Motivation, Encouragement and ignited minds!

Behind every successful man there are other able men and women. There is of course no substitute for hard work. But in order to transform oneself into a hardworking person, one needs great amount of motivation and encouragement beside natural talent and skill.

'Hard work 'is a simple term to use but a mighty task to implement in one's life. In order to bring a change in ourselves, we need to ignite ourselves. For doing so, we need to introspect within. We also need the encouragement and words of praise from our close relatives and friends. It really plays a great role in bringing a change in one's attitude towards life.

How does a small kid improve on fronts like handwriting, drawing etc.? It's the constant encouragement (May it be fake) from their teachers and parents that motivates them to do well. Such positives instill in them a sense of pride and confidence that makes them believe in their abilities and empower them to do well and win more accolodates from their seniors and elders.

Success and failure is in our minds. We get what we think. Therefore, it is always advised to think positive. The Indian cricket team in the T20 World Cup was no superior to teams like Australia and South Africa who were bubbling with talent and experience. Still team India made it to the finals and fought out a victory in the ultimate game to become the game's new 'Numero-Uno'. They won because they were confident. They knew they had nothing to loose as they had entered the competition as under-dogs. The crux of the example is that it's our mind that helps us win battles; pours strength into our limbs and makes us forget everything other than victory. But sometimes things can go drastically wrong for us. We may fall into a depressive state or fall short of confidence. This may happen due to numerous reasons ranging from a streak of failures to personal problems. Once a person falls into the grip of depression, it's hard for him to escape from it. At such times he considers all his actions to be futile and regrets his life. This period is the most painful and testing.

Recovery from such a state takes a long time and is also quite traumatic. During such times a lot of negative thoughts engulf our mind. But we must make sure not to take any big decision relating to our life at such times. Friends and relatives have a great role to play too. It is common knowledge that when a person is at his worst, he has to face all the music, bear intolerable remarks and comments and that too at a time when their mind is the most fragile. At such critical times, instead of making harsh remarks and comments, we must be careful in our approach and be soft spoken. We should not get irritated by their unnatural behavior or unwarranted actions, knowing very well that they are not themselves.

Words of love and affection, courage and motivation can change lives. These simple terms have extraordinary power hidden beneath them. We can bring a dramatic change in us only if we understand their true meaning and learn to use them efficiently and effectively in our lives.

- Abhijeet.