To do things you are capable of doing, you need conviction and this comes from faith
Gabbar Singh, a popular bad guy of Sholay, still sends chills down the spine for one of his famous dialogues: “Anyone who fears is dead.” But we now realise that Gabbar was right. Recent studies suggest that one “can literally be scared to death”. Ironically, the greatest fear is the fear of death itself. But that apart, fear has been the most worrisome of the human emotions and the greatest cause of anxiety. This gives rise to worry.
Worry is a problem that affects a large number of people. Fear leads to anxiety: Fear of the unknown, fear of the failures, fear of the competition. And fear is the greatest inhibiting force, the biggest stumbling block in the way of realising one’s potential. The interesting thing is that most or rather almost all of the fears do not come true. Still human beings fear. Overcoming this fear is the greatest challenge for mankind. Fear of uncertainties, fear of being not able to cope with the challenges of the future ruins the present. But wishing away fear is not easy. The negative forces of fear keep on haunting the human mind.
The solution lies in reorienting the thought process. The problem with most human beings is that they make fear their counsellor. We first imagine the undesirable and then think of the consequences of such an eventuality. By directing the thought process thus, we are actually paving the way for the undesirable.
In fact, we are the mastermind of our thought processes. When we think that something untoward is going to happen to us, we take a step in that direction. Mind controls thoughts and thoughts control behaviour. French philosopher Pascal says that situation and chance to a great extent are determined by thoughts. Once a person told Pascal that had he possessed a brain like the latter, he too would have been a better person. To this Pascal replied that if that person had become a better person, then his brain would automatically be like Pascal’s.
This is the crux. It is the attitude that determines personality and many times creates situations as well. Victims of mediocrity are self-made. Author Norman Vincent Peale says that if you send out negative thoughts, they will come back to you. On the contrary, if you send out positive thoughts of faith, hope and optimism, those thoughts will come surging back. Reinventing yourself is in your own hands. You are what you think. Self-doubts do a damage to self-esteem, making you lose self-confidence. Thomas Alva Edison said that if we did all things we were capable of, we would literally astound ourselves. But to do things you are capable of doing, you need conviction and this comes through faith.
The writer is professor, Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad (Jharkhand).
He can be reached at ppathak.ism@gmail.com