tear these nets," I said. "So how do they work?"
He looked at me and, with a knowing smile, said:
"You know that. I know that. Even the villagers might know that. But the best part is—the tiger doesn’t."
His words struck me. Hard.
How often do we, like the tiger, let the simplest obstacles hold us back? A thin net keeps a tiger at bay—not because it is strong, but because the tiger believes it is!
No matter where you start, there will always be someone ready with data, statistics, and "science" to prove why it's impossible.
According to scientists, the bumblebee can’t fly. The good thing is, Bumblebee doesn’t understand aerodynamics.
In the case of the bumblebee, it wasn’t aerodynamics that was wrong, but rather the scientists' incomplete theories and calculations, based on their limited understanding, that made them think so.
Similarly, when someone tells you something can't be done, it’s often not reality that limits them—it’s their own limited experiences and knowledge.
The greatest barriers in our lives are often just illusions. The moment we see through them, we realize that nothing truly holds us back—except our own minds.
So, the next time you hesitate, the next time you think you can’t, ask yourself—
Is it real? Or is it just a net you’ve chosen to believe in?
Remember, whether you think you can (Bumblebee) or you think you can’t (Tiger), you are going to be right!
pic: Sundarbans 😊