Be careful about what you think – a cricketing lesson
Warning: your subconscious mind is a sarcastic genie who takes your thoughts way too seriously !! Positive thinking might not guarantee a winning lottery ticket, but negative thoughts are like ordering a pizza – they'll almost certainly deliver.
My subconscious mind is like a loyal (but slightly sadistic) personal assistant. I learned this the hard way in the 1980s while playing cricket in Chennai.
As I was gearing up to bat, I had a brilliant thought: "I wonder if it's possible to get out without facing a ball?" I shared this gem with my teammates, who were kind enough to laugh at my expense.
Fast forward to the third wicket falling, and I'm walking in with confidence. Long story short, I got run out without facing a ball since I had to be in the non-striker's end after the previous batsman got out !!
Yes, you read that right. My subconscious mind was like, "You asked for it, my dear friend!"
Lesson learned: be careful what you think, because your subconscious mind is a literalist who'll make it happen. On the bright side, I've mastered the art of getting run out without facing a ball – it's a unique skill, really.