Secret of Success

In 2003, we took our children to a fare in Judges Field. There was a hanging bamboo bridge with ladders on both sides for ascending and descending.  My son who was 5 years old then, climbed the wooden ladders but came down immediately as he was afraid. Then he asked me “Papa, do you think I can cross the bridge”? I told him, “If you think you can do it, you will do it”.  After that, we went to some other stalls and when I looked back, I found that he was crossing the bridge. He descended the ladder and came to me with a victorious smile. I patted on his back on this courageous feat and asked, “Kaku, how did you do it?” With a very innocent smile on his face he replied, “Papa, maine socha ke main kar sakta hoon aur maine kar liya” which means “I thought I can do it and I did it”.

Dear Friends, our life is full of episodes where we are afraid of doing things thinking we cannot do it and we fail without trying it.

Henry Ford had once said, “Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t–you’re right.”  

At the beginning of the 20^th century, the automobiles were complicated machines which were only meant for rich. Henry Ford was determined to build a simple, reliable car which the average American could afford. He succeeded and molded the world we live in today. While we associate the name Ford to success in the automotive industry, we might not know that he failed dramatically and miserably twice before succeeding in his third attempt.

Earlier, the air travel was meant for the elite or for the people whose tickets were sponsored by the Government or corporates. Today, even a common man can travel by Air. This has become possible because of a visionary who thought that everybody should fly.  Capt. Gopinath became a household name after he started Deccan Aviation, which made flying a possibility for the common middle-class man. In the history of Aviation, people will always remember him as a man who brought flying down to earth. He did this because he believed that he could do it.

One of the most important things we need to be successful is to believe in ourselves. Even if we are highly talented, a lack of belief in ourselves and our abilities will make it much more difficult for us to succeed. Yes, it is our thinking that really helps or hurts us. So how do we go about believing in ourselves? Belief is simple. It’s habitual. The thoughts we have on a daily basis create emotions, which in turn beckon our actions. So if we are used to thinking negatively, everything in our life is going to be full of negativity. Instead, if we focus on positivity, good things will follow.

Will-power is the greatest driving force in man. It helps us get through all the difficulties in life.  Mahatma Gandhi fought for the blacks in South Africa. Martin Luther brought about radical changes in the USA and Abraham Lincoln became the President of the USA by dint of their strong determination and continuous efforts. A patient with strong determination can get cured earlier or live longer than a similar patient with weak will power. Sudha Chandran has an amputated leg, but even with the artificial limb, she has become a famous Bharatnatyam dancer and actress. Thus, a person of strong will power can overcome physical disabilities in the pursuit of his goal.

More than half the battle in anything challenging is with ourselves.

There is a saying: Life’s battles don’t always go
To the stronger or faster man.
But sooner or later the man who wins,
Is the man who thinks he can.