On his first day in
office as President, when Abraham Lincoln entered to give his inaugural
address, one man stood up. He was a rich Aristocrat. He said, “Mr. Lincoln, you
should not forget that your father used to make shoes for my family.” And the
whole Senate laughed; they thought they had made a fool of Lincoln.
But certain people are
made of a totally different mettle. Lincoln looked at the man directly in the
eye and said, “Sir, I know that my father used to make shoes for your family,
and there will be many others here. Because he made shoes the way nobody else
can. He was a creator. His shoes were not just shoes; he poured his whole soul
into them. I want to ask you, have you any complaint? Because I know how to
make shoes myself. If you have any complaint I can make you another pair of
shoes. But as far as I know, nobody has ever complained about my father’s
shoes. He was a genius, a great creator and I am proud of my father”.
The whole Senate was
struck dumb. They could not understand what kind of man Abraham Lincoln was. He
was proud because his father did his job so well that not even a single
complaint had ever been heard. When you know your roots and are proud of them,
and you have a strong vision to look forward to, no one can shake you from your
desired path.
I believe, by now you
would have set goals in the four directions as we discussed before which are
namely Brahmana, Kshatriya, Vaishya and Shudra. Next step is to succeed in
achieving those goals. We can begin with these five steps:
1. Vision with a Purpose:
Habakkuk 2:3
For
still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not
lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.
As I keep insisting over
and over again, purpose is very important to stay on the desired course.
Additionally, purpose should be larger, more than just yourself. It should
enhance others' lives either in terms of skill or knowledge or attitude.
Vision with a grander
purpose fuels the drive for actions. Be it is about serving environment or
humanity or country, vision helps you stay motivated.
Vision should be long
term. Preferably longer than your expected life, so that other people can take
forward what you started. After all, we are here to create leaders. Aren't we?
2. Priority:
Although priority could be naturally decided for the set goals when you have a clarity of your purpose, it initially takes some time. This is because you have been living a different life before you
discovered your purpose. So it becomes necessary to deliberately prioritize actions
to achieve goals. It requires both patience and practice. Keep trying. It'll
come on its own once the right thinking has been developed.
3. Discipline:
Once you have prioritized
actions, it needs discipline to act on those, exactly in the manner decided.
Many distractions will come along the way. Those will try to lure you towards
easy ways and comfortable zones. But remember, you have chosen a different life
now. You have started living for a bigger purpose than going for easy options.
You have already stretched your limits of thinking when you discovered your
purpose in life. Now there is no question of going back to comfort zone.
Remember why you decided to put your step on this path. Keep that reason in
mind.
4. Determination:
It is important to
develop an attitude of resoluteness. If you have started something, you must
finish. Leaving something halfway is not in your blood.
It is funny that the
word 'determine' means 'to limit' or 'to bound' or 'to end' but how ending the task
actually sets you free. It gives you boundless satisfaction. Hence, inculcate
firmness to continue on the path of perseverance. The right vision and purpose
will also help with this. Gradually, you will witness small achievements. This
will boost your confidence that you are taking right actions. It'll enhance
your resolution to continue on the path forward.
In
order to carry a positive action we must develop here a positive vision. –
Dalai Lama
5. Dedication:
Surrender yourself to
your purpose. Tune out the distractions which can waver your faith in your
dreams. Immerse yourself in the process of continual improvement with a strong
belief. It's possible because you don't just wish for good things to happen.
Instead you make things happen as you desire.
Go for the kill.
Proclaim your birthright
of supremacy.
Rise!
