Extract from:
Secrets of success
One of the causes of success is taking up the vocation to your liking and that which commensurate to your intelligence or mental ability. God has not created all of us alike. We all are not bestowed with the ability of doing everything. But, in order to run the society smoothly He has given a distinct taste and tendency to everyone. It is so, in order that one may take up the profession of one’s own liking or bent of mind, and that, which attracts one; thus, deriving benefit from one’s natural competence. Generally, one of the causes of young people’s failure and defeat is not following this established rule. As a result of wrong propaganda and faulty training they go after jobs, which are not according to their aptitude. They take up vocations for which they are not suitable. They forget the accepted principle: “Every mind has certain predisposition. Lucky is the one who finds it out many of them did not have a natural bent for it.
The progress and success of a student gets a lethal blow if he enters a field, which is not in line with his or her natural bent. For instance, if a youth is interested in literature, if his tongue and pen spread literary pearls and he has no liking at all for mathematics he will definitely not succeed except in the field of literature.
A Page from the Biography of a Famous Painter
Now let us read an extract from the diary of a famous painter: He was an idle boy during his college days. He neither studied properly nor allowed his companions to do so. He was a thorn both in his own path and that of others. Yet his appearance showed that he was a capable boy. A professor who was an expert psychologist called him, gave him some advice and warned him of the bad consequences of his lifestyle. He counselled: Nobody is fortunate enough to have the protection of a father forever. Life is full of difficulties. The way you live will make you suffer badly in future… However, the professor observed that when he was advising the boy he was busy drawing a picture with a piece of coal on the floor. The intelligent professor at once understood that this boy was born to be an artist and had nothing to do with the problems of algebra. No amount of effort in the field of mathematics would benefit him. Realizing his responsibility in this connection, he informed the boy’s guardian of this discovery. He told the boy’s father to the effect: “Your son is very much interested in drawing. If you change his faculty, he might earn much fame in art.” Days passed, and the words of the professor came true. That boy soon became an expert painter. Edison was asked by some, “Why most of the young people are unable to live a successful life?” He replied, “Because they are not aware of their path and they traverse other routes.” Such people prove harmful to the society in two ways: They do not adopt the vocation for which they are capable and wherein they can get success and another harm is that they take upon themselves a responsibility which they are unable to fulfil.
Know Yourself:
Our religious leaders have emphasized that we must know and be acquainted with ourselves; that we should delve deep to find out our inner self. Our internal feelings are like a magnet attracting similar things. They store things or events in ‘memory’ so as to bring them out later when needed. Man is able to savor their benefits then. If whatever we learn is in line with our inner aptitude then it is easily stored up in the treasury of our memory and remains safe for a long period. But if we do a thing, which is contrary to our liking, then our mind forgets it soon. Thus the chances of our success are reduced. One who has ignored his natural aptitude is like one who swims against the currents or like the one who has entrusted himself to the giant waves which could sweep him away to the other side. Such a man seldom succeeds in his work. In short, when man becomes aware of his capabilities and knows his liking and then adopts a suitable vocation he soon becomes successful because he has a powerful inner attraction for the same
Comments