To try over and over again is the secret of success, writes MEERA S. SASHITAL.
In our lives every individual has some ambition or the other. But to achieve his goal perseverance is necessary. Perseverance is a steady persistence in a course of action, a purpose, continued effort to do or achieve something despite difficulties, failures, opposition, obstacles or discouragement. It is by sheer perseverance that even ordinary men have made their dreams come true. Perseverance, working in the right direction, grows with time, and when steadily practised, even the most humble will rarely fail to get rewards.
The persistent man will not be baffled or repulsed by opposition. Diogenes desired to be the disciple of Antisthenes, a cynic, but was refused. Diogenes still persisting, the cynic raised his staff to hit him unless he departed. But Diogenes said: “Strike, you will not find a stick hard enough to conquer my perseverance.” Antisthenes had no words to answer and forthwith accepted him as his pupil. Do we not have similar instances in Ekalavya and Kabir who went to extreme actions to become the disciples of their preceptors?
To try over and over again is the secret of success. Benjamin Disraeli the great British statesman flopped while delivering his maiden speech in Parliament. There was derisive laughter and guffaws till he was forced to sit down. But before he sat he pledged aloud “I have begun several times many things and I have succeeded at last. I will sit down now but the time will come when you will hear me.” Thomas Alva Edison made 1600 tests and tried out 3,000 different theories and hundreds of experiments before he came out with the incandescent lamp. About Dale Carnegie it is described how he spent months preparing a talk to win one of the elocution contests in his college.
Thomas Edison remarkable for his inventions and before he was acclaimed a genius was at the bottom of his class. When enquired about the secret of his success his reply was “It is plain hard work and perseverance.” To him, “Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine perspiration.” Again it is told of Holman Hunt who painted “the Light of the World” that once an admirer asked him the technique of drawing free-hand circles perfect like his, he is said to have replied: “All you need to do is to practise eight hours a day for forty years.”
When the great pianist Paderewski was asked to give a word of encouragement to the students, pointing to the music composition before him, the great pianist had exclaimed “I-I ‘the great Paderewski’ eighty-five times I practise this page.”
To cite one more example when Sarasate the famous violinist had given an exceptionally brilliant performance, a critic said he was a genius. To which Sarasate exclaimed: “Genius! For thirty-seven years I have practised 14 hours a day, and now you call me a genius.” Again Newton wrote his ‘Chronology’ fifteen times over before he was satisfied with it. Gibbon wrote his ‘Memoir’ nine times. Hume wrote thirteen hours a day while preparing his ‘History of England’.
Physical handicaps, obstacles or failures have never deterred men of perseverance from achieving their aims. The eminent musician Vishnu Digambar Paluskar had shown great promise in his school but an accident hampered his eyesight compelling him to discontinue his studies. But he compromised it by having training in Music and to become later the founder of Gandharva Mahavidyalaya.
Sir Walter Scott, the great novelist had lost the use of his right leg when only 18 months old and was lame all his life. Ramanand Chatterjee recognised as the “Grandfather of Indian Journalism” and a social reformer had reached the zenith the hard way. Again the well-known Ishwarchand Vidyasagar was said to have studied under street lights.
We speak of people having talents. But unless it is developed by perseverance it will never bloom and wither away. The late great sitarist Ravi Shankar in his autobiography “My Music, My Life” has disclosed how he disliked practising. Many a times he was admonished by his taskmaster Ustad Allauddin Khan too who had once told him to wear bangles as he had no strength. These words had touched the pupil deeply only to prod him to become one of the greatest sitarist of today. Even a gifted vocalist like Ustad Bade Gulam Ali Khan had to undergo the ordeal of perseverance. I have heard that early morning he would sit in a tub of cold water and practise to prevent him from falling asleep!
Perseverance has no limitations or boundary. Many of our leaders and patriots had come out with great works while in prison or exile. Dante had produced his great work in penury and exile. Jawaharlal Nehru, Mahatma Gandhi and others had written their precious thoughts and books in prison itself.
With perseverance, the very odds and ends of time may be worked up into results of the greatest value. For example, Dr. Mason Good translated Lucretius while riding in his carriage on the way to see his patients. Even while travelling diligent men have made use of the time and opportunities and persevered to produce great works of writings and learn also.
Perseverance needs lot of concentration, determination, effort and strength of mind perseverance helps in purging bad habits like smoking or drinking and moulding good habits. Each drop of previous effort adds to collect and to make an ocean of final success.
With regard to determination and perseverance I cannot evade Savitri who by her undaunted perseverance and determination followed Yama the God of death to recover her husband Satyavan’s life.
Perseverance is the golden rule that leads one to success. Every effort that we ask persistently and with perseverance will take us one step ahead than before. The difference between perseverance and obstinacy is that one comes from a strong will and the other from a strong won’t. Samuel Johnson told that great works are performed not by strength but by perseverance. The great Raman Maharshi preached – “No one succeeds without effort. Those who succeed owe their success to perseverance.”
MEERA S. SASHITAL.
