The life of an aspirant is quite tough. Right from childhood, everyone tells you to ‘aspire’ for big things in life since you are made to do great things. But strangely enough, once you enter the phase where you are actually called an ‘aspirant’, there aren’t many people around to fall back on. Some of your classmates would be well settled while you are still fighting for that elusive dream that requires you to study for hours when your friends are out catching up on the latest movie. You fear about missing out on those precious moments and start questioning your decision. At this very moment, take a pause and think about the time when you took the decision to be an aspirant. The dream that made you take such a brave step. The thought that made you take up this journey is the same thought that will keep you going through this journey.
There was a man who failed in business when he was 21, was defeated in a legislative race when he was 22, at the age of 24 he again failed in business, at 26 he overcame the death of his wife, he had a nervous breakdown when he was 27, lost the race to Congress at the age of 34 and to the Senate at the age of 45, he lost the Vice-President election when he was 47, lost the Senate election when he was 49. And then at the age of 52, he was elected as the President of the United States. He was none else but Abraham Lincoln. He got hundreds of opportunities to quit, but he waited for that one opportunity to succeed.
Everyone follows a different timeline in his life. A mango tree bears fruits not before four years from the date of planting, while a chilli plant might bear chillies for you only after a couple of months from the planting date. If you can’t compare these two, how can you compare two individuals living completely different lives with completely different set of goals and with completely different aims to achieve? Your goals must be sacrosanct for you. At times, we focus so much on the final goal that the joy of journey is often overlooked in the process. Gaining knowledge is one of the very few things that differentiate humans from animals. This journey of gaining knowledge is a journey of empowering yourself as a better human being. Remember the times when as a kid your Maths teacher used to stress on the ‘process’ you used to get to the solution rather than the solution itself, telling you that you would be given step-wise marks! Well that learning goes well beyond your Maths classes in school. It underlines the fact that a correct process would ensure the right end. The same principle applies today. Indulge in the process of gaining knowledge knowing that it would make you a better person.
A knowledgeable person is always an asset to the society and to the nation at large, irrespective of his official position or occupation. An aspirant’s contribution to the nation building process often goes unnoticed. Our nation is lucky to have an army of youngsters who are willing to go through hardships and undertake sacrifices to give the nation the best possible crop of officials in the coming years. Your purpose is thus, much higher than any other youngster of your age trying to make his both ends meet.
We are inspired by your courage to give up short term pleasures and aim for higher grounds which only a few can do. As you would have known by now, the journey will be long and arduous and full of bumpy rides. But who wants a monotonous life anyway, right? Would Abraham Lincoln have been this famous if he would have become the President right after he dreamt of it? Probably not! That is because you are made strong by the journey that you undertake and not by the destination you reach. The grit, determination, honesty towards your goal and self control that an aspirant adopts during his journey turns the aspirant into an asset that the nation would be lucky to have.
Remember, the regret is never from the non achievement of your goals, it arises from the knowledge that you could have tried harder. You have chosen a path wherein you would need to be successful only once. Till that glorious moment arrives, keep aspiring and keep inspiring.The entire nation wishes you the best.