Perseverance and Will Power

A thinker once observed that people are not so much lacking in power as they are lacking in will power. It is a fact that usually people possess capabilities, but are unable to utilize them just because they are not capable of unflagging perseverance. And for any achievement, long-term struggle is indispensable. If you want to see a solid result for your efforts, you must first of all be prepared to exert yourself over long periods of time. If you do not have the ability to do this, you should not hope for any long lasting success. The secret of a successful life is simply this: “The more time you invest the more you progress.”

The establishment of a national life is sometimes possible within a short time, but sometimes it also requires a longer time period. It depends on which type of national establishment you want. If your aim is to arouse a temporary passion in people, and if you think of simply gathering a crowd by shouting slogans such as will appeal to mass psychology, that is all very well. But this, in reality, is establishment of leadership rather than the establishment of a nation.

There are leaders who, by engaging in clamorous activities, can definitely gain a temporary advantage. But if we really want to build a nation, we should understand that it is like planting a chestnut tree rather than a cucumber plant. Such an initiative surely requires long-term planning. It cannot be achieved in a short period of time. If any leader puts his faith in sloganeering, this may be attributable either to his naivety or his wish to exploit public sentiments. And if there are individuals who wish to see the success of their nation without a long-term period of travail, they should realize that this can be achieved only in the mind and not in reality.