In this world, there are people who are willing to stake their all, to make it in their life. Time often crowns them with success and achievements in life. And, then, there are those who fail to do what the achievers do. They end up being admirers of the achievers. What is it that achievers do that their admirers don’t do? The achievers aim higher to achieve more.
The fact of the matter is that those who think of themselves as people who cannot achieve things in life and turn into admirers can themselves achieve a great deal.
It is a question of grit and determination. It is a question of will and commitment to achieve something. It is a question of being ready to do more than what an average person is willing to do. It is a question of putting in an extra effort. That sums up the difference between achievers and admirers.
Students who attend classes regularly, do their homework, take extra classes and burn their midnight’s oil to make the grade. Those who take things lightly and do not work hard enough fall by the wayside. Here, the difference is in the determination and commitment to make the grade and willingness to put in that extra bit of effort to achieve it.
You may not be the best student in your class. Your rank might be 20 out of 60 students. If you are complacent, you may cling to that position. That is, if you are fortunate enough. Otherwise, you may slip further down in the ranking. But, if you aim for the first rank and prepare for the examination accordingly, you may climb several ranks higher even if you don’t make it to the first place.
If you want to go for a four-kilometre walk in the morning, don’t start thinking that you have to return from the second kilometre mark. Instead, make up your mind to walk up to the third kilometre mark. That way you would be preparing yourself for a six kilometre walk—three kilometres one way and three kilometres on the way back! If you set a four kilometre target for a four kilometre walk, the odds are that you may feel tired and exhausted before you complete those four kilometres. But, if you set a six kilometre target and do a four kilometre walk, your energy level at the end of the four kilometre walk is likely to be higher. This is purely psychological. And, it works!
What is it that helps mountaineers climb up high peaks? Are they any different from us? Are they made of some different stuff? No, they are also made of the same five elements that we are made of. But what distinguishes them from us is that they are determined and they do not give up easily. They keep going even when others give up. It is not that they are born with more stamina than others. They build their stamina through exercise and perseverance.
The human body is a storehouse of energy. We never use our energy levels to the fullest. Our energy is like the fuel in the petrol tank of our vehicles. The vehicle comes to a halt when we have used up the petrol in the petrol tank. That means it is time to refuel and replenish our stock of petrol. We think we have exhausted the stock of petrol in the petrol tank. But we can decide to keep some petrol in reserve and when the petrol levels dip beyond a certain point, we may use the petrol we kept in reserve. That way, we may not have to lock up the vehicle and walk back to our home. The reserve stock always comes in handy and bails us out of tight situations. We seldom use it. But, if it is there, it is reassuring. So is the case with the human body. We think we are sapped of all energy, when there is still some energy in reserve.
Take this example. I went shopping one day. I walked for nearly three hours at a stretch. When I was about a hundred yards away from my home, I felt absolutely exhausted. I thought my feet had turned into feet of clay. I thought my feet would give way under my weight. I thought I could not move any further. At that point, I heard a dog bark behind me. I was startled. He barked again and gave chase. I started running. I was mortally afraid of dog bites. Within a few minutes I had not only covered the hundred yards but also climbed 32 steps of my staircase to my house before I felt safe!
That incident taught me a big lesson in life. It taught me that we have more energy than we think. Our potential energy is always a lot more than our kinetic energy. It is a question of believing in ourselves and pushing ourselves that extra bit.
If we are happy with a half-century in cricket, we may never get around to scoring a hundred. But, if we aim for a double century, the odds are that we may score a century some time. When we decide to do something, the vibrations generated by our decision conspire to make that happen. They push us. The energy in the whole universe is pooled in to give effect to our decision.
The important thing is to set our goals at a higher level than what we wish to achieve. The important thing is to decide. The important thing is to believe in ourselves and our capabilities. And, then, set out to achieve those goals.
If we aim for a hundred percent, we may fall short of it. We will still make our grade. But, if we aim for fifty or sixty percent, we may end up scoring much less than that! So, if you really want to achieve more, learn to air higher…
Very true.
Sir, Many thanks for your kind words.