BLOCKING OPTIONS THAT LET YOU DOWN

BHASKAR JYOTI BORAH                 Our mind has a general tendency to choose the easy path. Whenever we choose a hig...

BHASKAR JYOTI BORAH

                Our mind has a general tendency to choose the easy path. Whenever we choose a higher path, the mind in its all possible way  tries to come down to its original position where it finds itself comfortable. It wants to come down as it has the tendency to choose the easy path. If we come down it will become difficult for us to rise up to the original height once again and to achieve our desired success. Therefore we need to fix our ideals and block our options to come down. Most of the people choose the easy path and the achievements in their lives are also limited. But there are some people who wants to achieve something great and to become an achiever they always close their options that let them come down from their desired path.

          On 29^th May, 2018 morning I was with the Principal of our College helping her to sort out certain things. During that time a student ask permission from the principal to enter her room. She came and informed our Madam Principal that she has secured first division in her matriculation examination. Since the college is providing freeships for the meritorious students she enquired that whether she will be entitled to avail the freeship or not. Madam to ascertain her determination asked her that there is a condition on which the college will provide her freeship. She will not be required to pay a single penny for getting admission into the eleventh standard, but the condition is if she cannot secure first division in the eleventh standard, while taking admission into the twelfth standard she will have to refund the admission fees for which she obtained freeship to get admitted into the eleventh standard. Then she asked the view of the student. The student become confused. She began to loose faith on herself and she denied to opt freeship. Another student came after some time with first division and asked Madam Principal for freeship. Madam repeated the same question with the condition. But this student was confident. She readily accepted the condition and assured that she will secure first division in the coming examinations. This incident proved thought provoking for me. It means that the first student who has secured first division in her matriculation is definitely having the capacity to secure first division in her higher secondary courses. But she was not determined and therefore she kept the door for ‘coming down’ open. The second student who has also secured first division was determined and she blocked her option to come down. She accepted the challenge and kept her option of ‘going up’ open.

          It happens to all of us usually. We always used to compromise ourselves to the options that let us come down. Because it is very easy to withdraw, we always keep our options to come down open. If we block the options that may take us down, then we will have only one option in our life, i.e. ‘going up’. Therefore be cautious, block those options that may let you down and at the same time unlock those options that can lift you ‘up’. To rise high you cannot withdraw, you cannot give up. The option for giving up should not be there in your dictionary. You must fight and never give up. Thomas Edison failed 10,000 times before he invented electric bulb. He said later on, “ I have not failed. I have just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”  That means he kept his options of coming down blocked. He only kept open the options which can lead him to success and not failure. Abraham Lincoln failed many times in his life but finally at the age of 52, he became the president of the United States of America. We need to learn from the lives of these people that we must only dream, aspire and talk about success. We must never think about failure and provide room for thoughts or actions that may lead to failure.  It never means that we will not experience failure. But we must block the options carefully that leads us to failure and success is bound to come.

PRACTICAL TIPS:

1.    Be determined to achieve your goal:

First of all you must know where you want to go; what position you want to attain and what height you want to achieve. If you do not know where you want to go, then you will not be able to recognize the options that may let you down from your direction. Therefore write down all your goals one by one specifically. Set time limits to achieve your goals. Identify the options in relation to your goals which may lift you up or pull you down. After identifying strengthen your options that lift you up and block the options that may let you down. Always choose ‘going up.’

2.    Don’t ever think of giving up:

The most important option to block is the option of ‘giving up’. If you give up, you are already out of your track and you cannot rise high in that direction that you have chosen. Therefore the first and foremost option is to give up the idea of giving up. Not to give up the direction, you need to choose the goals or directions wisely. Take help from real people who can assist you to decide your goals. Take time to decide. But once decided, for God’s sake don’t give up. Otherwise you can never achieve any goal.

3.    Have firm resolutions:

The most potential weapon against negative activities that lets you down is ‘powerful resolutions’. Resolutions must not be adopted for name’s sake. It should be made powerful. Resolutions can be added more power by practicing it. Some of the resolutions that we can adopt in our lives are:

1.    I will study ____ hours daily;

2.    To protect my health I will do physical exercises at least for 30 minutes;

3.     I will drink 3.5 litres of water daily;

4.   To protect my happiness I will never allow unwanted thoughts to occupy my mind;

5.    I will always practice courtesy, honesty and personal integrity;

6. I will practice love in my daily life. I will love my family members and all other people who are directly or indirectly related with me. I know without love there will be no real happiness in life. If I give love than only I will receive love;

7.  I will always follow my daily activities and daily routine that I have set for myself earnestly;

8.   I will never waste time uselessly;

9. I will never repeat mistakes. I know if I repeat mistakes I will never become successful in my life. I will identify my mistakes and never repeat them;

10. I will study wisdom literatures or knowledge books daily at least for ______ minutes;

11.   I will avoid bad company;

12.  I will give up all my bad habits one by one;

13. I will not unnecessarily worry about the future. I know future is shaped by effective utilization of my present moments. Therefore I will utilize every single minute of my day to achieve my goals;

14.  I will read my ‘goal list’ daily in the morning;

15.  I will stay firm on my beliefs etc.

4.    Create your belief system:

Create your own belief system carefully. You are what you believe. Therefore read good books. Make a list of books. Consult your teachers and other learned persons to prepare the list of books. Study thoroughly each and every book slowly. Take time. Take important notes which you think will be useful to you. Get them by heart. Recall them whenever you require. You will get instant power by recalling some inspiring quotes. Develop firm values that inspire and motivates you to move forward. Remember, ‘You are what you believe.’

5.    Ensure right discipline:

Do right things in the right order.  Do everything during the day in the right order. Perform those activities during your life that will lead you to live in peace. You will never get freedom, happiness and enjoyment in life without following discipline. Right things if performed in the wrong order will not help you. To be perfect, to achieve success perform every activity rightly in the right order for the right duration.

6.    Develop sufficient courage:

Fearlessness is the greatest of all virtues. Majority of the people do not possess this virtue. They cannot even dare to speak the truth. They gossip behind. They do not have sufficient courage to take responsibility of their lives. Because of lack of courage they cannot become honest and fulfill their commitments. A person who is not honest  cannot achieve great things in life. Courage only will give you the power to take risks in your life. If you do not take any risk, you will not make any gain. Therefore develop sufficient courage. Time will require great sacrifice from you to achieve great things. It is only courage which will prove your greatest friend.

7.    Remind your resolves every morning:

Every morning recall your resolves. Your resolves will keep you on your track. Add power to your resolutions by practicing them.

8.    Give up bad Habits:

Bad habits will kill you. There is no greater enemy than bad habits. It silently kills us from within. Be alert. Recognize your bad habits correctly and stop their practices. Replace them by good habits. It has been scientifically proved that if you practice anything for 21 days, it becomes your habit. Therefore be careful in repeating any act, it becomes your habit.

9.    Block bad Foods:

70% of our health is determined by the quality of the food we take. 30% of our health is only determined by exercises. Therefore you can assume the ramifications. Are you taking the foods which are suitable for your health? Or you are going to repent some years later for losing your health? We must have right knowledge about our diet and food habits. If any food is causing damage to our body it may cause damage to our mind equally. Whatever food you identify is detrimental to your body and mind, for God’s sake give it up from your life. But even after knowing if you continue to take it, you will become slave to it. It means that you are unable to control yourself, but it is that food or food habits which control you.

10.           Block Negative Company:

All people are good. Some people are better than others in comparison. Even the worst of the people have some tremendous good qualities that the other people do not possess. Therefore bad is a relative term, it is not absolute. Being human we need the help of each other to survive. But here I want to mean the people whose company can affect your development negatively. It is the company of those people that you need to block. I am not asking you to ignore them, but I am asking you to minimize your daily relationship with them. Don’t mix much with them. Because it is the nature, thoughts, qualities and activities of these people that may influence you negatively and pull you down.

Therefore associate with like minded people. Associate with people who are determined to shine in their lives the way you want to shine and people who are already shining. In their company you will acquire the positive qualities that may lift you up. Associate with people like whom you want to become in your life and not with others.

11.           Block Bad Thoughts:

Bad thoughts are those unnecessary thoughts that occupy our minds which don’t help us to prosper. Bad thoughts are useless thoughts. Sometimes bad thoughts may be the thoughts that cause worry, fear and anxieties. Therefore blocking the bad thoughts is one of the most important options to achieve success. Resolve not to allow bad thoughts to disturb you. Resolve not to entertain them. Replace a bad thought by a good and noble thought that may help you in your life.

It is thoughts that give birth to actions. If your thought is good, your actions will be good. If your thoughts are bad, your actions will be bad. Therefore be alert while entertaining any thought.

12.           Don’t Repeat Mistakes:

Failure is the pillar to success. But failure becomes a pillar to success for those who don’t repeat the same mistakes. If you repeat the same mistakes in your life you will remain in the same place. Therefore identify the mistakes that you are repeating. To identify your mistakes you need to increase your knowledge. You must be able to recognize what is going wrong with you and why it is going wrong! Analyze your mistakes. Find out their roots. The roots may be there in your thoughts, attitudes, behaviour, conduct, your planning and ignorance. Whatever it may find them out and don’t repeat them.


BLOCK YOUR OPTIONS THAT LEADS TO FAILURE OTHERWISE THE OPTIONS WILL BLOCK YOUR WAY TO SUCCESS.

My dear students, if you think that you have been benefited by my writings, kindly share your views with me. You can either comment or mail me in bhaskarjyotiborah18@gmail.com or borah_bhaskar@rediffmail.com