While addressing a group of management graduates one of the students asked me “what is success to you?”. I had been in quest for an answer to this, for quite a while and hence I put this question back to the audience to seek their thoughts on it. While many spoke on the monetary standing that once achieved would define their success, some indicated that achieving a high corporate position gave them the feel of being successful, while some indicated a combination of sorts that made them & kept them happy, some mentioned that having a name and fame being pronounced among the constellation of Who’s who of the world is really being successful …. The list was endless.
I was enthralled with their enthusiastic responses and all I could do is stand in silence and absorb the radiance of their faces. Every pair of eyes showed a dream resident within and every heart beat sent surges of energy that wished to reach out and acquiesce all that they wanted. It was a brilliant combination of dream and optimism that was vibrantly visible. I was brought back from this blissful state by a question from a student “You have heard to us what about you?”
This question took me back few decades and I quoted to them what my father had told me while entering college life “Life is like a sheet of snow be careful how you tread on it as every print will show” and went on to say – The value of the statement did not fully sink into my inexperienced mind at that point of time but, as years went by the gravity of upholding this statement became all the more dense. What I understood was that it is not what you achieve but what you leave behind that makes all the difference. Success for me is not having a lot of money or achieving positions or reaching states of happiness as these are all variable entities. Once depleted even by a whisker leads man to frustrations and the sense of feeling unsuccessful. It is leaving legacy behind that makes all the difference. It means and translates into enabling thousands of people to lead life to the fullest which is what I believe success to be. And in order to leave behind there is a need to walk steadfast and leave firm footprints such that others feel secure to step on or walk on.
With every step one takes progress is inevitable and with each step comes its own set of responsibilities. Therefore it becomes all the more important for the individual to first assess the ground where he wishes to put his foot lest he slips, falls and regrets later. Secondly, to do an introspection on his capabilities – in thinking, in analyzing and other able factions of his being. It would also mean to have a thorough view of the skills that he possesses – Technical/ Functional skills; Managerial skills; Interpersonal skills and Life skills. Finally, it is a must for him to review the Knowledge bases he encompasses and renew if required to accomplish the dreams he sets forth and then alone tread with the right kind of an attitude fully aware of the repercussions of each step taken.
Just as a magnet without losing its vigour attracts pieces of a stoic metal and induces its properties to that metal making it a magnet too. So also it becomes all the more essential for the person to include other people and then braid the individual ethics with the personal values along with integral principles of living not just into thoughts or words but in actions and demeanour too. The achievements now become all the more astounding and over a period of time a legacy is established. It is now that the names of these people get pronounced among the league of successful people such as JRD Tata, Azim Premji, Narayan Murthy, Dhirubhai Ambani, …… or for that matter Shirdi Sai Baba, Mantralya Raghavendra Swamy, …….. and the sort to be remembered, admired and revered by future generations even after decades of their departure to the abode of the gods. Their names etched in gold there too - this definitely is SUCCESS hither too and there too.
I was enthralled with their enthusiastic responses and all I could do is stand in silence and absorb the radiance of their faces. Every pair of eyes showed a dream resident within and every heart beat sent surges of energy that wished to reach out and acquiesce all that they wanted. It was a brilliant combination of dream and optimism that was vibrantly visible. I was brought back from this blissful state by a question from a student “You have heard to us what about you?”
This question took me back few decades and I quoted to them what my father had told me while entering college life “Life is like a sheet of snow be careful how you tread on it as every print will show” and went on to say – The value of the statement did not fully sink into my inexperienced mind at that point of time but, as years went by the gravity of upholding this statement became all the more dense. What I understood was that it is not what you achieve but what you leave behind that makes all the difference. Success for me is not having a lot of money or achieving positions or reaching states of happiness as these are all variable entities. Once depleted even by a whisker leads man to frustrations and the sense of feeling unsuccessful. It is leaving legacy behind that makes all the difference. It means and translates into enabling thousands of people to lead life to the fullest which is what I believe success to be. And in order to leave behind there is a need to walk steadfast and leave firm footprints such that others feel secure to step on or walk on.
With every step one takes progress is inevitable and with each step comes its own set of responsibilities. Therefore it becomes all the more important for the individual to first assess the ground where he wishes to put his foot lest he slips, falls and regrets later. Secondly, to do an introspection on his capabilities – in thinking, in analyzing and other able factions of his being. It would also mean to have a thorough view of the skills that he possesses – Technical/ Functional skills; Managerial skills; Interpersonal skills and Life skills. Finally, it is a must for him to review the Knowledge bases he encompasses and renew if required to accomplish the dreams he sets forth and then alone tread with the right kind of an attitude fully aware of the repercussions of each step taken.
Just as a magnet without losing its vigour attracts pieces of a stoic metal and induces its properties to that metal making it a magnet too. So also it becomes all the more essential for the person to include other people and then braid the individual ethics with the personal values along with integral principles of living not just into thoughts or words but in actions and demeanour too. The achievements now become all the more astounding and over a period of time a legacy is established. It is now that the names of these people get pronounced among the league of successful people such as JRD Tata, Azim Premji, Narayan Murthy, Dhirubhai Ambani, …… or for that matter Shirdi Sai Baba, Mantralya Raghavendra Swamy, …….. and the sort to be remembered, admired and revered by future generations even after decades of their departure to the abode of the gods. Their names etched in gold there too - this definitely is SUCCESS hither too and there too.
No comments:
Post a Comment