A meet with an inspiring lady

A spring morning an innocent-natured, financially and academically backward lady came to my hospital. She started asking me that if she wants her son to pursue the education of medicine, then what’s she required to do. Her dream was to make her son a doctor.

I told her that a person is required to do MBBS to become a doctor. Not to discourage her, but to prepare her for the struggle in store, I also told her that it’s very expensive and tough, and that her son will need to work super hard.

She again asked me the name of the course, and I repeated MBBS. She wasn’t still able to remember the name, but I said that at present what’s necessary is that her son must study hard and Biology is a necessary subject.

Talking with her I felt pleased because she appeared very simple, focussed and clear-hearted, unlike people who indulge in gossip and pointless affairs.

I inquired what’s the occupation of her husband to get an idea of their financial condition. She told me that he builds houses, which means that he doesn’t earn much. I said that from where she will arrange the fees and all. She told me that she has some land, and after selling it out, she will do the arrangements.

“There would be folks,” I told her enthusiastically, “who would discourage you, but you mustn’t give up.”

She optimistically nodded ascent. Imagine a village lady, uneducated and unaware, cherishing dreams of her son becoming a doctor and getting education from one of the most prestigious medical universities of the country. It doesn’t appear rational, and many rational folks in the light of their common sense would have dismissed her dream and discouraged her from pursuing that course.

Call me impractical if you wish, but I believe that she might get success in realising her dream. Many times folks succeed despite having very low resources and tough backgrounds.

Can a poor person who never went to college become a world-famous writer? Can a person who can’t speak a word or move even his finger rule the realms of physics?

Going by the rationality of the mediocrity anyone’s answer would be know.

But the only problem?

He would be plain wrong.

Charles Dickens, one of the most celebrated English writers, never went to college, and because of poverty he couldn’t attend school for more than four years. Stephen Hawking, due to multiple disabilities can’t speak a word and move a finger, yet he is one of the most honoured scientists of the world.

There’re a bunch of such impossible-appearing possibilities then why can’t the son of that downtrodden lady become a doctor?

I want to be like people who sincerely and diligently soldier on to climb up the success ladder. Even if someone isn’t able to climb up so successfully, it’s pleasing because at least he put up a fight and therefore remained far from frivolities. Success is in the act of true striving.

I believe, though you’re free to disagree, that when a person truly wants to accomplish a noble aim, powers beyond his ken come forth to push him forward.

It’s not fair to declare in a self-praising style that someone won’t be able to trek impossible-looking mounts. Conquering Everest once upon a time was impractical.

Why little is sufficient

Ever wondered why folks with fewer resources snatch success while the resourceful lag behind? Yeah, the same rags to riches story…but why is it repeated so often?

Is there anything we’re missing from this unexpected success? No, willpower alone can’t be the driving force.

I argue that folks succeed despite having fewer resources because they focus their energies on the root and weed out the dead-wood. The other side, folks who’re convinced that a rich variety of resources are in their reach tend to be careless, and consequently they don’t rouse themselves to grab out the very best from inside them.

I’m reminded of a Hollywood movie scene. The villain sprays hundreds of bullets towards the hero, but he doesn’t return even a single gunshot. When the villain’s bullets get exhausted, the hero quietly steps out, aims at his opponent, fires the only bullet he had, and kills him.

The lesson?

The hero had only one bullet, but he knew how to utilise it in the best way.

In the same way, those who have fewer resources, are naturally convinced that they’re responsible to make the best of whatever little they possess, and therefore they centre all their powers at their work. The results are therefore more heart-warming.

A person who has to return the book to the library, for instance, is convinced that he might not have the luxury of laying his hands on the book again. He penetrates the content with x-ray eyes, notes down the important points, and goes through the book like a thirsty searches the water.

Compare this person with him who has a bunch of books on the same subject lying on his table. This person is convinced about the luxury of time/availability, of the variety of choice at his disposal, and both these luxuries (of availability and of choice) paradoxically work against him.

How?

When he picks up one book, he knows that he can read the same material however many times he wishes to, and therefore he pays it inadequate attention. He also knows that there’re a bunch of books on the same subject in his easy reach, and this luxury of choice, at the slightest boredom or difficulty, prompts him to put that book down and skim over other books.

The same rule, with more or less the same intensity, is predominant in all the fields. It’s because of this reason why less is often more and why more is often less. It’s perhaps because of this reason why the less resourceful climb up the success ladder and the resourceful ones end as runner-ups.