The most important requirement for success in life is certainly a goal. Many times, my eyes get filled, when talking to people. There are people who think that knowledge is what they have come across or that they know everything. They are proud of saying that they are self-made, with no outside support … no teachers! They also have a feeling that they are competent to take over any known responsibilities. The good thing is that they are seen in plenty only in parks, public places and wayside village culverts. If somebody asks students what they would like to become in life, their common response could be “waiting for the examination result sir.” So vague are their goals!
Once a young man came to Socrates, asking for his discipleship. He took him to the river, holding his hand. As they walked into the river, in a quick move, Socrates pressed him down in water. The man struggled hard to be released. Almost just before getting drowned, Socrates lifted him up, looked into his angry face and said, “To acquire knowledge, you may have to struggle like this.”
Only when one decides to sacrifice everything for the dream he has set, dreams manifest the way it was wished.
During the early 90s, when I was living in a small village, almost 3 miles away from the main road, a boy came to me on his bicycle. As I remember the episode, he was studying in the 8 th standard. He had with him in his arm pit a Malayalam science magazine – Electronics for Everybody. In between, may I say that I am still an enthusiastic Ham Radio licensee and those days I used to write regularly in this magazine. This boy was very interested in Amateur Radio and to his surprise he came to know that I live near him. Though with much difficulty, he collected my address and one day pedalled alone to my place five miles away.
I was also excited by his deep enthusiasm to learn and grow. That day, I remember asking him about his goal in life. As if whispering some top secret, he told me that it is becoming a scientist. He told me that his resources are not strong enough to support his goal but it is what he wants to become. As years passed by, we shifted to a new house close to the main road and again this person came to me. That time too he had some difficulty in locating me, but he came to me. He was a full-grown youth and was studying in Cochin University of Science and Technology. Frankly speaking, I could not remember his face. He had to remind me of his pedalling experience. He had come to invite me to a public meeting arranged in his honour. I asked him why such a thing. He said that he was selected for the ‘Young Scientist of the Year, International Award’. It was on mobile antennas that he researched those days and he could introduce some innovative ideas which mobile companies soon followed. He is now professor in a Government Technical College. I shared this story just to show the nature of enthusiasm people require.
The question is, why do some people win? I remember an experience shared by motivational writer Brian Tracy. In his days, one of the top motivating stars of the times was M R Kopmeyer, who had done a lot of research in personality development and could suggest 1000 tips for improving it. Brian Tracy happened to meet him in a food court. He invited him to his table, told him that he is one of his fans. Well, in between Tracy asked him the toughest of the questions, Kopmeyer was usually asked.
“Which comes atop all your 1000 tips?” Kopmeyer smiled and said that it was already told by Huxley many years back. He said that it is doing a thing at the most appropriate time, whether you feel like doing it or not. Tracy continued to say that none of these guidelines or tips are going to work unless you have tons of discipline also with you.When it comes to discipline, I remember the story of a boy, who went to an ice cream parlour. He went to the counter and asked the price of chocolate ice cream. The waitress told him the price. He started counting the coins with him and again asked her how much a plain ice cream cost. She told him the price of that too. The boy ordered a plain ice cream and as ordered the waitress brought him the same. In the meantime, the bill also was issued. When the waitress again came there to clear the table, she saw the bill and the tip he had left. She counted it; it was 2 nickels and 5 pennies. Virtually she cried! Just for 2 nickels and 5 pennies more, he could have bought a chocolate ice cream! He had installed in him a discipline of honouring all service.
