Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Accept challenges

Accept challenges



When we come across people who have tremendous passion and energy, we look at them with envy and wonder where it comes from. We wish we were like them. Passion and energy come automatically when you are in love with what you do. It is passion that gives us energy to add quality to what we do, succeed and enjoy. As it comes from within, it has tremendous power to motivate. Mother Teresa had that passion and that is why she could tirelessly work to soften the suffering of so many tragedy stricken lives. Her commitment came straight from her heart.
People who are passionate resound with enthusiasm. It is contagious. You imbibe it unconsciously. That is why passionate people are popular and always are surrounded by eager friends.
Many of these passionate people may not make lots of money, but they do not care as their focus is on enjoying what they do and not counting the materialistic spin offs they have. Their value systems are different. That is why they are always happy with what they do and what they have. On the other hand, we see others with heavy bank balances who have no springs in their feet.
American poet and essayist, Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "Enthusiasm is one of the most powerful engines of success. When you do a thing, do it with all your might. Put your whole soul into it. Stamp it with your own personality. Be active, be energetic, be enthusiastic and faithful and you will accomplish your object. Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm."
I realised this when I began teaching post graduate students over 20 years ago. I used to enjoy every session and it was because I had so much fun doing what I always wanted. I learnt a lot in the classroom from my students, helped students discover themselves, boosted their self-esteem so that they would achieve, experimented with new ways of making concepts more interesting and simpler and kept alive my passion. It was not the easiest thing to do but I stuck to what Arland Gilbert had said, "When we accept tough jobs as a challenge to our ability and wade into them with joy and enthusiasm, miracles can happen."
It did. It opened a new world where reaching out to people brought as much joy as writing. We all have to discover ourselves and we can do that only if we take the risk.

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