“Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it”– Charles R. Swindoll

Life is a roller coaster ride. There are unexpected turns and twists. There is never a smooth passage. The moment one thinks that he or she is getting a knack for it, it altogether topples your hopes. Life is full of turbulent times with dark clouds hovering around the head, deep dark abyss with no ray of light and adverse situations that can break the resolute minds. But, instead of all the dense clouds and catastrophic times, the indomitable human spirit has lived long and come out victorious in the toughest of times. Those who have existed and excelled are the ones who never gave up on their dreams and never cast a doubt on their capabilities. The fire in their spirits have melted the mountains, their unwavering attitude has split valleys apart and their undaunted resolve have helped them conquer the world.

After the chaos created by IIFT this year with an unprecedented paper, thousands of students were left to grieve over their failure to score good marks in the same. For months students from all across the nation were building strategies and tactics to ace this exam by solving mocks and previous years’ papers. But the exam took everyone by surprise and shattered the hopes of many aspirants. Even the best of the minds failed to anticipate the move and students were jumping from section to section like headless chickens with no game plan. But the greater damage that this exam did was to break the morale of the students rendering them devoid of any motivation left for the future exams. I see a lot of distressed souls with no vigour left to crack the other MBA exams like XAT, SNAP, CMAT, TISSNET etc.

Now, this is the part where most people go wrong. After tasting a few bitter failures, most of the people give up on their dreams and instead opt for an easy way out. They start doubting themselves instead of fairly evaluating the circumstances and the conditions that led to their failure. Failures are the greatest teachers. They help one to establish his/her physical and mental boundaries. One can learn loads of wisdom from them which any theoretical knowledge fails to provide. A failure if embraced in the right sense can help one to identify what’s going to work and what’s not going to bear any fruit. But in the majority of times, people see failure as a hindrance to their pursuits. Those who cannot stand after experiencing a fall, will not innovate and are bound to perish but those who are persistent with their clear vision, are the ones who stand out from the crowd and lead the pack.

Never give up - Elon Musk

The man who revolutionised the world with his bizarre ideas and took the technology industry by storm - Elon Musk, has many credits to his sleeves. The mastermind behind the world giant companies like PayPal, Tesla Motors, Space X and SolarCity, is a role model for budding entrepreneurs and for everyone who dreams of making it big. But his life has been a tale of struggles, of failures and disappointments. But he didn’t crumble on the face of adversities. According to him “Failure is an option here. If things are not failing, you are not innovating enough.” Each failure offered plethora of new opportunities for him and his resolve to transform the world with his eccentric ideas became firm.

never give up - Virat Kohli

Source: Hindustan Times

Another sportsman who is revered by the cricket community and looked upon with awe is the new run machine known as Virat Kohli. With 6 double centuries and 20 tons in Test Cricket with an average of 53.76, 32 hundred in One Day matches with a whopping average of 55.74 and a strike rate of 91.73, this man is changing the landscape of Indian cricket and is slowly cruising to become the best batsman in the cricketing history. But again his transition from being an ordinary cricketer to becoming a legend is a journey full of rugged phases and tumultuous times. The 2014 India’s tour to England was a disaster, where he could merely score 134 runs in 10 Test match innings and failed to even deliver in the following ODI series. Yet, he didn’t lose his belief upon his capabilities and through his intense training, workouts, and practice he came back so strongly not just to have a place in the team but to lead the path of the Indian cricket squad.

Those who do not dare to dream big are sure not to face obstacles and roadblocks. Remember, there is less competition at the peak. Only a few people have the fortitude and the audacity to pursue their goals. To be able to move consistently on the path towards accomplishments, one needs to be disciplined more than being motivated. Motivation is a highly overrated word and people seek it to strive towards their goals. They keeping searching for videos, books, and articles to give a stimulus to their drive. But, motivation can get you started, but can’t keep you going. It is the everyday discipline which eventually translates into a habit and finally into behaviour.

Someone rightly said that “if an opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door”. Let a few setbacks don’t get into your psyche. Self-doubt and self-loathing over failures cannot help you to unleash the vast energy reserves hidden inside you. Efforts shall bear fruit and I swear they’ll be the sweetest you’ve ever tasted. After all, where’s the kick and the fun in embarking on a journey that doesn’t involve turns and twists and is plain as hell? So, pull up your socks, tighten your seat belts and let your preparation go with full throttle. I assure that a glorious future is waiting for you.

Neraj Naiyar

Why You Should Never Give Up