All World
Gayatri Pariwar

The self-confident has full and unwavering faith in his soul-power. He is a believer in the profound rishimantra “Suddho’si, Buddho’si, Niranjano’si”. Always conscious of the divine grace he remains humble even at the acme of success; and in the darkest moments of failure, keeps aloft the bright flame of unwavering faith in his ultimate success. A person lacking in self-confidence is unable to digest success and power; his ego becomes bloated and he starts looking down upon others as inferiors and small. But inside, he remains weak and insecure and is unable to face failure with fortitude. He sinks to the abyss of depression in failure and is even driven at times to the cowardly acts of suicide.

The self-confident is humble and regards success not  solely a result of his own endeavor but as a gift of divine grace. With each struggle made in the path of success, he gains new experience and new strength. Through these struggles, there is an enrichment and development of virtues in him; while failures help him identify and remedy the shortcomings. The self-confident never monopolizes the fruits of his success for his own personal benefit but shares it with others, and by his well-earned power and prosperity serves the needy. The self-confident does not have the tendency to acquire fame and success by any unworthy means, nor does he arrogate to himself what is due to others.

The quality of self-confidence develops on the strength of one’s own beliefs and thoughts. We will become what we think of ourselves. It is for us to make a choice between cowardice and bravery, brilliance and dullness, ash and ember. The self-confident chooses the best and the highest of options and proceeds along that line; his footprints act as navigational aids for others. He turns adverse circumstances to his favor and creates a beautiful and conducive atmosphere around him. In contrast, the feeble-minded only daydreams and makes castles in the air. He lacks even normal enthusiasm for work, not to speak of firm determination, the quality which makes even the toughest of the tasks of the self-confident smooth and “half-done” at the outset.

The self-confident persons general conduct, too, is amiable and endearing. Self-confidence is a virtue, which impacts all three dimensions of personality - thought, conduct and character. Intensity of faith in the goal orients our whole thinking and imagination towards that. The self-confident fixes the goal, thinks about it day and night, chalks out a plan of action and makes every possible effort to execute the same. This whole process is so intense and deep that the sanskaras and instincts, which are rooted firmly in the depths of the unconscious in the form of character, begin to change and mould themselves accordingly.

The self-confident is skilled in maintaining the right balance between thoughts and emotions. The canvas of thoughts is closely woven with the warp and weft of reason. This reason constantly keeps testing and pricking oneself. Raw emotions, on the other hand, are like an outburst of storm, which blows away every piece of reason before it in its momentum. The one is a thorny desert of dry logic; the other is a slippery swamp of wet emotion. Both are incomplete by themselves. The self-confident views both with equanimity and adopts both in equitable measure. Consequently while he is very firm and unyielding in the field of duty and action, he is equally polite and gentle in the realm of emotion. Thus, his personality has a harmonious blend of firmness and tenderness, which indeed is the key to complete success.

The key or formula of success is cryptic in essence like a seed but latent in it are infinite potentialities of strength and capabilities. The self-confident by nourishing this seed properly develops it into a huge tree under whose comforting shade countless passers-by find soothing cool and rest. Thus, he not only finds gratification himself but also gives it to others.

There are some guidelines to develop self-confidence. By following these guidelines anybody can come to possess this precious virtue and reach the summit of success and glory:

1. Instead of relying excessively on others, one should have faith in one’s own capabilities.

2. Feelings of doubt, uncertainty, suspicion etc. should be shunned because they weaken self-confidence.

3. One should not regard oneself weak, and others strong and superior. This inferiority complex gives rise to jealousy and incapability.

4. Neither should success bloat one’s ego nor failure lead to dejection. The real cause of failure should be realistically identified and resolutely removed.

5. One should be alert to the silent creeping in of vices and bad habits.

6. Behavior towards others should always be courteous, refined and respectful.

7. A fixed time should be earmarked for swadhaya (study and contemplation) and satsang (company of the virtuous) which should form an important and regular content of the daily schedule.

*********

There once lived a wicked prince. One day he was swept away by floodwaters. No one came to his rescue. A log was drifting in the river. A snake and a rat had stationed themselves on it to escape drowning. The prince, too, chanced to get hold of the log and he began swimming with its aid.

A hermit lived on the bank of the river. When he saw the three marooned creatures, he jumped into the water and brought the floating log ashore. He took the three to his hut. They were shivering with cold. The hermit kindled a fire fed them and, when they had regained strength, bade them farewell. The snake expressed his gratitude thus: “I will be living nearby and will occasionally drop in to see you. I have some wealth which I will give to you as and when you need it”.

The rat said: “ You have saved my life. I will henceforth look after your fuel needs. I will cut twigs from the trees and keep piling them near your hut”.

The prince was most ungrateful. He took offence at not having been accorded due respect and treatment. He got the hermit’s hut uprooted and thrown away. 

************