Something More than Money
If you are born to a life of hardship, it will activate you and this
will give you the incentive to work.
It was May 7 of 2012. After a foreign tour, I landed at the Delhi airport, where I used a wheelchair. At the exit, my companion offered some money to the boy who was manoeuvring my wheelchair. The boy refused, saying, “Don’t give me money, but give me your ashirwad. I am appearing for an examination, please pray that I pass it.” I placed my hand on his head and prayed for him.
What the airport boy said was not something simple. It represents a creative mindset. It is to opt for hard work instead of opting for easy money. It is to opt for a ‘self-made man’ formula, rather than trying to find some favour.
When you try to live on your own, you are trying to tap your own potential. Everyone is born with enormous potential, but potential can be developed only by hard work. The best policy for anyone trying to succeed in life is to try to unfold his potential rather than try to receive any advantage from elsewhere.
People generally say with envy that Mr. So and So was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. But this is wrong. Fortunate is one who is born with an incentive spoon in his mouth. If you are born to a life of hardship, it will activate you and this will give you the incentive to work. On the other hand, if you are born to a life of comfort, it will kill your motivation. It is a fact that self-motivation is far greater than external support.
Every favour is limited in nature. There is no favour that has unlimited scope. But when you try to unfold your own potential, that is like embarking upon a journey that has no limit. Favour may give you temporary relief, but hard work is the only way to achieve great success. All the super achievement in history was the result of hard work rather than favour.
It has been rightly said: ‘It is not ease but effort, not facility but difficulty that makes men.’ Facility may seem to be good, but difficulty is better in terms of result. Opting for effort is good for both physical health and intellectual development.
Living on favour means living as a taker in your society. But living as a hard worker means being a giver in your society. And it is a fact that the giver is better than the taker.
When you achieve something by dint of hard work, it gives you one precious thing, and that is confidence. Hard work is always accompanied by confidence. And, confidence leads to peace of mind. Nothing is better than peace of mind.
Once a man came to the Prophet of Islam. He said: “I am a pauper. Give me some money for my livelihood.” The Prophet said: “That would not be good for you.” Then he told him a formula for dignity: “The upper hand is better than the lower hand.” Then the Prophet gave him a few silver coins, and said: “Go to the forest, cut some wood, and sell it to earn your livelihood. And meet me in two months’ time.”
The man accepted the Prophet’s words. He led his life as advised by the Prophet. Then two months later, he came back to the Prophet and said: “I am happy with my job. Now I have decided not to ask for anything from anyone.”
By hard work you can earn money, but through money you cannot achieve hard work. The best formula of life is this: Do not try to obtain favours from others, but rely on your own efforts.
