Maulana Wahiduddin Khan I The Sunday Guardian I April 27, 2014

I once happened to meet a youth. He was greatly perturbed. Someone had badly treated him, because of which he was provoked. His anger reached an extent that he sought to take revenge. I said: "Your problem is not without you, but it is within you." It means that someone wanted to provoke you and you got provoked. In other words, someone gave you a dictation and you accepted his dictation. I, thus, gave the youth a simple formula: "Don't allow anyone to dictate to you." There was a pause. After a moment, the youth replied: "I got your point. I have decided that I will not take dictation from anyone." After a few days, he was able to live a normal life.

One such example at the national level can be traced out in the recent history of Japan. After WWII, Japan had virtually been occupied by the United States. This situation was more disastrous than the dropping of atom bombs in WWII.

But the Japanese leadership opted for a unique formula: to avoid confrontation with the US and at the same time avail American science and technology for nation-building in the post-WWII era. This formula worked, and after 30 years of the defeat in WWII, Japan emerged as an economic superpower.

Every individual, as well as every nation, can successfully adopt this formula to turn their minus into plus.

The only condition in two words is: positive planning. The human brain has enormous capacity. Your brain gives you unlimited power.

No one can defeat you except you yourself. All the problems are within you, and not outside of your personality. Discover yourself and you will emerge as an unconquerable person. Every goal is achievable for you. The only thing that is required is right planning.