Life is a continuous struggle.

Starting from birth to death, life is a struggle. We have to win in this struggle in order to move ahead. The struggle is both continuous and inevitable. Owing to this reason, in order to survive and succeed in life, we have to equip ourselves with weapons to launch a counter attack on those conditions which hamper our smooth running of our lives. Each one of us should become warrior equipped with a steel armour to protect ourselves and a sword to annihilate the enemy.

All warriors are not Victors.

Remember your enemy creates all kinds of adversaries to stall you. He will be on the constant look out for your mistakes. If you yield to them due to unawareness or carelessness, you will be vanquished. Whereas the warrior who is cautious about the tricks of the enemy will mobilize all his resources and put up a big fight with steely determination only to emerge as the Victor.

In this regard, it’s essential to have control on one’s self. Self control is a habit that takes a person towards his cherished goals. And it’s the habit that makes one, “One in Millions.”

What Self control implies?

Self control implies a person’s ability to command his fluctuating temper, feelings and emotions, discrimination to know what is a wrong judgment and right judgment, and the ability to curb evil with his discrimination. When it comes to Self control it would be appropriate to quote the examples of some masters who stood as the examples for Mastery over their Self.

The famous lexicographer Robert Ainsworth's self control is evident from this example below.

In a fit of anger Ain'sworth's wife thrown the volume of his lexicon in to the flames. The undisturbed and unperturbed Ainsworth slowly returned to his writing table and started everything  from scratch .

Another example for exemplary Self control.

Thomas Carlyle, writer of the great book, 'French Revolution ' has given the manuscript of the first volume to his friend for his opinion. Unfortunately his friend left it on the floor carelessly. His servant thinking that it was a bunch of useless papers used them to light the oven.

The courageous Carlyle, neither, groaned or moaned. He has not expressed any anger. There were no signs of anger on his face. He coolly went to his writing table. Started the agonizing the process of rewriting his script. As a result of his steadfast attitude and immense control on his self, today we are able to savour  the great classic, 'French Revolution'.

Virtues Self control.

The most heartening aspect of Self control is, it prevents haste. We are familiar with examples how a work done in haste backfires and proves counterproductive. People will not see how fast you have done the job. But see how well you have done it. And remember Self control implies ‘Patience’ is also included. Doing a job in haste clearly says that you are impatient. You are denying the required factor for a fruit to get ripe.

For a mother to conceive the child it takes nine months. It should be noted here that even to give birth to a grass blade, mother earth takes its own time. Many lost all their possessions like name and fame because of their hasty actions.

Self Control will awaken you consistently and alerting you that a failure is not the end of the world. That a failure is not a matter to be ashamed of. That it’s not the failure but falling flat and never rising is a matter to be ashamed of.

Here are some Famous Failures.

Thomas Alva Edison failed in his attempts to discover the bulb not once. But 999 times. Unperturbed and undisturbed Edison whenever he encountered a failure coolly went back to his lab started again.

When his maiden speech in the House of Commons has become a flop, and was jeered and booed, Lord Beaconsfield  was not deterred. He said,’ I shall sit down now, but a time will come when you will hear me.’

Moments of embarrassment and shame never dampened the spirit of Lord Lytton when his first novel, first play and first poem faced a huge failure and failed to evoke interest in the public. He buried his shame and embarrassment. Took the Pen and Paper and started.

These examples testify to the fact, that  it’s rare to find a person who attained greatness and adorned the folios of the history through their great achievements, who has not failed the first time.

It’s through one’s abilities to survive failures and disappointments one can attain greatness. And this ability to survive failures is possible only through Self Control.

"Our greatest glory is not  in never falling but in rising every time we fall."

Confucius

Life is not a cake walk. Nor a bed of roses. It brings along with its fair share of Tsunamis, gales and storms. One who sees at these calamities brought by life with unflinching bravery, calm and composure, they are bound to recede without doing any harm to us.

If you run away from a barking dog, it chases you. Instead,if you stand still and stare at it, it retreats wagging its tail. Timidity towards adversity will cause untold miseries.

Adversities are nothing but a test.

If you want to go up in life, you have to pass some tests. These tests are necessary to prove your worth to the higher positions in your office.

Akin to this, life tests us with various tests to test our readiness to face the UPs and DOWNs of life. Life teaches us that it’s only through suffering one can become stronger. It’s only through the tests in the guise of adversities, one’s latent powers and strengths surface up that would have remained forever in the deep core of us had there been no adversities.

Difficulties can be driven away to the unknown corners with timely decisions. Obstacles and pitfalls can be conquered through arduous efforts. The conqueror will be hailed as the Victor who brought his life to its feet and made his slave.  Above all the victory over life’s adversities will expose your enormity of your Self Control.

Ability to see beyond visible.

Another habit that makes you stand head and shoulders above the rest.This is a trait that makes you see an opportunity in every adversity. We know many of us fail to see those things which lie within our reach and look towards yonder. An illustrative example will convince you.

A riverside factory that manufactures gunny bags was affected by the floods. As a result, a big stock of gunny bags numbering in lakhs were damaged. The management, seeing the damaged gunny bags decided to sell them away for a throwaway price and advertised in the news papers.The response was almost a cipher. The reason for lukewarm response was businessmen thought, there is no meaning in buying the damaged gunny bags.

One day, a business man came and enquired about the gunny bags in the office of the factory. He expressed his wish to have a look at the damaged bags before he takes a decision to buy or not to buy. The management agreed and took him to the warehouse where the stock of damaged gunny bags were located. The businessman, after a close examination discovered that the damage to the gunny bags was not extended beyond the first one or two layers. He also discovered that all the inner layers of the huge bunch of gunny bags are bone dry .

The business man immediately paid the price of the gunny bags that was fixed by the factory management and transported the lot to his own godowns.

Look at the businessman's ability to see beyond the obvious. His trait enabled him to sell the supposedly damaged bags to the same factory for a huge amount.

Here you cannot miss his ability to smell the opportunity, which a normal man failed to notice.This is what is required to make one, "One in Millions."

Next habit to make you unique.

We are familiar with the adage," A bad workman blames his tools".

A talented workman will never complain about inadequacy in the conditions . Rather with his talent creates the conditions congenial to him with all that is at his disposal.

Great achievers all over the world never allowed bad conditions dictate them. They used very ordinary materials and shaped them to suit their work. It's only the incompetent and incapable complain about their tools.

Sir C.V. Raman, Noble Laureate  and  inventor of  "Raman effect continued his work with a broken microscope.

Ferguson used simple beads threaded on a string to calculate the distances of the celestial bodies

It should be noted that, it’s the skill of the person that create magic even with no or  bad tools. If there is no skill in the person, even the best of the tools also will not work.

• Elizabethan sailors with their ordinary and ill equipped boats could lead an expedition on Arctic sea equally and as competently as the Victorian explorers who were well equipped with sophisticated boats.
• Many artists and painters of today are well equipped with painting and other related materials than their counterparts of renaissance period. But we know the works of those masters were never excelled even today by the modern painters.
• James watt, inventor of steam engine used a syringe used by an anatomist for his first model.
• Benjamin west made his brushes from the cat’s tail.
• Ship owner Lindsay has enriched his knowledge from an old copy of Encyclopedia Britannica.
• The Scottish naturalist Thomas Edward used his skills to build all his required material and equipment with cheap materials.
• The entire lab equipment of Dr. Wollaston consisted of a few watch glasses, a blowpipe, a small balance and a few test papers. All held in a Tea tray.
• The equipment of Sir Isaac Newton was a paste board, a lens and a prism to discover the composition of light.

Someone has asked an artist, ‘How do you mix colors’?

The artist replied, ‘with brains.’

It sums up all. The finest of the tools are futile without brains.

Independent like a bird.

The Qualities of Self-Sufficiency

Ralph Waldo Emerson, as a pioneer leader of “Transcendentalist “movement has been recognized and revered as the Champion of Individualism.

 “the only right is what is after my constitution, the only wrong what is against it.”--- Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Emerson says, never to imitate or never to follow others, but one’s advise. One must feel secure and content with oneself. In other words, Self reliance is an estimation of one’s worthiness. In a nutshell it’s a feeling of well being. 

There are two kinds of Self Reliant persons.

A person with a strong Self Reliance. A person with a weak Self Reliance.

People with strong Self Reliance will not think what other people think of them. What other people expect of them. Their only Mission and objective of life is, ‘Be yourself.’ They have their own convictions and beliefs. They will not allow others to walkover their heart. In their view, the greatest accomplishment in life is not amassing millions and owning castles of enormous size. But to be themselves.

They won’t wait for others' validation.

People with strong Self Reliance will not look towards others’ approval. A lion never look for others’ approval before it pounces on a lamb. They are well aware that life is too short. In this short life, what’s the use of wasting the valuable time in waiting for others’ approval?

Slights, rebuffs, scorn and disdain will not affect the people with strong Self Reliance. Being equanimous, staying composed and calm and remaining unaffected by good or bad is their chief trait. Adversities do not dampen their spirit. Failures will not make any dent on their heart. While on their journey, if they fall down due to stumbling blocks, they with their tremendous resilience bounce back and continue their onward journey of life.

Self Reliance is the product of immense power of concentration.

Concentration also known as Dharana in Sanskrit is centering the mind on one single thought. When you concentrate or focus on one thing, your mind will be away from all the worldly happenings around you. When you are reading a book fully immersed in it, when somebody calls you, you cannot hear. Because all your senses become still. You cannot see a person who stands before you. You cannot smell the mouthwatering flavors emanating from the kitchen.

A person with Self Reliance makes concentration as a tool for achieving his cherished goals.

While on a job, his concentration empowers him gather all his inner traits and direct towards the job in his hand.

Imagine a magnifying glass. Hold it opposite the sunlight. The magnifying glass makes the scattered sunlight gather in to one single point. This point is capable of setting fire to a bundle of grass. This wouldn’t have been possible by the scattered rays of sunlight. That’s the power of concentration.

Akin to this, A Self Reliant person gathers all his inner faculties to achieve his life’s ambitions.

Concentration opens floodgates to success.

As I said in the above lines, the power of concentration enables the practitioner to grasp the things much faster. What others take more time to do a job, Self Reliant person empowered by concentration will do in a jiffy. They are in command of their wavering emotions and thoughts.

This in turn boosts the productivity manifold. There will be a crystal clear thoughts. There will be a power to take decisions. Because there will be a clear view of the goals which otherwise would have been hazy.

The time tested Pranayama, your best bet for Concentration.

‘Pranayama’ is a combination of two words. Prana means life force. And Ayama means to expand. The process of Pranayama consists of expanding the vital force. The Sage Patanjali in his treatise ‘Yogasutra’ has defined the process of Pranayama. In Pranayama by interrupting respiration, the life force ‘Prana’ is controlled.

There are many benefits of Pranayama. Among them concentration is one. The Pranayama inspires, motivates and controls the vital force that is Prana. 

Though there are several ways of performing Pranayama, we will discuss about the most elementary form of Pranayama.

Just by sitting in a comfortable posture on a mat spread on the floor and by breathing in breathing out deeply in a slow and steady manner will yield great results.

How concentration enhances the qualities of a Self Reliant person.

A self Reliant person will have a strong desire to excel in whatever job he undertakes. They draft their own course of action. They make their own decisions.

We are aware about the adage, ‘Help yourself, Heaven will help you.” A self Reliant firmly believes in this adage and toils day in day out to  help himself. Strengthen himself and fortify himself in all respects. Charity is one thing, on which he never believes.  Because it robs the independence. It makes one a slave for eternity. That’s why any help or assistance from outside is being refused by a Self Reliant. He believes in taking help that comes from within.

The path to success.

“You are essentially who you create yourself to be and all that occurs in your life is the result of your own making.”  --Stephen 

Making yourself and moulding yourself holds the key to success. Some achieve success and taste the fruits of their deeds in a way that’s suitable to them. Because to achieve success and to live a life of your own, there are a plethora of ways. Out of that, I have discussed about Self Control and Self Reliance. Stick to your Mission success come what may. Never give up. Never lose hope. Never be bullied by failures.