What is GREATNESS????? We often confuse ourselves greatness with success. I beg to differ here. Well there can be a whole new debate on how we define success, I would prefer not to get deep into that and will stick to the conventional definition of Success, which is achieving your intended goal whatever you aimed for, be it professional or spiritual. GREATNESS?????…hmmm…I believe someone is GREAT who commands RESPECT from his peers for his intentions and service…someone who is appreciated for his actions from everyone.…someone, who gives sense of WOW and IMPOSSIBILITY when you hear about his actions. All I am stressing in this paragraph is that it takes more than just talent to get to the level of greatness compared to being successful. Before confusing you all, well let me get to the real point I am trying to make.
Well here I will devote the next few lines to my very close friend.
He has been making headlines back home in India and has been selected among the top 8 people in the whole nation as a potential leader to LEAD INDIA. Lead India is an initiative taken by a leading newspaper to tap young people who have the immense potential, burning desire and the extra-ordinary strength to take a nation as huge as India to another level but they do not have any means (neither money nor platform)to do that. In a country as big as India, being among the 8 is no ordinary FEAT (while I was writing this he was among 24). The selection process is highly rigorous and involves scrutiny of every action, every intention and every thought/vision of yours.
My friend, who still has a very long way to go, but is surely on the right track to what I call ‘journey to greatness’. I feel lucky enough to witness all this and see what it takes to get there. You get pumped up when you read a good book about someone great in history, but we tend to assume that ‘Oh that person was extra-ordinary’. One thing I realized here for sure is that you do not have to be extremely extra-ordinary to achieve greatness. All you need is realization of simple facts and their application in right earnest. But again that’s what makes your GREAT as application of those simple facts is not that simple. If I study my friend very closely and his work since last 7-8 years, I can clearly think of few points which might justify where he is now.
One thing which has amazed me is his approach and focus on things which he really likes. He never tried to do too many things at the same time ‘FOCUS, FOCUS and FOCUS -leads to everything’ this mantra was realized by him long time back. He was matured enough even in early twenties to realize that materialistic pleasures are not very long lasting so why should we pay such a heavy price for it. Two things that are so limited in this world are TIME and RESOURCES. So focusing effort on one thing certainly helps in making best use of time and resources. The sooner you apply it, the sooner you get there. I am still struggling with it, I have tried hard to improve over the years, but I guess it’s very easy said than done.
Another distinct quality which I really admire in him is his reading habit. He always had this appetite for reading books of great/noble leaders/philosophers and business stuff as well. Having the right intension is one thing and its application totally different. Application of anything requires first understanding the problem and then suggesting a solution; so stronger the knowledge database, the probability of doing better becomes more. Nothing can be built without the strong foundation of KNOWLEDGE. I guess reading good books goes a long way in developing your thought process. Its not just him but I have noticed this in other people as well who are good readers, have done much better overall.
Another quality I think makes someone extra-ordinary is his patience/perseverance. Roads are not smooth most of the time, and I think at that moment believing in oneself becomes so very important. My friend of today is the constant effort he has put towards it since 7-8 years, brick by brick. By this I remember a very interesting quote, I don’t really recall who said it (courtesy-> my as always poor memory). “Most people overestimate what they can do in a year, but underestimate what they can do in ten years”.
He has tons of other extra-ordinary qualities but I will keep this blog limited to the ones I admire the most. I really liked the interview he gave to TOI few weeks back and here is the link: http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=VE9JTS8yMDA3LzEwLzEyI0FyMDAyMDI=&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom
He will now participate in televised multi-episode national debate with 7 other candidates from all over India. That should be interesting.
Kudos to the contest organizers BIG TIME, to me they are the REAL WINNERS, it’s a great idea, its really creating a very positive, encouraging vibe all across India and its good to see people who have always been on the neglected side, being shown the appreciation they deserve so much. I think in the long run it will help young people living in confused state of mind, who want to GIVE BACK, but they do not see much hope to come up and make a difference by contributing something. Way to go man! The success of this Lead India will encourage media to organize more such events in future and to think beyond Singing and Dancing as the only talent search.
I wish him ‘Best of Luck’
