Do not let external energies dominate who you want to be in life, Sachin tells AU students

Visakhapatnam: External pressures will be there, but you need to shut them off and stay focused on what you want to achieve in life, cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar told students in his address at the closing ceremony of Andhra University centenary celebrations on Monday. He was the centre of attraction at the event, with students cheering and applauding throughout his speech. Several students brought his posters, handmade paintings, and nameplates, displaying them during his address.Answering questions, Tendulkar said pressure exists at every level for everyone. "There are two types of pressure — internal and external. Internal pressure is actively led by your conscious mind. When your conscious mind moves ahead of the moment, it starts creating multiple imaginary scenarios — failure, consequences, disappointments. All these things can freeze you and increase pressure. The idea is to stay in the moment. That zone is about surrendering yourself to your subconscious mind, which knows what to do. While batting, that would sometimes happen. Before the ball is released, the conscious mind would create doubts — could it be a bouncer, could it be a yorker, could it be an outswinger? I found myself batting at my best when I surrendered to my subconscious mind. So, my advice to all of you is to stay focused, stay aware of what is happening around you, but do not let external energies dominate who you want to become in life," Tendulkar, who was also a Rajya Sabha by Presidential nomination from 2012 to 2018, added.Tendulkar said his father came from a humble background and had a challenging life as financial resources were limited. "He did not have the best facilities, but he made the best of what he had. In our two-room house, he found a corner, studied hard, and won gold medals in his education. He was focused, and outside noise did not matter to him. That is something I learnt from him," said Tendulkar, who has a record 100 international centuries.