OBSTACLES ARE STEPS

On May 26, 1987, Delhi newspapers carried several front-page stories. One of them was about the Delhi Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination, Class XII, 1987.

In this exam, most of the top-ranking students were girls. Reporters met with these students, interviewed them, and published their stories with photographs.

There was a clear lesson in the backgrounds of these outstanding students. Most did not come from wealthy families. In fact, some faced serious difficulties. Because of poverty, they had no proper place to study, very few books, and constant noise that distracted them. Yet they overcame all these challenges and earned distinction in their chosen subjects. (Hindustan Times, New Delhi, May 26, 1987)

Abundance of resources often makes people careless, while scarcity awakens concern and effort. Having too much can lead to idleness, while having less drives a person to action. In this sense, one may call the person facing scarcity more fortunate. Obstacles can become steps to progress—if one knows how to use them that way.