Positivity, Beyond A Thought..

It was finally the day of the match. Ira was very nervous, but at the same time, was extremely confident. It was the very first time she was going to play an international match. The captain of the team immediately called her and said, "We have to win this match. We have high hopes from you." Ira nodded her head but this statement from her captain made her question herself.

"Come on team!" shouted the team captain. Ira felt butterflies in her stomach. She had been playing handball since she was 12 and now was the time to showcase her talent. She anxiously saw the Australian team advancing with the ball towards their court. 

Ira's team played flawlessly throughout the match but unfortunately, it wasn't enough. They were very close to winning the match with a score of 17-18, but they failed.

Ira's team sat down together during the lunch break. They still had one more chance to prove themselves in the tournament as a team. The captain looked defeated and said, "There is no way we can win the next match, I have failed as a captain." Everyone looked at each other in disbelief.

Surprisingly, even the vice-captain concluded, "Yes, we have high chances of losing." One of Ira's teammates got furious which led to a huge fight among her teammates. Ira tried her best to calm them down, but she couldn't do so. Their next match was against the Norwegian team. She knew that all her teammates were against each other. She felt horrible about the fact that a single negative statement from the most important player of the team had crushed the positive vibes. They played the match selfishly and did not pass the ball to each other which resulted in their loss in the match.

After their second match, they sat down together, thinking of their despondent and alarming way of how they have worked as a team. Just then, their coach came to them and said, "The Norwegian team has been disqualified because they were playing in the wrong age category. You have one more chance to play; directly in the semifinals, don't let me down." Their coach walked away.

Ira was filled with high hopes. But, it saddened her that her team wasn't cooperating with each other. She knew she had to do something about it. Without thinking, she blurted out, "We have to work as a team now, we shouldn't be fighting like this! We are not only upsetting ourselves but also, the millions of people who are counting on us to win!" Her teammates looked at each other but said nothing at all.

They were going to play against the Singaporean team. Just a minute before the match, the team captain went to Ira and confessed, "I am sorry I talked in this way. We will surely win this match, but this time, together!" Suddenly, the referee blew his whistle and signaled the players to come to the court.

Ira took her position. The match started and in a span of just fifteen minutes, they scored 6 goals. They went on playing and eventually won the match with an unbeatable score of 17-3. But, they couldn't celebrate so soon; they still had the final match to play.

The day of the final match arrived. Masses of spectators had come to watch the match. Ira was tensed. Ira's team played perfectly and reached a score of 13-14. There were only a couple of minutes left for the match. Ira's team had to maintain their lead otherwise, the match would slip out of their hands. They played consistently and finally, won with an invincible score of 18-15. Ira's team jumped with joy and mirth. After an hour or so, they received their huge glistening trophy. Her team was overjoyed with their success. Ira learned a very important and beneficial lesson that day: An attitude of positive expectation is the mark of the superior personality.