Mrs Jasmine Adaickalam YSS Service Director

Success is many times very elusive simply because there is this wishful thinking of attaining success rather than a wilful thinking which is concrete and tangible in its focus. To be focused, one not only just thinks of success but also needs to strategise towards reaching the goal. Otherwise being successful can turn to be a mirage.

It might sound negative to calculate the Drowning Factors. But once we know what are some of these factors we know how to avoid them and that will fall under the strategising. To know the drowning factors one needs to have a fairly good knowledge of the community in which they are living.

Today the scenes and the demography are changing. There is increase in violence, lack of self-control, individualistic and materialistic tendencies, and social value deterioration. Amidst all these that can drive away one from the original direction and goals set one has to be steadfast and be sincere to the original objective of attaining success. This will be the objective overview that sets the pace to reach the original target and goals set.

But there are certain Disciplines one has to abide by. The disciplines come in to living when youths/people of today answers a very profound question that is “Dare 2B Different???” It is easier sail along blindly with a crowd. But it is difficult to stand alone even for truth, justice and what is right for there is this fear of being isolated and ostracized, and the fear of being ridiculed or made to look stupid. But a real, holistic success depends on one’s courage to withstand all these adversities by daring to be different. So it becomes imperative for the one who is planning for success to answer the question, “Am I audacious enough to be different?”

Then comes the next phase of stage setting to attain success. What are those stages? It is a 4-D Stage Setting to accomplish the goal. The stages are,

1. Desiring 2B Different

Before attempting anything, one needs to have the desire that is very deep and burning within himself/herself. It should be such an all-consuming fire within them because that alone can spur one to greater heights and will drive to the finish line. Otherwise the constraint and the compulsion to go on amidst harsh conditions will no more be present and people can easily give up their original wish and can become fatalistic in attitude. It’s like a sheer vengeance saying that somehow I will have to have that success.

2. Denying 2B Different

Man is a bundle of complexities. He is full of contrasts. Without administering the brakes of self-control, self-discipline and denial he can become his own enemy and foe by being very confused. This is where one needs to objectively go through a self-assessment and self-examination. During the process of this self-examination one should be able to come to terms with the short comings or pitfalls to avoid or denying certain addictions in order to achieve success. Otherwise accomplishing success is just a delusion and a far cry. So this will be the second rung at the ladder to climb up.

3. Design 2B Different

Now that we climbed up the two rungs there is this next rung that is to prepare an operational blue print that enables the aspirer to move towards the goals in small practicable steps. Here this becomes the strategising step. How to start and stop and where is the beginning, the middle and the end? What are the personal and outside resources one might need and have to tap? How will one organise the time schedule? These are some key questions that need very forthright answers in order to sustain one’s move towards the stipulated goal. Without these calculations the sum total of achieving success becomes mere talks and nothing else.

4. Do it 2B Different

Even after all the desiring, denying and designing, if one does not make a head start of things the whole exercise will just become a stupor and slumber. This is where the person aspiring to be successful should be disciplined enough to do it. There is no more time to waste if one does not want the projected plan to be dumped into a garbage bin. Doing alone will ensure success and nothing else for the other three D’s are planning and preparation. This is in accordance to Thirukkural, which says plan and design well before starting an activity. It is shameful to think that we will rush into the activity first and afterwards we can look into the various matters.

In conclusion, we might be able to say attaining success is one’s choice. If one is really bent on attaining this there needs to be a discipline. Without discipline achieving success is just a dream and one cannot blame anyone for his or her misfortune.

(An extract of the talk given by Mrs Jasmine Adaickalam on 13December 2003 for 500 over squatter youths from the Old Klang Road stretch gathered at FGA Auditorium)

(Submitted on 9th January 2004)