THE COURAGE TO FACE CHALLENGES
J.R.D. Tata ranks among India’s greatest industrialists. At 85 years old, he was still flying airplanes and skiing on snow. When asked about the secret to his vitality at such an advanced age, he replied:
“One of the things that keep me young is the fact that I am prepared to live dangerously. You must be prepared to take risks—risk in business, sport, marriage, everything—to make life worthwhile.” (The Hindustan Times, 13 July 1991)
There is an American saying: “No risk, no gain.” Why do risk and danger lead a person to success? Because risk awakens hidden strength. It transforms an ordinary individual into an extraordinary one.
A person who never faces challenges and always avoids risks becomes lazy and complacent. His natural talents stay asleep. He is like a seed that never breaks open to grow into a tree, or a reservoir that never stirs into waves strong enough to cause a storm.
But when danger appears, when life is threatened by risk, a person’s hidden potential awakens. The pressure of circumstances forces him to act, to draw on every ounce of strength.
Every person has great potential, but it remains dormant until activated by challenge. To awaken it, there’s only one way: they must face danger.
A life of comfort may seem peaceful, but its high cost is an incomplete character. Such a person never attains the heights he could have reached.
On January 6, 1990, newspapers reported the surprising news that Mohammad Azharuddin had been unanimously appointed captain of the Indian national cricket team. He would lead the team on its tour of New Zealand. Many expected the position to go to Krishnamachari Srikkanth, who had recently captained India in the Sharjah Cup, the Nehru Cup, and the Pakistan tour.
At just 27, the Hyderabadi batsman—often called the “wonder boy” of Indian cricket—became the second youngest Indian captain, after Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, who took on the role at 21.
What lifted Azharuddin to such heights was his ability to face challenges without losing heart and to emerge stronger. In December 1989, during the Pakistan tour, his Test career seemed at risk. In the first innings of the Faisalabad Test, he was dismissed for a duck. But in the second innings, with a brilliant century, he rescued his career from collapse.
According to The Times of India (January 2, 1990), the selection committee chairman at the time, Raj Singh Dungarpur (1935–2009), explained the decision:
“He loves getting out of challenging situations, as was seen on the tour of Pakistan where he was on the verge of being dropped from the first Test, and that’s an important ingredient in leadership.”
This world is a world of challenges. Only those who confront them with courage succeed. The more deeply this quality is rooted in a person, the greater the success they are destined to achieve.
