Struggles refine, shape and embellish life and lead it to a level of perfection that is beyond words to describe. Struggles bring us invaluable experiences, enhance our vitality and teach us how to live life with zest, zeal and happiness. Holding hands with struggles we not only move ahead, but we also learn what is the true meaning of life and what is true happiness. A life without struggle is a life without its true joy and happiness. A stone in constant contact with flowing waters of a river slowly loses its rough edges and takes such a beautiful shape that many a people begin to regard it as a symbol for worship. Likewise our lives also get refined in the heat of struggles, and we rise and attain the desired goal.
Helen Keller, who was the first deafblind woman to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree and who was a great author and political activist, has said, “Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved.” Similar are the thoughts of the famous actor John D. LeMay – “Struggle is the key that opens all the closed doors of life and provides new ways to keep progressing. The inner strength and courage of a person does not let a person lose and keeps furthering his intentness for struggle.” The heat generated due to struggle brightens up our lives.
Actually, nothing is easy in life. Whatever is valuable and important cannot be obtained easily. To reach one’s goal of life, everyone has to make determined efforts. It is true that if the basic needs of life of are not fulfilled, it does become difficult to maintain the willpower to fight. This is because there are two fronts at which one needs to fight simultaneously – one to provide for basic needs and second to attain the goal of life. However, even then if there is inner strength and sufficient physical and mental power, a person does not feel any problem in fighting on these dual fronts. A positive outlook towards life and intense desire to attain the goal makes all this possible.
There is no shortcut to success. This is why, despite the change of times, and change of circumstances, whenever intense efforts are put in to attain one’s goal, good results are obtained sooner or later. History is replete with stories of people who despite living in adverse circumstances have earned great success. Even today, the history is being rewritten that proves that success does not depend on availability of conveniences and luxuries, nor does it need heaps of resources. Success can also come to people who are poor, who fight bravely all adversities and keep making progress with strong willpower and devotion. The youth of the new generation are proving again and again that it is possible to carve one’s own identity despite all adversities.
In several competitive exams, many students are seen doing well despite the fact that they are from poor backgrounds and their lives are engulfed in difficulties. In this tale of success are also several sons and daughters who have lived in slums, whose fathers are labourers or rickshaw pullers and whose mothers have worked as domestic helps in affluent homes. Their whole families have fought together with their difficulties and secured their futures. Each year youth in our country prove that talent does not blossom in luxuries and convenience, it blossoms in struggles and difficulties. If this wasn’t so, then talent would turn away from great men like Kabir, Raidas and Dadu who were poor and head towards rich and affluent of the society, but this does not happen. Every year our young boys and girls prove that the heat generated by struggles does not dry up life source, it embellishes life.
Intentness to fight adversities does not let a person to slow down till his goal is reached, and does not ever let his hope subside; instead it fuels enthusiasm and elation even further. This is why even in the darkness of poverty the illumined pathways of success are emerging in our country. These stories tell us that there is nothing great in attaining success while living a life full of resources. In order to understand the real meaning of life one must also learn how to live a life with limited means and yet attain success.
If a person does not face challenges then his personality is not developed in totality. Success gained without intense efforts is meaningless and generates dissatisfaction. If we never get disheartened while grappling with circumstances and fighting adversities, we will definitely attain our goal. This intense fight against challenges and tough situations helps remove the darkness that engulfs a human being’s consciousness and helps illuminate his life. This is why wise men say – to enhance talent we must willingly accept challenges at each step of life. People who have talent earn recognition everywhere with their hard work. Their courage and willpower become the guiding forces that drive them to the pinnacle of success. And when they attain success while overcoming intense challenges and obstacles they set great examples for the whole society. When ordinary persons attain extraordinary success, no one can really know how much time have they put in, how much struggle have they put against adversities and how much efforts have been put in to create the foundations for fulfilling their dreams. They keep moving forward on the basis of their courage, put continuous efforts and finally ascend to heights of success.
Whenever someone resolves to do something and tries hard with all sincerity, then he attains success sooner or later, though he may face several difficulties on the way, and there may be many distractions on the way that may lead him astray. Sometimes many alternatives show up, which are also no less than obstructions. But a person with a firm resolve and honest disposition does not choose any such alternative or short cut. He chooses the righteous path even if it is full of struggle and difficulties and continuously strives to hone his skills, refine his talents and increase his capabilities. Instead of walking on beaten paths, he creates new ways himself and presents a great example to the society. All the magnificent structures of success stand only on the foundations of struggles.
Akhand Jyoti Magazine 2016 Mar-Apr
