1) Kak cheshta - perseverance of a crow
2) Bako dhyanam - have the vigilance, attention and focus of the swan
3) Shwan nidra tethaivch - sleep light and alertly like a dog
4) Alpahari - eat less
5) Grihatyagi - sacrifice the luxuries offered in a home
I mean how many people actually think about all these characteristics while preparing for or taking tests, writing essays, or keeping their nerves during interviews? Apparently, none. Implicitly - all.
I for one, adhere to principal 2) based on my interest, follow 3) except on weekends, pride myself on not adhering to 4) and can't help but experience 5) in a few months from now. I just stop at 1) and smile. Whenever I say it in my head, I cannot help but smile. It makes me respect the human brain and its capacity to affect our destiny, even more.
Resilience, conviction, perseverance and hence the pursuit of a goal are what make life worth the while. The strength that we derive from our steady progress and the way we let criticism construct our structure of self belief is amazing and beautiful as a process. What mystifies me even more is that when the goal is achieved, the destination reached, we do not let ourselves loose and start floating. We get more grounded due to the weight of our achievements and accomplishments.
Life is a machine that spins constantly and churns out opportunities and challenges, in its own sweet and perfect time. One completion throws light on another gap to be filled.
In my life, I have just done something that took me a long and helpful time. Another challenge stares me in the face. This time, I do not fear it as I know that I have the pebbles and the water is there for me.
