One who possesses a strong will and a firm determination is sure
I find a way out of all difficulties. To such a man nothing is impossible.
This is what the proverb means. It is needless to say that this maxim is
very valuable to us as a guide through the journey of life and as a means
of hope and encouragement through the various difficulties and failures
that human beings are subject to. The path of life is not strewn with roses
but is extremely thorny. At every step in his march forward, a man has to
encounter failures and dangers. Unless one has a determined will, one is
sure to succumb to these. On the other hand, a person who is armed with
absolute determination will find that all obstacles melt away before him, as
ice before the sun. It is often seen that many persons form elaborate plans
of doing something great, but after proceeding a little way they give up
farther attempts to carry out their plans. This failure on their part is due to
nothing else but their lack of resolute will, a quality which enables one to
stick to a particular thing until one has achieved success.
A man who has undertaken to do something should go along the
chosen path. He should have the determination and perseverance to remain firm to his original plan. If he follows this course, he will find that, sooner
or later, all his difficulties have vanished and that he has been successful
in his efforts. If, however, on the slightest indication of failure, he gives
up his original plans and has recourse to a new method of work or gives
the will to be successful and this will bring about a solution of all his
up the attempt altogether, he can never hope for success. He must possess
difficulties, however great they might be. There is much truth in the
saying “As our thoughts are, so will our success be,” or, in other words,
our success is proportionate to the strength of our will. Without the
capacity for sustained effort, it is not possible to steer clear through
difficulties. Given the quality of perseverance and determination, it will be
found that after all it is not so difficult to surmount difficulties as is
commonly supposed by those who are wanting in this quality.
It has been pointed out that failures are the inevitable lot of men.
But it should be borne in mind that failures should never discourage us. It
is only weak-minded men who lose all energy and feel dejected, whenever
failure overtakes them. One who is endowed with firm determination,
however, feels no disappointment. On the contrary, the more he meets
with failure, the more determined he becomes, till by dint of the firmness
of his mind, he achieves his goal. Such a man never acknowledges defeat.
No amount of failure can make him change his plan of action, nor is he in
any way affected. He proceeds onward inspired by his failure, till he is
successful in his efforts. This type of man is a true follower of the maxim
“Where there is a will there is a way”. And this should be the motto of all
people in this world.
That man, having a firm determination, can overcome all
difficulties and achieve almost the impossible, will be evident from the
following illustrations. Demosthenes, the famous Greek orator, was a
stammerer in his youth and for this he even got the nickname of the
stutterer’. But from young age he had the aspiration of becoming an
orator and though stammering is one of the greatest disqualifications for an
orator, he was not at all daunted. He was endowed with a strong will and
by virtue of it he got over his defect and in time rose to be one of the
greatest orators. The history of Robert Bruce is another instance in point.
He made six attempts to win the freedom of Scotland, but every time he
failed. He did not yield, however, and in the next attempt that he made he
was successful. When Napoleon, on his Italian expedition during the
winter months, had to cross the Alps to enter Italian territory, he was told it would not be possible to cross the Alps in that season. Napoleon
was not a man to be cowed down by difficulties. He was a man of iron
will and in his estimation there was nothing like an impossibility in this
world. He was determined to cross the Alps and he did cross it.
From the examples given above, we can say without fear of
contradiction that the man who possesses a resolute will is sure to
overcome all dangers and difficulties. Other defects or failings he might
have, but that does not matter, for they are nothing in the face of a strong
determination. And it should be mentioned here, that a man, who has
strength of mind, has rarely any serious defect, excepting it may be
ones. There is no denying the fact that if we really mean to do a
thing, we shall surely find a way for its solution, no matter what the
physical difficulties there might be.
