“Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.” – Charles R Swindoll
Life is a roller-coaster ride. There are unexpected twists and turns. There is never a smooth passage. The moment a person thinks that they are getting a hang of it, it can completely topple their hopes. Life is full of turbulent times – with dark clouds hovering above the head, a deep dark abyss with no ray of light and adverse situations that can even break the most resolute minds.
But, despite these dense clouds and catastrophic times, the indomitable human spirit has lived long and often come out victorious in the toughest of times. Those who have struggled and excelled are the ones who never gave up on their dreams and never cast a doubt on their capabilities. The fire in their spirits have melted mountains, their unwavering attitude has split valleys apart and their undaunted resolve has helped them conquer the world.
After the chaos created by IIFT this year due to an unprecedented paper, thousands of students were left to grieve over their failure to score good marks in the same. For months, students from all across the nation were building strategies and tactics to ace this exam by solving mock exam papers and questions from previous years.
But, the exam took everyone by surprise and seemingly shattered the hopes of many aspirants. Even the best of the minds failed to anticipate the move, and students were jumping from section to section like headless chickens with no game-plan. But, the greater damage that this exam did was to break the morale of the students – rendering them devoid of any motivation for the future exams. In fact, I see a lot of distressed souls with no vigor left to crack the other exams like XAT, SNAP, CMAT, TISSNET, etc.
Now, this is the part where most people go wrong. After tasting a few bitter failures, many people give up on their dreams and opt for an easy way out. They start doubting themselves, instead of fairly evaluating the circumstances and the conditions that led to their failure.
Failures are the greatest teachers. They help one to establish their physical and mental boundaries. One can learn loads of wisdom from them, which no amount of theoretical knowledge can provide. A failure, if embraced in the correct fashion, can help one to identify what’s going to work and what won’t work.
However, in the majority of the cases, people see failure as a hindrance to their pursuits. Those who cannot stand after experiencing a fall will not able to innovate, and are bound to perish. But those who are persistent with their clear visions are the ones who stand out from the crowd and lead the pack.
The man who revolutionised the world with his bizarre ideas and took the technology industry by storm, Elon Musk, has many credits to his name. The mastermind behind some of the giant companies in the world (like PayPal, Tesla Motors, Space X and SolarCity) is a role model for budding entrepreneurs and for everyone who dreams of making it big.
His life has been a tale of struggles, of failures and disappointments. But, he didn’t crumble in the face of adversities. According to him, “Failure is an option here. If things are not failing, you are not innovating enough.” Each failure offered a plethora of new opportunities for him, and his resolve to transform the world with his eccentric ideas became firmer.
A sportsman who is revered by the cricket community and is looked upon with awe is the new run-machine known as Virat Kohli. With six double centuries and 20 tons in Test cricket (with an average of 53.75), 32 hundreds in ODI matches (with a whopping average of 55.74 and a strike rate of 91.73), this man is changing the landscape of Indian cricket. He is slowly cruising towards become the best batsman in cricketing history.
But again, his transition from being an ordinary cricketer to becoming a legend is a journey full of rugged phases and tumultuous times. The 2014 India tour to England was a disaster, where he scored a mere 134 runs in 10 innings. He also failed to deliver the goods in the ODI series, following the Test series. Yet, he didn’t stop believing in his capabilities. Through his intense training, workouts, and practice sessions, he came back so strongly that he not only secured his spot in the team, he also started leading it.
Those who do not dare to dream big are sure not to face obstacles and roadblocks. Remember, there is comparatively less competition at the peak. Only a few people have the fortitude and the audacity to pursue their goals till the end. To be able to move consistently on the path towards accomplishments, one needs to have more of a disciplined mindset, rather than just being motivated.
Motivation, in my opinion, is a highly over-rated word, which people seek to strive for their goals. They keep searching for videos, books, and articles to give a stimulus to their drive. But, even though motivation can get you started, it can’t keep you going. It is everyday discipline which eventually translates into a habit – and finally, into behavior.
Someone rightly said, “If an opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door.” Don’t let a few setbacks get to your psyche. Self-doubt and self-loathing over failures cannot help you to unleash the vast energy hidden inside you.
Efforts shall bear fruit – and I swear they’ll be the sweetest you’ve ever tasted. After all, where’s the kick and fun in embarking on a journey that doesn’t involve turns and twists, and is plain as hell? So, pull up your socks, tighten your seat belts and let your preparation go full-throttle. I assure you that a glorious future is waiting for you.
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