India, Jan. 11 -- During a recent discussion on our sports-centric WhatsApp group, about the shortest names in sport, the very short name of Li Na, former French Open champion, came up. A friend then suggested, jokingly, that perhaps someone named E Xi might emerge in future, to beat the record of the shortest name. And someone else remarked that E Xi would be an easy winner! But that set me thinking about the word 'easy'. Life can be led mainly in two ways, if compelling extraneous factors are largely under control. By cultivating an easy-going persona, a happy-go-lucky mien, one can breeze through most phases of life without much ado. On the contrary, by being over cautious, mostly worried, over meticulous and even obsessed with orderliness, one could lead a rather uneasy life. If we take the case of civil servants, both types exist, although the ultra-careful sorts are necessarily in majority these days. Cricketers of the cavalier sort like Virender Sehwag, and of the prodding sort like Cheteshwar Pujara, also co-exist. And similar characterisations can be applied to most professions, although some professions demand a sense of uneasy readiness, by virtue of what they are supposed to really do. A secret agent probably sleeps with his weaponry by his side, ready to shoot. A soldier guarding an international border cannot afford to take it easy, even for a split second. A soccer goalie had better be ultra-vigilant whenever a free kick is to be essayed by the opposition, especially if a Roberto Carlos is readying to shoot, even from sixty yards away! Yet, the macro approach to our worldly journeys has to contain a certain amount of coolness, otherwise we'll worry ourselves to oblivion. An easier way to live must include less criticism of others, reduced levels of overthinking, negligible amounts of revengefulness, and must be permeated with oodles of love. A Johnny Walker type of personality, from the iconic film 'Anand', might not be easy to adopt, especially in the rather vitiated atmosphere of the present era. But most of us can shed loads of negativity-imbued layers that perennially hold us back. Yet, for a youngster to ask how he is supposed to succeed in his career, with an approach that encompasses a lighter heart and a song on his lips, is also a moot point. Tense competitiveness and a slogging sort of career strategy, seem to be the modes most acceptable today. Being on edge appears to be par for the course, and almost second nature to us. How can young hopefuls in any stream be blamed for feeling even more uneasy, then? Yet, a sports-oriented all-rounder, or a musically minded creative youngster, or even a book lover who dabbles in writing, is more than likely to succeed in his or her chosen profession as well, even if that happens to be number crunching and data analytics. The calming, soothing, unburdening impact of adopting a creative pursuit along with the slog which is essential these days, enhances his chances of success manifold, while also ensuring a healthy mind-body mix. The uneasy way is all too vicious after all. Thinking constantly of buffoonish world leaders, listening every evening to politicised slanging matches on screen, bitching about the neighbours or colleagues and generally being of grumpy nature, is surely a recipe for ill health and a dampened existence. The opposite of the word 'uneasy' is not 'easy', and it is not easy to follow the easy way, but you get the drift. A largely relaxed mindset, except when faced with rare intimidating onslaughts from unseen evil forces (whatever they represent), is the only way to be. A motivational, helpful, empathetic, cheerful, large hearted, even loving, demeanour, is not easy to display at all times. But if the mind's inner castle is a little less stressed out with weighty problems of the world, about which we can anyway do nothing, life becomes most certainly easier to live. No one said it was going to be easy. But by easing the uneasiness within, by constantly reminding oneself that someone up there is in charge, by tuning in to that unseen force of goodness, we just might become the next E Xi!...