JOIN USOur erstwhile president APJ Abdul Kalam insists that young people should dare to dream. He foresees a bright future for our country and the world at large, on the strength of our dreams. If each individual challenges his or her potential and dares to work on his or her ambition, the world will gradually emerge to be a better place economically, environmentally, socially and scientifically.
Often, some of the youngsters who listen to his solemn piece of advice tend to treat it in a lighter vein. They often misconstrue the need to consciously visualize a concrete future with day dreaming. A story from the Panchatantra talks about how once an extremely poor Brahmin found a pot of freshly ground cereals. He brought it home and hung it above his bed using coir. The sight of the pot filled him with visions of immense opportunity. He calculated that the flour could fetch a good price for him in the market. He planned to buy two goats with the money and once they bred, he would sell them and then buy a cow or two. The profits would be invested in buying some buffaloes and horses, and then he would make enough money to buy a home. He became confident his wealth would fetch him a beautiful bride. Then on, he could start his family and beget a son who would be named Deva Sharma. He then imagined that when he would be busy reading a book, his child might disturb him and he would call for his wife to take the infant away and if the wife delayed carrying out his order he would probably hit her with a stick. The intensity of his day dreaming was so powerful that he actually picked up a stick and hit the pot which hung above his bed. His dreams shattered even as the flour scattered all over the place. Deva Sharma dreamed passionately. He was not wrong in doing so. However he failed because he did not invest any time, effort or caution in executing his project. His virtual success even pumped arrogance in him. Many of us fall into the category of Deva Sharma because we fall into the trap of daydreaming.
At such times we seldom realise that only thoughts can formulate into ideas. It is only when ideas are worked upon they can be turned into reality. It is quite possible that we may have to confront obstacles of different sorts while working on our plans. The impediments should not put us off at any cost. If dedication, discipline and enthusiasm become our ruling mantra, the day is not far off when all our dreams will come true.