It is not circumstances,
but determination
that leads to achievement of the goal

It is quite common to realize ones dreams when adequate resources are present. But it is extraordinary for someone to realize his/her dreams in the absence of resources and in the midst of extremely unfavorable and challenging circumstances. When one is determined to achieve what he wants, even God cannot trample on his dreams; on the contrary He eventually provides cooperation and protection to the courageous. Those who know how to put their resources, intelligences and time to judicious use, will never taste failure. Success will always kiss their feet.

There are some people who have set an outstanding example of hard work and success; those who have never been deterred by struggle and challenges; nor have they ever complained of lack of resources. They accepted the numerous challenges that came their way and showed immense courage and unwavering faith till they reached their goal. A perfect example of such strength and determination is Shivkumar. Shivkumar is a student of IIM. He managed to get into this esteemed institution owing to his hard work and talent; but inability to meet the expenses of the institute became a problem for him.

Shivkumar tried hard to solve this problem and tide over his financial crisis. The problem was daunting and he was unable to find a way out of it. He got an idea of earning some money and contacted people who distribute newspapers at the doorsteps. A deal was struck and he got the job of distributing newspapers over houses located in a 10 km area. This was a tough challenge for an IIM student but he accepted it.

Shivkumar somehow managed to arrange for a cycle and distributed newspapers in the entire stretch of 10 kms from 4am to 7am. With this arrangement, he managed to meet his daily expenses and fees. After this, he completely dedicated his time towards his studies. In the course of this routine, Shivkumar had to face criticism and ridicule from the students who came from affluent family backgrounds. But this did not deter him. This goes to show that that one can tide over extremely challenging circumstances with hard work and determination. Presently Shivkumar has job offers from multinational companies but he has resolved to devote himself to help meritorious students who are unable to afford good education.

One other person who stands out in this context is Narish Rajput. He had to face dire circumstances and opposition from his own family. His courage and confidence enabled him to emerge out of these conditions successfully and made him believe that success is bound to come if one does not give up.

Narish’s mother passed away due to lack of money and it was the same reason why he could not enroll for IAS coaching. Narish put his best efforts and studied at home. Unfortunately, during this time he lost his job too. He had to face mounting challenges at each step. There were moments when he felt like giving up but the very next moment his self-confidence assured him that these challenges could be overcome if he focused on his goal without losing hope. He told himself not to worry about the end result and concentrate on how he could make best use of his present time. He resolved to offer himself completely. It is this grit and determination that has led him to be selected to the IAS cadre. Narish says – “Challenges come our way so as to make us stronger. We should never be afraid of them. In fact, we should face them with courage and confidence.”

Another such story is of IAS Komal Praveen Bhai Ganratra. Her life was far more challenging and scary. Komal was married into an ordinary family. Soon after marriage, greed for dowry made her in-laws family ill-treat her. She had to face extreme difficulties and torture. She was later thrown out of the house. She spent the following five years of her life as someone tortured for dowry. In the midst of these fearful circumstances Komal made up her mind to do something creative so that there is a meaning to her life and that she can be a source of inspiration for others. Komal decided to prepare for IAS exams. She put her entire energy and talent towards achieving this goal. She thought of nothing but her goal 24 hours of the day – whether she was awake or asleep. She was determined to achieve her goal. When her in-laws came to know of this situation, they began to criticize her viciously. She had to listen to all sorts of comments from various people. Innumerable efforts were made to extinguish the flame burning inside her. They however did not succeed in breaking Komal’s resolve. On the contrary, she resolved to put her heart and soul in reaching her goal. As a result of this, she did succeed in getting into the IAS cadre. Those who criticized her were the first ones who came to congratulate her.

It is not surprising if someone blessed with all the resources emerges successful, but those who face hurdles in life and come out successful are like ‘Lotuses that blossom in muddy waters’. Nobody can stop those with firm resolve, ready to strive and brimming with confidence. Such people are capable of paving their path in the midst of a storm and are able to steer their sinking ship of life and bring it to the shore. They accept lack of resources, continuous struggle and insurmountable challenges with a smile and proceed towards their goal with unwavering faith. Such people are blessed with success.

that is a separator

The most successful people are those
who are good at plan B.
- James Yorke

When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us. - Helen Keller

Speak what you think today in words as hard as cannon-balls and tomorrow speak what tomorrow thinks in hard words again though it contradict everything you said today. - Ralph Waldo Emerson