"What is the source of this energy?!!"

"Be passionate about whatever you are doing, and there will be endless energy for you to continue to work round-the-clock at any age or stage of your life."

Dr.Vivek Nalgirkar

3/10/20221 min read

The Indian superstar of the millenium, God of Hindi film industry, Mr. Amitabh Bachchan was recently taking part in an environment-related campaign launched by a news channel. It was a non-stop live coverage for more than 8 hours and Mr. Bachchan was on the screen all this while. The guest visitors on the show were seen asking only one question to Mr. Bachchan - "From where do you derive so much energy?!!"

At 70-plus age, the retirement age for most of us, he works tirelessly for more than 12-14 hours every day. It is already a public knowledge that he has suffered from multiple health issues in the past (respiratory problems, gut-related ailments, myasthenia gravis, etc). Declared brain-dead on one occasion, he not only came out of the condition but became a bigger and bigger phenomenon with each passing year. Even otherwise, his life has been a roller coaster ride, plagued with meaningless controversies, false accusations, debt, etc. Yet he continues on and on; always "politically correct", no false notes, amazing humility and balance, and above all, a seamless energy to continue with the same zeal. A real "God"!!!

Not everybody can be like that. However, the answer that Mr. Bachchan gave to the question is in the realm of possibility for all of us to try and inculcate.

"If you are passionate about your work, if you love your work immensely, then there is no fatigue even if you work for 24 X 7; the energy will continue to flow automatically", was his reply.

Yes, it's all in the mind. If you consider your work to be a 'workload', then it will always be that - a "load" that causes fatigue very early.

Isn't it known in Physiology that the fatigue is not really in the nerves or muscles; that the fatigue sets in in the synapses of the CNS. You 'feel' tired rather than you actually are.

The take home message from Mr. Bachchan's conversation was - "Be passionate about whatever you are doing, and there will be endless energy for you to continue to work round-the-clock at any age or stage of your life."

Thanks, Mr. Bachchan, to be a living example of an important principle in Neurophysiology!!!