Remain modest in success
*Success brings with it a sense of satisfaction for having done your work well. It gives you happiness. But it should never be allowed to go your head. Be humble and modest in your success.
Everyone wants to be successful. A student wants to be successful in his examination. A doctor wants to be successful in his treatment of disease. An engineer wants to be successful in his designing and building activities. An artist wants to be successful in his creative works. Success brings with it a sense of satisfaction for having done your work well. It gives you happiness. It increases your confidence in your abilities. You feel a sense of pride.
But success can also work as opium. It can intoxicate. It can go right into your head. It can make you blind to reality. This is one of the reasons for the downfall of many great men and women. They became vain and their overconfidence led them to committing serious mistakes. The kick they experienced out of their success made them blind to the wisdom of those living around.
Ferdinand de Lesseps was the engineer who designed and built the Suez Canal. It was a great engineer feat. The canal bridged the gap between Europe and the East. He was showed with parses and honors. He was also flood with new offers.
Ferdinand was asked to construct the Panama Canal between the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. He thought he could easily do it. The success in building the Suez Canal had gone to his head. He refused to take advice from others. His junior engineers advised him to build the Canal with a system of gates and locks. He thought only he knew what was right. He refused to heed to their advice. He went ahead with his plans. But he miserably failed. He had to return home bankrupt.
It was indeed surprising that Ferdinand, a man who could successfully build the Suez Canal, failed to build the Panama Canal. First of all he refused to listen to the advice of others. Then he failed to adapt his method of work to a new situation. He was overconfident. He thought since his plans for the Suez Canal met with immense success, the same could work for the Panama Canal. He ignored the truth. Each situation demands a new approach. If the success in building the Suez Canal had not gone to his head, he would have certainly succeeded in building the Panama Canal.
An unexpected honor can sometimes change people. They easily forget their roots. Your friend, with whom you freely interacted till the other day, finds himself appointed leader of your class. He no more mingles with you. He no more shares his problems with you. The air of freedom is no more. He tries to lord over you. He goes around bullying everybody in the class. Instead of being a source of strength for the students, he becomes their enemy.
It is very difficult to remain modest in success because bring in a lot of praise and attention from others. This can even sweep you off your feet. It is here modest is required. Learn to accept their praise gracefully. Do not allow the praise to go to your head. When someone says you are the best in something or the other, do not get carried away. There are certainly many others who are better than you in that particular field. The praise should motivate you to perform better. It should add value to your life.
Suppose you are –the best with others lagging behind you. Instead of allowing all praise and appreciation to go to your head, try to practice and improve yourself. Otherwise at any time others can overtake you. Remember the story of the hare and the tortoise. The hare was overconfidence. He took his win for granted. But the result turned out to be different. The tortoise won the race, putting him to shame and disgrace.
Whenever mother Teresa walked out of the comforts of her convent life in the forties, she had nothing but her absolute trust in God. She settled down in Calcutta to improve the plight of the millions of poor people living around. She picked up abandoned babies from the gutters and tried to nurse them back to health. She built homes for abandoned children, homes for the old and the handicapped and homes for the lepers. She became a messiah for the poor and the hopeless.
She was awarded the noble Prize for peace in 1979. She said she was unworthy of such a great honor. Accepting the award in the name of the `unwanted, unloved and uncared for,’ mother Teresa wore the same founded the Missionaries of Charity. It was to identify wit the poor. She said not allow success and honor to go to her head.
Learn to be humble and modest in your success. Do not be overconfident. Try to listen to the advice of others. Remember every situation requires a new approach. Try to adapt your ways and techniques to meet new challenges.
Like it on Facebook, Tweet it or share this article on other bookmarking websites.