LIFE SKILLS & VALUE EDUCATION – CLASS-XI – UNIT- 8 Don’t Give Up

‘It is persistence and tenacity, the effort required to do something and keep doing it till the end, even if it’s hard’.

Have you ever watched a nine months old baby trying to stand on his feet? He fell down and returned to a crawling before trying to stand again. After a few attempts, he ignored his fears as he pulled himself back to h his feet, wobbled with his first step, and then fell again. He is mastering the art of Never Giving up in life.

    Did you know that Thomas Edison failed 1,000 times before he was successful in creating the lightbulb?
     Can you imagine what would have happened if he just gave up?

    Each day is a challenge for some of us. Some of you struggle to get up each morning and make it to school.
    But you find it within yourself to do because the hope of a better tomorrow compels you to do so. It is not
    easy to explain your condition to your family, friends, and teachers. The moment you leave your house and
     step on the bus, you are one step closer to realizing your dream, to fulfilling your purpose. That is what                     perseverance is. It is finding the strength to do the impossible because you know that all things are possible.

    Perseverance -Perseverance is the ability to go when things seem hopeless. It is also a measure of success,
     or at least how much sacrifice one is willing to make in the name of success.

        When a child learns to stand up and tries to walk, he/she is bound to fall down again and again. And by
        nature and instinct, he/she gets up, and again tries to step forward, although again he/she falls down. But             ultimately, he succeeds in walking. The same thing had once happened with each one of us, when we were children. Similarly, in spite of his repeated failures, a man having perseverance does not admit his defeat. He tries again and again, and finally attains success. A persevering person is one who has tremendous self-confidence, determination, and a natural urge towards hard labor, and will use his energy to the fullest.

TIPS TO DEVELOP PERSEVERANCE: THE SECRET TO SUCCESS

Milkha Singh, also known as the Flying Sikh, became the first Indian to compete in an Olympics athletic event. He lost his family to the brutal violence that followed the partition of India. He brought discipline and direction to his life, when he joined the army and decided to compete in athletics. His determination became critical to his success.

Clarify Your Goal: Base it on your purpose, needs, and abilities. Know why you want this goal and how you and others will benefit?

Intend to Achieve Your Goal: Outline your goal, strategies, and timeline. Know resources that can help you attain it, including individuals and the Internet.  Break the goal into small steps, working backward from your desired outcome and attainment date

Maintain Optimism: Expect good things. Keep a daily diary of good experiences.

Live in the Present: Don’t worry on the past or about what might happen. Let go of attachments. The more attached you are to something, the greater the fear of losing it.

Acknowledge Your Accomplishments: Judge these against personal standards of self improvements. Have the courage of your convictions. Don’t change for others, or compare yourself with them.

Try New Experiences: Always keep trying new things which can help you to improve better and achieve your goals.

Care for Your Mind, Body, Emotions, and Spirit: Take time to care for your mind and body. Do regular exercises, yoga to keep your mind and body fit. Eat healthy food, take sufficient sleep and take out time for your friends and family. Consistent: Focus on goals daily. Make short-term-goals and try to achieve them. Keep checking, if you are moving in right direction or not.

TEST YOUR PERSEVERANCE QUOTIENT

Give yourself one for each “yes” to the following:

          1. I believe in myself.

           2. I have clear career goals.

          3. I am aware of my limitations.

          4. I bounce back from disappointments.

          5. I persist.

         6. My family and friends support me in achieving my goals.

         7. I can adapt to change.

         8. I focus and complete my task on time

        9. My goals are consistent with my purpose and values.

       10. I can take stands when I believe I’m right.

         Add your “yes” scores. The higher your score, the more perseverant you tend to be.

NEVER GIVE UP-BAMBOO TREE

Sachin started a textile business. He invested all the money from his savings into the business. Also, he
borrowed some money from his friends and family.    He was doing small projects and delivering to customers. The revenue from these projects was less. And it was only sufficient to run his base. As the years passed, he was still getting only small projects. But he maintained top quality for all the deliveries. He tried very hard to get big projects, but could not get one.

 Some of his friends and family members who had lent the money to him started asking for the money. Sachin didn’t know what to do. He thought of selling his textile business.

 One day he was sitting on a farm and thinking. A farmer asked him, “Why are you so upset? What is the problem?” Sachin replied his business was not giving returns what he had thought. So, he was thinking of selling it off, as it was not worth pursuing anymore.

The farmer, hearing this took him to his farm. He showed a mango tree and a bamboo tree. He said, “I planted both the trees at the same time. Both the plants were equally nurtured with water, fertilizers, and required sunshine.  After the first year, the mango tree grew to a certain height. In the bamboo tree, there were no signs of activity.

 In the second year, the mango tree had grown further. But still, there were no signs of growth in the bamboo tree. It continued similarly for the third and fourth years. In the fifth year, the mango tree started producing fruits. Still, there were no signs in the bamboo tree. My family and fellow farmers told me not to waste any time on the bamboo tree. But I never gave up. After a week, there was a sign of growth in the bamboo tree. Then within six weeks, the tree had grown to 100 feet.

 Then I realized, in the first four years, it was developing its roots deep underground for a base strong enough
 to support its outer growth. If the tree had not developed a strong base, it could not have withstood its
 growth. So, the same principle applies to your business as well. Until now, you have created a strong base by delivering quality products. Wait for your time and never give up.”

After hearing this story, Sachin thanked the farmer for the motivation. He went back to his friends and family. Requested them for some more time for returning the money. And they all agreed. He then started exploring the opportunities and went to big companies for orders. In the third month, he got the order from a big company worth millions.

He and his team successfully delivered their order on time with top quality. Seeing the quality of the product, the MNC continued giving orders to Sachin’s textile industry. Sachin settled all the money taken become  from his friends. His business became a profitable business.

Moral of the Story: Many of you have dreams and goals, like starting a business, being an athlete, or being a CEO. But it is not easy to achieve all the goals. In these initial years, you have to put a lot of hard work and time into your goals. And the results may not be visible, even after that. But you should never give up. Just like the Bamboo tree, you are building a stable foundation. Once the base is strong, you will grow just like the Bamboo tree and achieve your goals.

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