TRIPLE STREAM

Editorial

 

HITCH YOUR WAGON TO A STAR

NO ALIBIS

 

I. V. Chalapati Rao

 

            Golden Jubilee of Independence is the fit occasion for our youth to follow the example of great men and women in the various fields of activity and have a high purpose in life instead of frittering their energies in frivolous activity. All great men have a chief aim in life. By cultivating and exercising strong will power, they overcome hurdles and handicaps and finally achieve their goals in life. Life is not a purposeless pursuit of whims and fancies. History is full of instances of ordinary men achieving success by conquering adverse circumstances and surmounting the seemingly insurmountable barriers. They had a high aim in life. As Emerson said they “hitched their wagon to a star”. Some like Jason and his men pursued the Golden Fleece. Some like Sir Galahad of King Arthur’s Round Triable found and fetched the Holy Grail. Outside literature there were heroes who worked wonders and became legends in their life time. There are historical heroes and heroines. Julius Caesar and his hordes were confronted with the Rubicon on his march towards military glory. Shouting “I have cast my die”, he leaped into the turbulent waters of the stream and bravely crossed it. Had he lacked strength of mind and the urge to go forward, he would have remained on his side of the bank and beaten a retreat! We all have our Rubicons in life to cross. Tenzing Norkay and Edmund Hillary had their own high aim of conquering Mount Everest, the highest mountain peak in the world. Had they gone on thinking and worrying about the danger on the way instead of crossing each obstacle as it came in the passage of their upward climb, they would have remained at the bottom of the foot hills staring despairingly at the peak!

 

            Our ancient scriptures always taught that we should have strong resolution and will before we attempt to do any thing. Even while performing religious rituals like Vinayak Vrata or Vishnu Pooja, we begin with what is called SANKALPA. For example we say “I...so and so on this day...of the month....in the year....will now perform the ceremony of Vinayak Vrata / Satyanarayana Vrata”. This is only all expression of our will to do a particular thing and making an announcement of it. An advance declaration or announcement of our resolve acts as self-hypnosis of positive nature.

 

            On the occasion of the Golden Jubilee of Indian Independence we should remember how India won freedom under the leadership of Gandhiji. He mobilised the masses, instilled patriotism in their minds and fought the British imperialism with the weapon of non-violence. We know how he succeeded in the end. Abraham Lincoln was a classic example of determined effort and will power achieving his highest goal in life. When he was 22 years old he started business but did not succeed. He unsuccessfully contested the election to Legislature in 1832. He again stood for election to the Speaker’s post in 1838. He was defeated. But he did not give up. He once again contested the election to the Congress and was defeated. Any other man in his circumstances would have become frustrated and cynical. But he persisted in his trials. Only in 1844 he picked up practice as a successful lawyer and finally became the President of America. His Gettisburg speech is considered to be one of the best in the world.

 

            Even in the life of a handicapped person, it can happen, Christine(Joe) of Ireland was the son of Bernadotte. He was a born cripple. For two hours at birth his brain did not receive supply of Oxygen. Nobody expected that he would survive. He learned typewriting by fastening a pen to a belt which he tied round his head. He was determined to become a writer. He used to type seven hours a day. It took 3 hours to write a sentence. In this painful concentration, he wrote articles and essays and produced his auto-biography which had the sale of 40,000 copies! He snatched victory out of the jaws of defeat.

 

            Renowned geographical discoverers like Columbus, Marcopolo, Livingstone, Henderson, and Peare were travellers who travelled long distances and made themselves famous. They performed dangerous voyages across the continents. They were not discouraged by the perils on the way. Amundsen, another globe- trotter said: “I used to think only of the distance to be covered in the next 24 hours!” Fellow mariners of Columbus revolted against him complaining against a future journey on stormy, shark-infested sea. But his patience and will power paid creator rich dividends.

 

            Erle Gardner, the creator of Perry Mason an unforgettable character, 175 million books of legal fiction. Each day 20,000 copies were sold. He was the most translated author of the world. His books were translated into 60 languages. He was not a practicing lawyer of outstanding abilities. But all his novels have a grand finish in the final court room scene.

 

            Yellapragada Subba Rao, the re­nowned medical researcher who discov­ered the world - famous life-saving drugs ­Tetracycline, Hetrogen, Auromycin and Liver extract etc. was an average student of modest means. But his high purpose in life made him the Director of the prestigious Leaderle Laboratories in the United States. Even as a boy he had sympathy for the sick and was keen on doing something for them. Albert Einstein, one of the greatest scientists of the world was poor in studies. He was expelled from school. His high purpose in life made him the greatest mathematician of the world. He declined the offer of presidentship of the new-born state of Israel. Political power had no lure for him. Science was the be-all and end-all of his life.

 

            Rabindranath Tagore who won the Nobel prize for Literature for his ‘Gitanjali’ was considered to be poor in English spelling and Mathematics. But he pursued his literary and educational activities with determination and confidence and became world-famous as the founder of Shanti Niketan and Srinkiketan.

 

            Thomas Alva Edison who had a hundred inventions to his credit including the Electric bulb and the Gramphone was refused admission in the school for being deficient in I.Q. But his intense interest in scientific inventions made him one of the greatest inventors and benefactors of society.

 

            Amitab Bachan and Hema Malini, two leading film stars of the Indian silver screen were initially rejected by the Directors who applied camera and other routine tests to them and finally pronounced them as unfit. But they became matinee idols and ruled the silver screen for decades! Hardwork and an aim in life paved the way for their resounding success.

           

            Louis Pasteur who discovered the Theory of Germs (a cure for Hydro­ phobia) was an average person with no promise of future greatness. Silently he pursued his experiments till he achieved his goal.

 

            Sudha Chandran lost her leg in an accident but with great will power she provided herself with an artificial leg, mastered Dance and became a heroine in the film ‘Mayuri’ and other films. Her high aim in life and invincible faith in herself brought her success and fame.

 

            Helen Keller was stricken with illness when she was 19 months old and became deaf, dumb and blind. Yet she learnt Braille and wrote useful books which motivated millions of readers. Any other women in her position would have committed suicide.

 

            Louis Braille himself was blinded in an accident when he was 3 years old. He attended School for the Blind and developed the Braille system of writing based on Morse Code. Today thousands of blind people are able to read and write. Where there is a will, there is a way.

 

            Beethoven, the great German Music Composer, was stone-deaf. Yet he managed to compose excellent music and his compositions became world­ famous. Similarly Surdas was blind but his devotional songs enraptured the hearers. His devotion to God and an irrepressible urge to express himself were unstoppable.

 

            Srinivasa Ramanujam, the mathematical genius, had failed Intermediate twice and worked as a Lower Division Clerk in the Madras Port Trust on a salary of Rs. 25/. He worked his sums on one-side used paper. As his solutions attracted the notice of Prof. Hardy of Cambridge University, he went and worked there to win international reputation. What a gulf between a clerk and a mathematical genius! His burning passion for mathematics conquered all odds.

 

            Roosevelt, the most popular President of America was polio stricken when he was 40 years old but his aim in life brought him to the highest political position in his career. He moved in a wheel chair as he ruled the world’s most powerful country getting elected three times.

 

            Napoleon Bonaparte, the greatest General in the world and Emperor of Europe started his career as an insignificant corporal. Adolf Hitler the Nazi Dictator who terrorised the whole world was only a painter.

 

            Mao Tse Tung, the great Chinese leader, started his career as a library clerk in Peking University and worked hard to achieve his political goal against severe opposition and threat to life. These men of self-made had an over ­powering aim in life and a matching will.

 

            Swamy Ranganadhananda, the internationally famous scholar and head of the Rama Krishna Mission joined the organisation as a cook. Swamy Chinamayananda the founder of a reputed Mission of that name was originally a school teacher.

 

            Elvis Presley, the singing star who took the western world by storm was a school failure. The music teacher of the 8th class rejected him and he had to work as a lorry driver for some time. The records of his innovative country music introduced him to the music world. Soon he became the heart throb of the younger generation of music lovers.

 

            Michael Jackson, the mega entertainer was born in a poor Negro family. At the age of 5 he became a popular singer and dancer. With his will power he became an all-time great winning eight Grammy awards. He got into the Guinness Book of World records.

 

            When Harvey the great inventor tried to address meetings to introduce and popularise his Theory of Blood Circulation, he was greeted with rotten eggs, tomatoes and broken glass and hooted down! People were not ready to accept him, but he persisted in his efforts and the world is grateful to him today for his stead fastness of mind.

 

            When Wright brothers, the inventors of the aeroplane gave their first demonstration of the flying machine at Kitty Hawk, only three people cared to attend. But they were not discouraged.

 

            As the poet William Long Fellow wrote:

 

            The heights by great men reached and kept were not attained by sudden flight. But they while their companions slept, were toiling upward in the night.

 

            Successful men never believed in alibis and grand excuses. They propelled themselves forward and upward toward predetermined goals. Low aim is a crime. Even small men can attempt big things and achieve success with will and skill which can be cultivated.

 

 

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