Golden Sutras of Success

By Pt. Gopal Sharma

It is the ardent desire of everyone to be successful in life. The book is replete with the formula of becoming successful. It is useful for the people of all age-groups. It inspires & fills the reader with new enthusiasm to make their lives more successful. It can prompt you with new tips to achieve success and more meaningful life; besides enhancing optimism and positive attitude to fly high in the sky.

You would not only love to read it again & again but wish to keep it as a jewel in your book-shelf.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Diamond Books
• Release date: Dec 7, 2021
• ISBN: 9788128822865

Book preview

PART 1

TURN FAILURE INTO SUCCESS

Everyone should learn to face failure and success in his life.

- Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam

It is true that the secret of success lies in failure. Why does failure occur?

We execute our tasks with complete dedication and honesty and hope to succeed. Let us explore: - "Have you ever planned to achieve your goals"? Were you ever loyal to yourself and to your work? Did you cut yourself off from this world to focus on your project with single minded devotion? Were you, by any chance, lacking in courage? Did you ever experience your work intensely? Likewise, there are so many reasons that drag us towards failure.

It is when we introspect ourselves, and not others, that we become truly aware of our failures. It is also then that we stop finding faults in others, which, really, is the chief reason of all failure. When you let go of this tendency, you will experience the distinct feeling of having overcome the root cause of failure.

Have you ever thought deeply of the reasons of failure? Did you pay attention to them? Most of us will say - No, I never focused on the ground realities of my failure. Now, such people should stop and think: "When I have never concentrated on the reasons of failure, how can I succeed?" We meet with failure not because of others, but ourselves. People are so preoccupied with misconceptions like when, how, possibilities, procrastinations, that it is ridiculous! Why so many excuses and confusions? How can a person succeed when he himself breeds the problems in the way of success?

Everyone wants to succeed but only a few achieve success. Why? The reason is that they know how to succeed.

"Everyone wants to succeed but only a few achieve success. Why? The reason is that they know how to succeed."

To whomsoever it is asked, Would you like to succeed?, will nod his head and agree. But if we ask about his (or her) plans (or strategies) for success, they will say, Just busy with work. let’s see whether I can achieve it or not. This is a negative answer. To the contrary, some will say, Yes, definitely! I’ll succeed because I am confident and courageous. I am accomplishing my tasks with sheer hard work and passion. I am bound to succeed.

This shows that there are two opinions - hope and anxiety - one on either side. It also proves that where there is a will, there is a way. It is also equally true that anxiety leads to failure. So, a person should always be optimistic, and never pessimistic.

"Success does not mean merely to succeed, but to truly achieve our goals. That is, winning the war, and not just the battles."

The above quotation means that a person who sets goals must achieve them completely and not just some parts of it. Generally, it is seen that people set their goals, but when faded with the inevitable challenges along the way, lack the courage and energy to take a detour from the original path and overcome these challenges. There are a few who aim and focus on their targets. They succeed up to some extent, but restrict themselves beyond that due to hardships. Thus they compromise with their ideals and satisfy themselves with less than they could have achieved. This attitude deviates them from their original plans — something that shouldn’t happen.

Finally, there are a few who set their goals and achieve them too. They do so successfully because they tackle each and every problem with commitment and courage, and, naturally, end up achieving them.

Sometimes, people use unfair means to achieve their goals yet cannot benefit themselves — that is to say, they fail to appreciate the significance of their success (and learn vital lessons from them). They only say, I am successful, but don’t know the reasons behind it. In reality, successful is that person who gains control after an effort.

To succeed, one doesn’t need to climb mountains, but the ladders of success - step by step. Just shining the matt of circumstances in life is the secret of success. By circumstances, we mean those situations which stop us from reaching our goals. They are characterised by lack of commitment and absence of a clear line of action.

Man has to imbibe great qualities in order to win over difficulties and make a solid beginning in his planned quest towards success.

Success means achieving realistic and specific targets rather than running after insignificant and immeasurable ones.

Success is merely a mix of perseverance and persistence to achieve worthy goals.

What is a worthy goal? It is what a person sets for his success? Merely setting a goal is not success — one has to continuously make efforts to achieve it. Constructing and setting a ‘goal plan’ is important because it reminds us that we have not reached where we are supposed to be, that is, our goals.

Success means achieving realistic and specific targets rather than running after insignificant and immeasurable ones.

Our aim should be specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound. It should not be intangible like I wish to fly with wings on my body. This is an illusion. How would one succeed with a ‘dream’ like that? On the other hand, if someone says - I will devise a flying machine that would help us fly — then yes, one has set a realistic goal for one’s self. With confidence, persistence and commitment, it can be achieved.

Sidharth and Vikram were two friends who used to study together. After completion of their education, Sidharth asked Vikram - Now that we have completed our education, what do you think we should do?

Vikram replied — Education is just a formality these days. Corruption and bribery have spread everywhere like a disease. No one can get government jobs easily. Let us hope well for our fate. What do you say?

After thinking for a moment, Sidharth answered - I will prepare for the Indian Administrative Services. In this way both got separated and chose their own paths.

After 10 years, both of them met coincidentally when Sidharth had become an IAS officer but Vikram was not successful. He chased two rabbits and both escaped, that is, he tried too many things with half hearted attempts but focused on none. Sidharth had set his goals that he had to join Administrative Services for which he endeavoured and succeeded. On the other hand, Vikram had no aim and wasted his time in unusual activities. It is not surprising that Vikram failed.

Negative thought is the biggest stumbling block to success. That is why it is said-If you cry, someone will die.

An example:

Nishant used to have negative opinions about everything he did. Whenever his mother asked him to perform any task, he used to refuse by giving excuses like It won’t happen, May not be possible, It’s useless, etc. One day, Nishant’s grandma was ill. His mother said to him, Nishant, your grandma is not well, go meet her and present these fruits to her.

Nishant replied, Oh mom, it is usual with grandma. She will soon recuperate, there is no need to visit that place. Still, his mother sent him forcibly.

On his return, Nishant’s mother enquired about his grandma’s health. Nishant replied — Mom be fast, grandma has passed away.

Had she been provided timely medical help; she could have survived. Pessimist people can never bring good news.

This essentially means that every task should begin with passion and optimism because good beginnings lead to great endings. Needless to say, one must be passionate about whatever one undertakes. Let us discuss the ingredients of success and the reasons of failure.

Forget your worries, and live a life of positivity.

1

INGREDIENTS OF SUCCESS

Let’s talk about the essential ingredients of success without which anyone can fail. These qualities are found only in those who want to succeed and know how to succeed. What are the qualities? Qualities are habits that are appreciated by everyone. For instance, if a task is undertaken with confidence, performed artistically and completed with excellence, we say it is a work of ‘quality’. For example, if someone says - I can definitely do this activity, it is a quality. Everyone knows that the work is quite difficult, but the confidence is appreciated, and is counted as a quality. That is to say, what some has (or possesses) is referred to as his or her ‘quality’. In simple terms, read the following lines of Martin Luther King (Junior) —

If someone is asked to clean the roads he should do it with the same beauty and perfection that Michael Angelo used to show in his paintings, Beethoven in his music and Shakespeare in his writing. He should do it so beautifully that governors of earth and heaven should stop and say - Here lives a sweeper who has done his job beautifully.

What has been appreciated here? The job of the sweeper. To clean the road artistically is his quality; to beautify the road is his job. If one has qualities, he will climb the ladders of success, because commitment towards work is the best quality that aids a person to gain respect.

A person is stronger not because he has more strength than others but because he displays his strength for more time than others.

Like -

Once upon a time Napoleon Bonaparte had a strong opponent who always criticized Napoleon. But Napoleon appointed him at a higher and respectable designation. One day, an officer asked Napoleon, Sir, the person whom you have appointed on the designation was criticizing you. After hearing this, Napoleon replied — The person whom I have appointed on this post truly deserves it. It is not my concern whether he criticizes me or appreciates me. All I require is his work, not his criticism. The critic was appraised purely on the qualities he possessed. We should also take care of our tasks and concentrate on it. We should acquire the qualities that lead us through the way to success and not those which detour us from it.

Diamond sparkles because of its qualities and is decorated in the crown. A person is stronger not because he has more strength than others but because he displays his strength for more time than others.

The one who displays his strength for more time than anyone else, reaches his destination. Qualities are possessed by everyone, that is, everyone has some quality or