Champions are different. They are different because they do something beyond what others will. It is not just the physical aspect of doing something. What’s more powerful is the internal aspect – the mind which travels well beyond what others do. Everyone goes to the gym – but the champions are those who do this, but also something beyond that takes them to the next level.
If you refused to be afraid: This is such a powerful quote by Mahatma Gandhi. It talks about the power of control we exert on our fears. When we are so scared, it feels like we have no choice and the immediate response is to hide. But the response to fear also is a choice – if we stand tall against this fear, there’s a different response that our minds will create. It will bring up the other aspects of our personality such as resilience, fighting spirit, desire to move beyond fear etc. It doesn’t suggest us to deny fear, but act on it with diligence and from a position of power.
Satisfaction lies in the effort, not in the attainment: Success and failure is all about the results – this is what most of us are taught to believe. I can see the logic in this because success comes with results and accolades that help us recognise a victory. This quote by Mahatma Gandhi talks about the effort involved in achieving success. Some of our successes can sometimes be fluke events. Although they give us the results, the satisfaction derived from them is small and in some cases disappointing. This quote brings the focus back to the effort involved and the satisfaction derived from this effort.
First, they ignore you then they laugh at you: This is a typical response for anything people don’t agree with. This is the world we live in. New ideas are not always welcome, they will be met with resistance, challenge and sometimes even a fight. This is especially true if your ideas are in conflict with some set of thoughts or you challenge people in power.
Failure will never overtake me: These are powerful words to tell ourselves and make it a part of our belief system. There’s no success without failure. But, if we let these failures take over us and shake our foundations, we are doomed. It all comes down to our definition of success and how strong we’ve built these foundations. These foundations will be shaken through many experiences, some of which will weaken us. We will need to find strength somehow and continue to move on. These moments demand the definition of success to be strong enough to keep us going.
What you’re thinking is what you’re becoming: We are never a finished product – instead, we’re in the constant process of becoming. These thoughts however are extremely powerful. If we ignore them, easily poisonous thoughts such as doubts, lies and disbelief will start pestering us. The best thing we can do is to be aware of these thoughts, what they are trying to tell us and think of the best ways to indulge in them.
Suffering is the essence of success: I’m conflicted about this quote. Although I appreciate what Abdul Kalam says about suffering i.e. hard work, perseverance and facing disappointments, I’m also against suffering as a precondition for success. Our journey should be fun because it isn’t the results that matter in the end. It is about the journey we take and how we feel about it in the long run. Let’s read on more to talk about this inspirational quote from Abdul Kalam
To be a great champion, you must believe you are the best: It all starts from a thread of belief. Unless we believe in ourselves, there’s very little chance of success in life. And even if we succeed without belief, we won’t be able to enjoy it because we end up attributing success to factors such as luck etc. Being a champion is a mindset. We all have unique abilities- let’s call that our leverage. If we compare ourselves to anyone, there will be areas of strength and weakness. The beauty is when we can use these strengths or leverage to create a path of victory for ourselves.
I know where I am going and I know the truth: Ultimately, this is all we care for – living life on our terms. Society, people around us or culture puts unreasonable expectations on us. Before knowing, we’re part of a bigger game where we try to fit in and get its approval. Take a moment to pause and think about this quote from Muhammad Ali. There’s no better success than living a life on your terms. It is far more fulfilling to do what we connect with and look back and find life as a beautiful experience – not as time wasted living up to someone else’s standards or expectations.
Even the Greatest Was Once A Beginner: Everyone starts somewhere. We can’t go on worrying about being the same as someone who started much earlier than us. Our results will be based on what we do today and for the rest of the days. If we are diligent about our work, follow through with intensity and learn from feedback, we have a chance at achieving our greatness. It is foolish to think that we start something today and compete at the same level as someone who’s been doing it for years. We must respect the complexity and put in the necessary work.