Need for action

There are two types of people in the world – the “dreamers” and the “non-dreamers”. Dreamers are usually people associated with having heady, lofty visions and deep-seated extremely sensitive emotions.

However, it would behove the “dreamers” not to be just passive, vacuous and nebulous people with their heads stuck in the clouds while they fantasise in worlds of their own. Instead, they should fit in the mould of also being “doers,” which will help in realizing their dreams. A person who is solely a dreamer without an action-bound blueprint of “doing” in place will soon lose his credibility.

Action is indeed an indispensable prerequisite for successful manoeuvring in today’s “show me” world. Indeed, one can take the example of the extraordinary Manjhi, the “Mountain Man” (as he is called) who could have vacuously dreamt of his wife who died in child-birth. This was partly due to an inadequate pathway in the mountainous terrain which delayed her emergency treatment. Manjhi, instead of spending the remaining part of his life wallowing in sorrow over his much-loved wife, spent the next 22 years of his life in single-handedly carving out a suitable pathway in the mountains. Manjhi was obviously not just a “dreamer” but was goaded on by action, hard work and determination.

Action is the key word here, for idly dreaming will not produce substantial results. As Rabindranath Tagore said, “You can’t cross the sea merely by standing and staring at the water.” So, instead of fantasizing futilely, one should prepare a plan of action, which one can do in an organized and practical way by dividing the agenda into realistically achievable components/segments. For each component/segment, one should allot a realistic time-frame or deadline when that particular component can be achieved.

One must be serious and introspective regarding one’s dream and one should sport a ‘never say die’ optimism and tenacity. One should forge one’s self ahead with single-minded grit and will-power where one wants to achieve one’s goal against all odds. Indeed, though clichéd, the following quotation holds irresolutely true. “Actions speak louder and more vociferously than words.” My colleague and friend, Mrs Sancy Sam, put it quite succinctly when she said, “Don’t go around telling people your future plans. Instead, when it is all over, show them your action-backed, authentic and fool-proof results.”