abhijithajikumar The urge to succeed is imprinted on our genes from a very long time. This dates to our cave days when food, shelter and mate meant success. Gone are the days where we competed for bare existence. The world has undergone phenomenal shift over the years with the advancements in many spheres opening a plethora of opportunities for all. This has given newer facets to success with each person having a different notion to their definition of success. What one considers to be a success may not necessarily mean success to another.
Success does not happen by chance or by choice. In a world where everything comes with a price-tag, ‘success’ is no exception. Even though there are countless perceptions for success, the tradables to its attainment remain a few. History has shown us that almost everyone who has succeeded has demonstrated the ABCs of success to their core- ability, boldness, and courage.
The essay aims to breakdown what role does each of the three qualities has on ‘success’ and why it matters only when the three traits are coupled together as well as on how we could assimilate these three traits to our life.
Ability- Knowing what you are doing.
Ability means possessing what it takes to do a particular task. This can be anything from physical and mental requisites to the skills and knowledge to complete the task at its every stage. Ability is earned by perspiration and dedication. People who sweat for abilities become successful. They step aside from the crowd as they are willing to put in efforts to acquire what it takes to complete the task at hand rather than doing what they always knew.
Boldness- Being confident and self-assured.
If ability is the sole determining factor for success, then it would be like everybody having a map to success. Success is demanding and it takes more than being able to ace an already established task.
With change being the only constant in this world, it is indispensable for people to venture into unknown waters in pursuit of success. Many at this stage would give in to this resistance and the very thought of change could cripple most. Boldness could prove to be the key here. This would mean facing any odds heads-on with confidence and assertiveness. This primes us to take calculated risks, burn our cognitive abilities to the fullest and take accountability for our actions or inactions. The world is subjected to timely changes every often and it is the successful people who have explored the opportunities in them and leveraged these to their advantage.
Courage – Conquering fear.
Success is not always served when we demonstrate strong abilities with a bold outlook. The world is largely unfair for many, and it would cost many people countless failures before aligning to their way. Without courage to face any odd in their way, we couldn’t sustain long enough for success to come.
The line between boldness and courage is very thin. Boldness focuses on the self in subverting fear by believing in oneself, but courage focuses on the situation and the preparedness to face any adversities. In a world where there is very little at our control, accepting the situation is pivotal. Courageous people not only acknowledge all forms of fears – be it failure, rejection, or death, but also choose to confront them. Nelson Mandela famously said “I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.”
Therefore, all the three are the pillars of success- Ability, Boldness and Courage are imperative for success.
Some salient examples
One of the most prolific inventors of all time, Thomas Alva Edison is reported to have experimented with 1200 materials for the bulb-filament before finding success in tungsten. His impeccable ability in the field together with boldness as well as the courage to fight any odds has made him credit thousands of inventions to his name.
Had Edison lacked any of the 3 ABCs to success, he would have never been close to inventing the bulb. Edison undoubtedly had the ability to do his work from the scientific experiences he gained throughout his career. But trusting solely in his ability would have sabotaged his efforts as he was on to creating something that had never been done before. It had been his boldness that made him assert the existence of a material that matched his requirements. Finally, with unwavering courage, he could sustain long enough from failure to failure more than a thousand times before revolutionizing lighting forever.
More successes stories would include that of the ‘Joan of Arc’, the 17-year-old French girl who commanded the French military against the British to defend her nation in the 100-year war. With her boldness that instilled courage in the entire nation, no one doubted her capabilities and she proved them right with the ‘Siege of Orleans’. This made her the most influential historical figures of the French history.
Establishing the key traits of success as our natural self
In all the examples, successful people were not the best in the field when they started. Instead, they are those who have persevered to acquire the necessary skills, pursued their goals with conviction and above all, converted their fears into opportunities. Below are the three ways in which we can cultivate in us the three qualities that success comes with.
1. Acknowledging own vulnerabilities and strengthening them.
There are avenues for improvement in everyone and in everything we do. Sheer acknowledgement of wherever we lack is a strength as our mind explores newer ways to fill the voids. If coupled with conscious efforts to take tiny steps, it may be seemingly unnoticeable at the beginning but overtime, they get compounded to yield remarkable results. With this continuous improving mindset, one could ensure that by each day they are one step closer to success.
2. Embracing change to take bold decisions.
In the primitive days, humans were resistant to changes as they often meant a survival crisis and we still have this in our brain. Today, the world is changing at a rapid pace than ever with newer technologies hitting the market every day and the internet revolutionizing the unbounded flow of information. If we fail to both embrace change and to be brave enough to make timely shifts, then we could be left behind. We should perceive worldly changes as natural and instead focus on the opportunities they bring along.
3. Perceiving failure as a part of success.
We have been taught that failure is the antonym of success but is disregarded by most of the successful people in the world. Failure is an integral part of success and those who avoid failure also avoid success. Robert Kiyosaki, author of the best seller ‘Rich Dad Poor Dad’ points that “The fear of failures has killed more successes than lack of talent ever did”. A healthy attitude to failures is crucial for success and should be cultivated from younger days to live life with courage and without losing enthusiasm.
The time is now.
In our cave days, a success for one meant failure for another. A win in a fight meant loss of life for another or a win over food had made someone sleep hungry that day. In the present times, with the advent of various platforms and free flow of information, a culture of shared thoughts and collective ideas has emerged. Now, we do not have to defeat anyone to win and instead, everyone could be the masters of their game. People who acknowledge their vulnerabilities to improve, embrace the shift to make decisions and courageous enough to fail multiple times are going to make it big this time and THE TIME IS NOW.