मैंने खुद को साबित करने से मना कर दिया

तूफान से पहले की चुप्पी

इसकी शुरुआत एक तस्वीर से हुई: संध्या में खाली मैदान पर, हुडी पहने, होंठ कसकर—अपना सच प्रतीक्षा करता हुआ।

वह मैं ही था, 5 मई को। Ais Belli (ज़्यादा)।

जब पता चला कि Belli নे NBA team’s pre-draft workout सभी拒否 कर दिए—वज़रड, होट्रन्स समेत—मुझे अजीब-सी पहचान महसूस हुई।

मैंने कभी Draft Tidak kiya nahi… lekin main janta hoon kaise lagta hai jab aap apne maanav ko duniya ke saamne prove karne ke liye majboor ho.

##आत्मविश्वास = प्रदरशन?

Brett Siegel ne bataya ki Belli May se kisi team se mila nahi hai—ek industry jahan dikhna hi kaam hai. Zindagi mein barbaad kar diye gaye din: 7 days me 10 workouts, back-to-back interviews.

Lekin usne kaha na “Mai taiyari hoon”… balki “Maine prove karne ki zaroorat nahi.”

Yeh chuppi sabse zyada baat kahati hai.

Haan… lagta hai egoist. Lekin socho: kabhi performance karna bhi dangerous nahi? Jab aap khud ko nahi jante?

Mere student-athletes ke saath kaam karke jo mental health challenges dekhe hain… wo log ek dusre ki definition of greatness me kho jaate hain. Woh sirf saans lene ke liye train kartey hain… bas ek ‘haan’ sunna chahte hain.

Belli? Wo abhi tak sirf apni taraf se ‘nahi’ bol raha hai.

##देखे Jana aur Dekhane Se Bachna

Irony yeh hai: ignore hone ka matlab invisibility nahi hota… kabhi-kabhi woh freedom hota hai dusron ke nazariyey me measure hone se.

Jab main Brooklyn school mein literature padhata tha, ek 16 saal ka ladka ne ek aise shayari likhi thi jo anxiety aur self-worth par itni raw thi ki har class rok di gayi thi. Usne kabhi isko classroom ke bahar share nahi kiya… do mahine baad use suicide by overdose hogaya.

Uske shabdon ne mujhe saalon tak pareshaan rakha: The only thing worse than being unseen is needing to be seen so badly that you forget who you are.

Ab Belli ko dekho—aur socho uspar scouts ke whispers kaise chal rahe honge jab woh unke tests me appear nahi ho raha. Dabaav sirf bahir hi nahi… internalized belief system bhi hai: “Tumhe apni jagah earn karni padti hai.” Lekin agar tumhari worth ko earn karne ki zaroorat hi na ho? Agar woh already maulik ho?

##चुपचाप प्रतिरोध = Resilience? draft night drama hota hai—but real power off-stage reheta hai jahan cameras roll nahi hotey. The moment Belli walk away from tryouts isn’t rejection—it’s reclaiming his identity. NBA use risk bol sakta hai. Duniya use arrogance bol sakti hai. Par exactly because he refuses to perform—he can no longer be controlled by the system.

Aur shayad yeh draft ko chahie — ek aur flashy jumper ya viral dunk nahin… balki koi aisa insaan jo apne journey par itna vishwas rakhta ho ki woh validation ke liye na bharo.

Mera message? Confidence aur humility ko confuse mat karo — strength aur submission ko mat samjho.

Agar tum yeh padh rahe ho aur soch rahe ho ki tumhara quiet dream enough to make it…

Tum already jeet gaye ho.

Bas saans lo.

Vishwas rakho.

Aur yaad rakhna — tumhare approval ke liye performance karne ki zaroorat nahi.