Conquer Self to achieve success

Success in life is not a chance but a choice and that too your choice. The problem that people face is how to make that choice and to realise that choice too. The basic tenets of success is adopting oneself to new situation and environment, absorbing new creative and innovative ideas and assimilating all that are good which make life worth living. Nothing is permanent in life and everything is changing and hence change is the only permanent thing. It becomes thus imperative that you have to make your choice to change yourself to meet the demands of the change. Nobody else can make that choice but only you can make it. You know what is best for you.  But unfortunately most people do not understand what they really want in life and they try to follow or emulate somebody else without even knowing what that person actually represents. Appearances are deceptive and one may be misguided by the appearances. Of course you can have your well meaning people who can be your friend, philosopher and guide. But ultimately you have to decide what you want to achieve in your life. The basic dictum is that you should not allow any other person to decide your future and that prerogative is yours only.  

The Bhagavad-Gita, the Sacred Book of the Hindus which contains the sermons of Lord Krishna to Arjuna amply testifies to man’s indetermination and confusion with regard to his purpose of action in life and guides him to take the right choice. The Gita lays stress on the freedom of the individual choice and the way in which he exercises it. “Our life is a mixture of necessity and freedom, chance and choice. By exercising our choice properly, we can control steadily all the elements and eliminate altogether the determinism of nature” and any person, “if he does not exercise his intelligent will, he is acting in way contrary to his humanity. If he is acting blindly according to his impulses and passions, he acts more like an animal than human. Being human, he justifies his actions.”

"The first and best victory is to conquer self.” preached Plato, Greek Philosopher.

“Mental toughness is many things and rather difficult to explain. Its qualities are sacrifice and self-denial. Also, most importantly, it is combined with a perfectly disciplined will that refuses to give in. It's a state of mind-you could call it character in action." Cultivating a will power and sustaining it are the prerequisite to achieve the self denial.  “Rule your mind or it will rule you.”    

This is the first step for success. Mental toughness leads to concentration and commitment to whatever that you do. Strength is derived out of mastering others. But your real power lies in mastering yourself. The quality of self denial in pursuit of longer term goal and indeed the will to maintain the denial is excellent training that is needed. Will power is the greatest power that is dormant in you even though you may not recognise it.  In the process of understanding your will power you may not be successful in your attempts and you may even get angry because you may be losing your battle against yourself. But you must fight on and on and you must. You must never be satisfied with losing. You must get angry, terribly angry, about losing. But the mark of the good loser is that he takes his anger out on himself and not his victorious opponents or on his teammates. But remember, “Be not angry that you cannot make others as you wish them to be, since you cannot make yourself as you wish to be." The Lord has given you a body that can stand almost anything. It's your mind you have to convince. You have to come out of the shackle of the mighty force of habit that you yourself have created. You must be quick to break those habits that can break you—and hasten to adopt those practices that will become the habits that help you achieve the success you desire. "The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not winning but taking part; the essential thing in life is not conquering but fighting well." When you fight well and go that extra mile, you are bound to win. There is no doubt about it. It is written in scriptures that man is more than what he knows about himself.   Self-discipline is a form of freedom, freedom from laziness and lethargy, freedom from weakness and fear and doubt. Self-discipline allows a pitcher to feel his individuality, his inner strength, his talent. He is master of, rather than a slave to, his thoughts and emotions.

When you repeat things, then it becomes your habit and you become what you repeatedly do. Everything you are used to, once done long enough, starts to seem natural, even though it might not be. Understand that first you make your habits, and then your habits make you. If you cultivate good habits, it will make you a very successful person and if you indulge in bad habits, it will leave to your doom. In the ultimate self analysis, you will without any doubt and ambiguity understand that you are your own master and that whatever that you want in life; you are capable of achieving them also. Always remember:

“Sow a thought, and you reap an act;

Sow an act, and you reap a habit;

Sow a habit, and you reap a character;

Sow a character, and you reap a destiny.”

And

“Your beliefs become your thoughts, 

Your thoughts become your words, 

Your words become your actions, 

Your actions become your habits, 

Your habits become your values, 

Your values become your destiny.” 

Please read the small write-up carefully and understand the underlying message. I am sure; you can find your path to achieve a successful, peaceful, tranquil and happy life not only for you but also for others dearer and nearer to you.

T.R.Radhakrishnan,

Banking & Management Consultant,

Facilitator: DRT & SARFAESI CASES and CONSUMER FORUM,

H.R.Trainer: Corporates, Colleges & Schools, & Freelance Writer,

No. 8, Morya Gardens,

Kanadia Road,

Indoe.452016 (Madhya Pradesh)

E-mail: trrk1941@gmail.com