When you think of the word “successful,” who’s the first person that comes to mind and why?
Success is like a sweet fruit which results by ripening it under the sun and hard work. Dedicated and focused hard work yields in the sweet fruit with gives happiness and satisfaction. Geeta describes deeds (Karma) without waiting for result as “Niskaam Karma”. Dedicated solo missionary work of great souls like Dashrath Manjhi and Jadav Molai transformed the social perspective and served humanity. Dr APJ Abdul Kalam is a beacon of struggle, unifocal efforts and love for humanity. Following passages try to discuss it in depth.
Table of contents
Key Takeaways
- Success varies for each individual and often comes from honest hard work and dedication.
- Dashrath Manjhi and Jadav Molai Payeng exemplify success through their transformative efforts despite adversity.
- Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam signifies success in scientific contribution and leadership for India.
- One should work without expecting results, as both success and failure are two sides of the same coin.
- Measuring success is subjective, and true success involves contributing positively to society and nation-building.
Introduction
Success! What a word!! It fills a sense of achievement and accomplishment. The stage that brings satisfaction and achievement is blissful. It makes a person humble and inclusive. A successful person is honest, hardworking, dedicated and committed to the issue close to his/her heart.
What is Success?
There is no such definition of success. It is an abstract thing that manifests itself in a person’s intangible behaviour. A fulfilled longing for a thing or goal gives deep self-satisfaction and joy. The recognition and public attention of an accomplished task give immense happiness.
Mountain Man
Dashrath Manjhi was an impoverished man. His wife suffered serious injuries while trying to cross a hill. Sadly, due to a lack of access to medical treatment, she could not be saved. There was no road as it was blocked by the hillock, and no nearby hospital. No one, not even the indifferent government officials, took the initiative to build a road. Heartbroken, Dashrath decided to undertake the task of cutting through the hill himself to make a path.
(a) Solo Effort
The solo effort of Dashrath Manjhi was phenomenal. It shows his determination, grit and perseverance. He sold his goats to buy a chisel and hammer and started his mammoth task without getting help. He was harassed by avaricious government functionaries, his men ridiculed him. Yet he refused to deter. Working for twenty-two years, he carved out a 110-meter-long and 30-meter-wide road by cutting through the hillock. Manjhi did not do it for media glare or for fame. He did it on the call of his inner conscience (Source: Bihar Tourism). He became an icon. Wasn’t he a successful man? He was.
Forest Man of India
Here is another inspiring story of a solo effort. Jadav Molai Payeng is a resident of Jorhat, Assam. He was deeply moved to see snakes losing their lives on a barren patch of land. This land had been washed out by frequent floods. In response, this Padma Shri awardee began planting trees and caring for them. Through his dedication and determination, he transformed a 550-acre sandbar into a lush, green forest, teeming with life. Facing various adversities and challenges, his unwavering commitment turned what was once a desolate area into a thriving ecosystem. Once a sandbar, the patch is now known as the “Molai Reserve,” which is twice the size of Central Park in New York. (Input: NDTV).
Missile Man of India
The stories of successes would be incomplete without mentioning a frail but blazing boy from Dhanushkoti. This is the southernmost tip of peninsular India. He was none other than the great scientist and “Missile Man of India”, Dr APJ Abdul Kalam. Dr Kalam became the 11th. President of India. He doesn’t need any introduction. Dr Kalam belonged to a poor family. He was a determined luminary. His contribution to making India a powerful nation with its own missile power is phenomenal.
Serving Humanity
Many illustrious personalities named above stand out. They are among a plethora of luminaries. These individuals shine like stars ablaze on the global horizon. Their saga are not only the stories of dreams that came true. These are stories about belligerence, grit and determination. They did not seek position and power, but wanted to serve humanity without having any wish for success glare. They didn’t chase success but success came chasing them. It came because of their determined hard work and dedication. Success had no other choice.
Honest hard work and comitment
Success is hard to achieve. Those who strive for it truly consign themselves to the cause they believe in. They work tirelessly without thinking about anything in return. Their entitlement to success is clear. People born with a silver spoon in their mouth can’t realise the hardships. They can’t understand the impediments of struggle or what it means to swim against the water.
Also Read: The Impact of Childhood Treatment on Adult Success
Success vs Failure
A student preparing for an examination gives full dedication and hard work. Those who clear their examinations are successful, and ones securing excellent marks are meritorious. Nonetheless, amongst the crowd of enthusiastic and curious students, there are a few whose faces are wet with tears. They look gloomy and exasperated. They were among the few who could not succeed in their examinations. Should they be treated as outcasts? Certainly not. Those who try can also fail. The point is, they did not give up. Learning from their mistakes, they armed themselves and succeeded.
Sir Winston S. Churchill had said, “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts”. The message is loud and clear. Failure doesn’t negate the utility and intellect of a person or thing. Nature took billions of years to evolve modern man, whom we call Homo sapiens. It repeatedly experimented and evolved until humans came into existence. It is not yet perfect. The experimentation is an ongoing process that never stops.
Deeds without expectations
Lord Krishna preached to his friend Arjuna betwixt the two huge armies of the Kauravas and the Pandavas. The war was about to start, and Arjuna was losing his confidence. Lord Krishna told him to do his duty without expecting results. Success or failure are the two aspects of the same coin. Without one, the other is irrelevant. It exists only when the other is there. Lord says, it is the deeds which we can control. Forgetting about everything, one must do the duty. With a rightful duty done with a positive mindset, honest and earnest work, success is inevitable.
Success is sweet
Fruits of success are sweet. A farmer feels it better than anyone else. He takes care of his crops, irrigating them with his sweat and blood. Those who worked have a rightful claim on the success. There is no short cut to success.
Deceit ultimately not succeed
Hoodwinkers, obsequious and avaricious often override genuine and honest hard work. Like the hare in the famous fable, “The Tortoise and the Hare,” they try to win the race. They use illegitimate “smart” but deceitful abilities. This is unfair in a game. Healthy competition must be among equals. Taking to unfairness may ostensibly give a temporary leverage, but ultimately the just and honest win. Lew Wallace, in his iconic book Ben-Hur, has vividly described it. Judah Ben Hur won the one-on-one race against Messala, who was trying to resort to treachery and illegal means. Despite it, he miserably failed.
Tough Competition
As mentioned earlier, success is subjective and abstract. Comparing the two successful people is like chasing the best among the best. In a competitive examination or in an international sports competition like the Olympics, success is not based only on the best performance. Success is about competing against the best of the best. The contest is not among the mediocres vs the best. It is a competition among the best, having almost equal calibre. Even though the calibre is the same, the results are very precise. The marks or timings are measured in decimals up to four digits. The choice range is very narrow. It is determined by a very thin margin. So, judging a person on the basis of success would not be proper. Yet, as the saying goes, nothing succeeds like success. Success has its own aura and glamour.
Contribution towards nation-building
Successful individuals contribute their positive share to nation-building and serve humanity. It is good and it must be appreciated. One must strive for betterment through hard work and ingenuity.
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