BE HOPEFUL

God has made all human beings alike. At the same time he has endowed each one of us with different qualities. It is up to each one of us to develop higher qualities or to yield to baser instincts. The choice is entirely ours. Be always optimistic and hopeful. Hope even impossible hopes. Dream big dreams. It is this attitude in life, which will fill you  with courage and resourcefulness. Never worry or complain of injustice either  yourself or to others. Instead try to strengthen yourself with right values. A sense of proportion is essential for helping yourself and others whenever any help is required. You should live your life on the pattern of lighthouse. It shows the path to ships and boats as they pass by. Your life should glow so that others can walk on their paths in its light. For success it is essential to have an accurate self-assessment. It is only by assessing yourself correctly that you can increase your competence. You should indentify themes and patterns of your organization clearly. Always be clear and inspiring to your team. It is only by your example that you can effectively inspire your team to work with pride and dedication. As a leader be creative. Praise people for trying even if they do not succeed. Shower praise at every opportunity. Praise is nutrition for the ego. It is a powerful tool. Not only do people want success and material goods they also want these to be noticed. It is only for this reason that people buy clothes and big houses. Everybody wants to be complimented for what he does. Recognition for accomplishments is a great incentive. President Theodore Roosevelt said, ‘‘It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled or where the doer of the deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust, sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions and spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement; and who, at the worst, if he fails at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall be never with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.’’ There is an inspiring poem on the subject:

The test of man is the fight he makes

The grit he daily show;

In the face of

Fate’s numerous bumps and blows

A coward can smile when to stand up and cheer

While some other fellow stare.

It is not the victory after all

But the fight that brother make;

The man who driven against the wall

Still stands up erect and takes

The blows of fate with his head held high;

Bleeding, bruised and pale

Is the man who’ll win in the by and by

For be isn’t afraid to fail.

It is the bumps you get and jolts you get

And the shocks that your courage stands

The hours of sorrow and vain regret

The prize that escapes your hands

That test your mettle and proves your worth

It isn’t the blows you deal

But the blows you take on the good old earth.

That shows if your stuff is real.

It is a paradox that your society, friends and relatives want you to achieve great heights. But at the same time they want you to confirm to existing values. Conformity is nothing but steamrolling your approach to life as well as to your creative thinking. It closes all doors to new avenues. Thinking and acting creative are synonymous though many may not agree with that definition. A well-conceived thought leads to constructive achievements. You have to tread the path to creativity through hard work and enthusiasm. You have to be prepared to tread on the corns of others if necessary. This approach can lead to problems and dangers. You should not be apologetic if you do something out of the ordinary to fulfil your ideas. Human beings are the greatest assets in the success of any undertaking. It is this asset which turns barren lands, raw materials like wood, cement and steel into buildings, factories, commerce and industry. Every person has a unique character, special skills and attitudes. Combinations of several factors and the proficiency of the individuals only can lead to achievement. Managing human assets is both an art and a science. A manager has to have a total commitment to his work before he can demand it from his employees. The successful leader ensures a high morale in his team. He motivates his colleagues and subordinates to give their best. He should learn to face confrontations, slammed doors and storm warnings with equanimity. At leader leads by accepting mistakes. He does not blame his boss or subordinates. He is strong in mental gymnastics. Imagining as to what will be the outcome of a particular course of action can prevent conflict. A leader has to set long-term, medium and short-term objectives for the organization. He should be able to visualize and communicate the objectives of the organization. A leader needs to keep himself physically fit. Leadership demands emotional, physical and intellectual activity. About the complaint that there is too much struggle in life which takes away happiness, a poet says:-

Tell me not in mournful numbers

Life is but an empty dream!

For the soul is dead that slumbers

And things are not what they seem.

Life is real! Life is earnest!

And the grave is not its goal:

Dust thou art to dust return est

Was not spoken of the soul!

Not enjoyment and not sorrow

Is our destined end or way:

But to act that each tomorrow

Find us farther than today.

Art is long and Time is fleeting

And our heats though stout and brave

Still like muffled drums are beating

Funeral marches to the grave.

In the world’s broad field of battle

In the bivouac of life

Be not like dumb driven cattle!

Be a hero in the strife!

Trust no future however pleasant!

Let the dead past bury its dead!

Act- act in the living present!

Lives of great men all remind us

Footprints on the sands of time:

Footprints that perhaps another

Sailing over life’s solemn main

A forlorn and shipwrecked brother

Seeing shall take heart again.

Let us then be up and doing

With a heart for any fate;

Still achieving, still pursuing

Learn to labour and to wait.

And let the face of God shine through.

But East and West will pinch the heart

That cannot keep them pushed apart;

And be whose soul is flat – the sky

Will cave in on him by and by.

Most people can be and are about as happy as they wish to be. Very little is needed to make a happy life. It is all within ourselves and in our way of thinking. The spoken word, the released arrow, the past life and the neglected opportunity cannot be retrieved and it does not serve any purpose to  lament over them. The best course is to make the best of the present and be determined to enjoy it.