18 QUESTIONS THAT WILL FORGE YOUR FUTURE | APJ ABDUL KALAM THOUGHT

This book communicates that our dreams should be big and obstacles to fulfill those dreams are a process and not the end. Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam himself is an example of what great success, a single man can achieve in spite of all the difficulties in life. It’s just about concentrating our thoughts on the solution and not on the problem. Because it’s not important where we are currently but where we want to go that is important.

Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam, born in a pilgrimage center in Rameswaram to becoming a renowned Aerospace scientist and the 11th President of India, has faced many obstacles and found great solutions which every Indian should remember and be proud of being an Indian.

It is he himself who has answered about 18 questions that we as the youth have it in our minds regarding our failures and successes and our nation.

TARGET AUDIENCE OF THIS BOOK

This book is for the young generation of the world, who is curious with many questions in mind. Such as How do I believe in myself? How to overcome failure? Can I start dreaming again? What is the secret of Time Management? Why we lack the courage to take the right steps? Does anyone know their destination of life? and many more questions. As many as 18 have been asked and all answered by the author and Former President Of India Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam.

THE LEARNINGS

Below is a list of all the 18 QUESTIONS that we have been answered. A click on any of these links will take us to that specific question with its answer.

• HOW DO I BELIEVE IN MYSELF WHEN I DO NOT HAVE ANY CONFIDENCE?
• CAN I START DREAMING BIG AGAIN AFTER A SETBACK?
• WHAT IS THE SECRET OF TIME MANAGEMENT?
• HOW TO OVERCOME NEGATIVE THOUGHTS FROM FAILURES?
• WHERE DOES THE COURAGE TO CONFRONT ANY SITUATION LIES?
• HOW IS OUR SPIRIT RESPONSIBLE FOR OUR SUCCESS AND FAILURE?
• WHAT ARE THE QUALITIES OF AN UNSTOPPABLE PERSON?
• IS DESTINY A REAL THING TO BELIEVE IN?
• WHO IS IN CHARGE IN DECIDING OUR FUTURE?
• IS THERE NO SCOPE FOR US MIDDLE-CLASS PEOPLE TO BE LIKE SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE?
• WHAT ROLE CAN THE YOUTH PLAY IN DEVELOPMENT OF THE COUNTRY?
• HOW CORRUPTION CAN BE STOPPED?
• HOW TO DEVELOP THIS “WHAT CAN I GIVE” ATTITUDE WHERE EVERYBODY IS BUSY TAKING?
• WHAT IS THE IMPORTANCE OF JOINT FAMILY FOR PERSONAL GROWTH?
• WHAT CHARACTERISTICS A WOMEN SHOULD DEVELOP TO BE SUCCESSFUL?
• HOW TO DEVELOP A LEADERSHIP BUILDING PROCESS WITHIN ANY ORGANIZATION?
• WHAT MAKES INDIA DIFFERENT FROM OTHER DEVELOPED NATION AND HOW WE CAN COMPETE WITH THEM?
• HOW TO HANDLE THE ISSUE OF CHINESE GOODS INVADING INDIAN MARKETS?
• CONCLUSION.

HOW DO I BELIEVE IN MYSELF WHEN I DO NOT HAVE ANY CONFIDENCE?

This world of competitiveness requires self-confident people or people who believe in themselves. This requirement is more than ever now in the history of mankind.

The good thing about self-confidence is that it can be learned and built upon by practice and persistence.

There are two things that contribute to the increase in self-confidence. They are Self-efficacy and Self-esteem.

We gain Self-Efficacy when we start mastering skills and achieve small goals in areas that are important to us. These small wins help us to increase our confidence and motivate us to move forward to accept difficult challenges and persist during setbacks.

Self-esteem is gained more by the approval of our efforts by people around us. It gives us confidence that we are on the right direction and can cope up with the present problems confidently. 

There are four steps to develop our self-confidence: –

• Goal Setting for ourselves in an area we love.
• Take immediate action for the set goal.
• Create deadlines and accelerate accordingly.
• Work Hard to the finish line.

“We gain strength, courage, and confidence by each experience in which we really stop to look fear in the face. We must do that which we think we cannot

Eleanor Roosevelt

CAN I START DREAMING BIG AGAIN AFTER A SETBACK?

The answer to the question is a big YES. This can be done by being optimistic when setting our goals and persistent when facing problems. We should never give up on our dreams no matter how old we are or where we are today.

It’s all about having the faith that will keep us committed towards our goal and the determination to not get distracted despite any problems.

We have to learn the skill of being patient whenever any obstacle is confronted. As problems are temporary but the success is permanent.

We need to create mental barriers towards any negative forces from taking over our minds. These forces have the capacity to weaken our commitment towards success.

We should keep in mind that it’s not easy to change the circumstances of our life or the world to suit our requirements. But if we have the strength and determination, we can successfully face the challenges of life. And in the process, sometimes we may even be able to change the world.

WHAT IS THE SECRET OF TIME MANAGEMENT?

This 21^st century witness’s mankind’s greatest development in terms of opportunities and experiences. But there is an issue with the time available.

Time is constant. Time is powerful, it conquers all. Every day, every person gets the same 24 hours to use as he/she likes. It’s about the individual how he/she decides to use these 24 hours.

Whatever we can learn and do has to be done within the time frame that is available. So, we need to adopt ways in order to fulfill our experiences that we desire to get.

There are two ways for it: –

• One, to increase the amount of time that we have at our disposal.
• Two, to increase what we can achieve in the time available.

To increase the amount of time at our disposal. First, we should start living a healthy life and stay away from addictions. This initiative will keep us away from diseases and give us more time to learn even after growing old.

Second, we should take responsibility for ourselves and our parents, and avoid the influence of negative deed and people. There is no great deed other than serving our parents. They are the people who will push us to greatness. Once we take responsibility for our lives and parents, the whole universe will work in our favor.

HOW TO OVERCOME NEGATIVE THOUGHTS FROM FAILURES?

Failures are inevitable for any human life. Moreover, if any person says he/she has never faced any failure, probably he/she has never done anything. And this, not doing anything is much more disastrous than failure itself is.

Failures, illness, or humiliation are experiences which can depress any individual. But the way that individual gathers courage and acts can be considered as though a rebirth. This individual now probably has nothing to fear as he/she has accepted negative situations and has got the courage to face up to.

None of us is a failure, but we need to be aware that beneath its negative surface, there will always be a positive opportunity for growth and happiness.

Every failure is just a blockade, but success is a destination and hard work is its journey.

WHERE DOES THE COURAGE TO CONFRONT ANY SITUATION LIES?

Courage is in our heart; it is in our character. It is essential to stand up against wrongdoings and injustices that we see around us. Courage is to dream for a better life even in the most difficult times and to awaken our potential even in the most hopeless situation.

But what do we really mean by this courage?

• Courage is choosing to act despite experiencing fear, True courage is facing danger when we are afraid. The one who feels no fear is a fool and the one who lets fear rule him/her is indeed a coward.
• Courage is following the heart. Passion is at the heart of courage. When we follow our heart or passion, we realize that we already know what we want to become.
• Courage is persevering in the face of adversity. It’s about facing the danger instead of cowering before it. We should stop convincing ourselves that there is no danger. But rather spend our time and energy in strengthening against it.
• Courage is standing up for what is right. Courageous people stand up for something because they believe it is the right thing to do, not because they believe that it will save their lives.
• Courage is expanding our horizons and letting go of the familiar. This world demands the qualities of youth; youth not as per only the age but by the state of mind. Who has the will-power, the power of imagination, has a hunger for adventure to achieve over a life of ease.
• Courage is facing suffering with dignity and faith. As Nelson Mandela said, “Courage is not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. A brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers his fear”.

HOW IS OUR SPIRIT RESPONSIBLE FOR OUR SUCCESS AND FAILURE?

We need to understand that everything originates from the human mind, and this power of mind originates from our spirit.

From our spirit, we can derive power over any thought or idea in the world. This power is called the Indomitable Spirit. In order to connect to our very own Spirit, we must have a vision for higher goals and a firm thought.

Vision for higher goals should be there in everyone as this vision showcases what we can become one day. It is the vision that can provide us direction and purpose to our life. The absence of vision creates more dissatisfaction and discouragement than any other absence of things can do.

Firmness in thought is another important aspect. As if we achieve control over our senses, bring stability in mind, and combine it with our vision, we can achieve any goal that we choose.

Mental strength is the most powerful source of support for a person going through difficult times. We can find that inner strength to keep moving towards our goal no matter how difficult the path may seem.

WHAT ARE THE QUALITIES OF AN UNSTOPPABLE PERSON?

The first quality is the ability to dream, commit, and avoid the negative emotions of self-doubt, disappointment, and criticism. And finally, take action to fulfill the dream.

The key to success lies in making the achievement of that goal the main priority of life. Even being ready to make sacrifices for it.

The second quality is having confidence and belief in ourselves in achieving the goal. The belief that failure is not an option is the mentality that can create miracles.

The third quality is Faith. The faith of knowing that if we keep working towards the objective, then the desired outcome is bound to be achieved.

The fourth quality is the courage to succeed, no matter what. Avoiding criticism and working towards the goal which nobody believes in, takes a lot of courage.

The fifth quality is overcoming obstacles through perseverance. It’s the willingness to move on in spite of failure, fear, and self-doubt and still staying committed.

The sixth quality is purposefulness and passion. To be true to our purpose is self-love which gives meaning to life. Mixed with passion, it can create greatness.

IS DESTINY A REAL THING TO BELIEVE IN?

The answer is YES, destiny exists but there is more to know before we relax and wait for miracles to happen.

There are three types of powerful forces we all carry within us. At any moment, our actions are propelled by the combination of these forces: –

• Unexplained drives and impulses.
• Dispositions, that is our inclination towards a particular field like music, art, etc.
• Our Free Will, that is our reaction towards any situation.

Our drives, impulses, and dispositions like our birth, religion, etc. are forces that are to a large extent uncontrollable. But what is in our control is our Free Will.

This force makes us the maker of our own destiny. We can choose our reaction on any outcome whether positive or negative.

This doesn’t mean all our actions and efforts can fail in front of destiny and we just react to the outcome. But all our actions and upgraded skills we achieved upon doing the work get added to our strengths which can help improve our future results.

God sends us problems and puts us in difficult situations just to test our free will and in this process, we evolve. With that, we become better and stronger human beings.

WHO IS IN CHARGE IN DECIDING OUR FUTURE?

“We have shown the path to man, and he is free to choose the right path and be thankful or to choose the path of ingratitude.”

–  Holy Quran Sharif (76:3)

This means every one of us is free to decide his/her own destiny by the free will power that we inherit. But this free will is limited to only those areas till where God has designated us. Therefore, it is true that we cannot accomplish everything that we want in life. We must flow with God’s will, who is in charge of every activity.

There is only one thing that is in our control, that is our approach towards achieving anything. Our aspirations behind that approach may not be fulfilled each time. But our experience of aspiring, always and certainly will transform us.

The reason for this is beyond a human’s knowledge and control. It’s just a fact that sometimes someone among us is chosen for great deeds for no apparent reason or qualification. And similarly, someone is rejected for some work in spite of great effort.

This fact leads to a realization that we should see ourselves as part of a larger picture. We are here to contribute to the world. We should try to live in harmony and focus our efforts for a better place to live in for later generations to come.

When there is God’s will, sometimes we are stopped and at times we are the chosen one. GOD is in charge.

IS THERE NO SCOPE FOR US MIDDLE-CLASS PEOPLE TO BE LIKE SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE?

We often forget our own selves in search of this answer. We accept it or not, each one of us is unique in our own ways. This uniqueness has the power to take us to that success level we want.

We should hold our uniqueness as it’s a gift given only to us. As no one can convey our warmth as can.

We can bring such comfort to others as nobody can.

No one can be as joyous as we can be.

Lastly, our smile is the most unique thing that we possess.

Let us enjoy our uniqueness and maximize it and share it with our family and friends. This is the only life we will get. It’s our duty to share our uniqueness and leave a message for mankind to learn.

WHAT ROLE CAN THE YOUTH PLAY IN DEVELOPMENT OF THE COUNTRY?

Every country can be a developed nation only if the youth of the country contribute to the best, he/she can.

We as the youth of our incredible nation has to take this responsibility and follow some proven steps. These steps make the foundation of success that we desire to achieve: –

• First, defining the aim of our life at the very beginning is important.
• Second, having a passion for acquiring knowledge through great books and teachers.
• Third, following a disciplined lifestyle of hard work towards our aim.
• Fourth, persevere and persist on the chosen path.

There is high requirement for the youth to handle influential areas for directly contributing to the development of the country: –

• First, participation in politics as youth can educate people and has the ability to recognize problems and suggest solutions quickly.
• Second, the creation of jobs rather than seeking a job. Aspire for being an Entrepreneur.

Each one of us has that fire within us. Education, skills, and attitude provides this fire the burning element. This indeed can bring about life-changing experiences and growth in our lives and in turn our nation.

HOW CORRUPTION CAN BE STOPPED?

To stop Corruption there should be a thorough study of the foundations that allow corruption and then eliminate it.

Corruption emerges from the feeling of “what you can give me”. But this feeling needs to be replaced by “what can I give” through proper education and family tradition.

In today’s time reducing corruption itself will not guarantee growth. But reducing this, it would at least sustain that growth.

We as the youth brigade of our country can take small initiatives to reduce this corruption. For the start, our house can be a very ideal place. We should advocate for clean habits of stopping our parents from bribing others or accepting bribes.

We should take a pledge to create a nation free from corruption. That will be our biggest achievement as citizens of our country.

HOW TO DEVELOP THIS “WHAT CAN I GIVE” ATTITUDE WHERE EVERYBODY IS BUSY TAKING?

To develop this attitude, we need to know the benefits that we can get from it. They are: –

• First, giving makes us happy. When we do charities, the brain region associated with pleasure, social connection, and trust activates. This creates a fantastic feeling within us.
• Second, giving is good for our health. As giving to the needy helps in decreasing stress which in turn is associated with a number of health problems.
• Third, giving promotes cooperation and social connections. When we give to others, people will accept us more positively and more happily. This will grow a sense of interdependence and cooperation in the social community.
• Fourth, giving evokes gratitude. Gratitude is important not only because it helps people feel good but also because it inspires them to do good. Gratitude cultivates personal happiness more than anything.
• Fifth, giving is contagious. When we behave generously, it will inspire others to also behave the same. This is done by reciprocity law.

By developing this attitude, we can indeed transform our life and benefit those living around us.

WHAT IS THE IMPORTANCE OF JOINT FAMILY FOR PERSONAL GROWTH?

Today’s time the definition of a joint family is itself changing. Now, it includes friends and neighbors who are connected through various electronic mediums.

Strong families are the basic support system for every individual of the family. It provides fighting support during hard times. People in strong families are healthier, happier, and better in adjusting to any situation. 

A joint family has the capacity to solve problems when they occur. But nuclear families lack this capacity as the number of mature people goes missing.

For us as individuals, a strong family provides,

• The basic values of morality, that is a sense of what is right and wrong.
• The essential skill of positive social interactions which in due increases self-confidence and positive energy.
• The confidence to be able to contribute to society.

WHAT CHARACTERISTICS A WOMEN SHOULD DEVELOP TO BE SUCCESSFUL?

In this 21^st century, women need to hold a strong mind. soul and body where strength, spirit, capability, and compassion go together.

“A woman is indeed the full circle of God’s creation and within her is the power to create, nurture and transform.”

Dr. APJ ABDUL KALAM

For a woman to be successful, there are some characteristics that need to be developed. Once developed, the world will be bound to follow them and will be considered as an inspiration: –

• First, do not wait for something to happen. Start where you are and with whatever you have. This will one day lead you to something greater.
• Second, discover your real self, distinct from your family, distinct from the partner you are in a relationship. Find ways that will make you feel good about yourself.

Do not try to emulate men. If it is done than it is not a success. The aim of a woman is not only to be successful. But to succeed, keeping the feminine essence and letting that success, influence other women of the society.

Every one of us has a specific talent. But what differs all talented people is the courage that will help that talent to be placed where it belongs. 

With the women, we the men have also got a responsibility to take. Responsibility to bring systematic change to bring in greater diversity in the workplace and encourage competent women to overcome the hurdles. The hurdles that society places in their career path.

To evolve as a human race, we have to accept the feminine aspects of creation within human society.

God created man and woman as equals. To disrespect or harm a woman is to disrespect GOD.

HOW TO DEVELOP A LEADERSHIP BUILDING PROCESS WITHIN ANY ORGANIZATION?

Before the question of ‘HOW’ comes, let’s first know the ‘WHY’ for this. Leadership building is an important aspect for any organization to develop and sustain.

“Until an organisation becomes intentional about development of internal talent, it is doomed to an ever-growing leadership deficit.”

Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam

There are 7 distinct processes involved in building a leadership building process: –

• First, is the engagement of senior leaders. It’s the responsibility of the senior leaders to take active participation in grooming their juniors to become future leaders.
• Second, is understanding the future needs. Helps in building the correct leadership pipeline which will be effective in the future.
• Third, is identifying the high-potential employees.
• Fourth, is developing and mentoring of the identified high-potential employees.
• Fifth, is bringing new leaders from outside. This can usually be done if the required positions cannot be developed internally.
• Sixth, is measuring and improving the initiated practices. It helps in keeping a track record about the developments of the practices and initiate any changes if needed.
• Seventh, is building a culture that supports leadership development. Senior leaders should encourage other juniors to take an interest in leadership roles and support them in their development.

WHAT MAKES INDIA DIFFERENT FROM OTHER DEVELOPED NATION AND HOW WE CAN COMPETE WITH THEM?

What makes us, Indians different is our spirituality. Being different in our religious beliefs is what makes us different. The only thing that needs to be done is to make this difference our very own strength.

This can be done by being righteous or justice driven. If we are right in our work, cooperation will be achieved automatically. Being right gathers followers, even people that are against us will be bound to carry out our plans. We humans have humanity and this humanity attracts righteousness.

About how we can compete with other developed nations, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam did set three visions for our country. They are: – 

• Freedom. Freedom to live with each other’s beliefs peacefully. Unless it causes harm to others. Freedom to follow any religion without any hesitation or hatred.
• Development. We as a nation are growing at a good pace, still, we lack the self-confidence to see ourselves as a developed, self-reliant, and self-assured nation. Steps have to be taken in order to decrease our dependencies with other nations. By this, our lost self-confidence and our love for our nation will grow exponentially.
• Standing up as a Nation. Unless this happens, no one will respect us. Only strength respects strength. We need to grow both in military power and economic power.

To achieve these visions, we, the youth generation has to come up and take initiatives. Work should be done in order to minimize the rural-urban divide. As for India to be a developed nation, it is important to achieve equitable distribution and adequate access to the required resources and that also to every corner of the nation.

HOW TO HANDLE THE ISSUE OF CHINESE GOODS INVADING INDIAN MARKETS?

For this, strong leadership is required that will have the courage and confidence to take tough decisions for the benefit of the nation and its people.

That will provide a fair playing ground for both the industry and the manufacturing sector to grow. This will ultimately encourage more people to start their businesses. As a result, this will push innovation, competition, and job opportunities in the country.

This eco-system of opportunities will empower Indian Industries with technology, funding, and an environment for growth.

In today’s time being self-reliant and inter-dependent both as an individual and a nation has become more important than ever.

With this need, there is also an opportunity for young entrepreneurs to come into the field and contribute and compete with Chinese products. Compete in terms of product pricing, quality, and availability.

If we take this responsibility in our hands than it will not take much time to say that India will be a superpower in the very near future.

CONCLUSION

Now we come to the end of our Q&A series from our very own former President Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam. As we do it lets end it with his messages that he left for us and for the world as a whole.

Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam was a simple, down-to-earth man who believed in the goodness of the human spirit. He believed in :-

• The power of the youth and its potential to change the world.
• That the world cannot be led by a single nation but it has to be combined effort to make this planet a better place to live in.
• The combination of the goodness of the human spirit and the power of technology for maximizing well for the human race.

For the human spirit he said,

“We are all walking on an evolutionary path, becoming a better person each day. So, keep giving whatever you can, for this is the only way forward. Give your time to good deeds, help others who are less fortunate, and if nothing else, give respect to their presence around you.”

For the youth he said,

“Now is the time to decide your future, while you possess the energy of youth. This is the time for work. Rouse yourselves, for life is short, so take up a goal and dedicate your life to it.”

For the world he said,

“There cannot be a greater vision for the nations other than to work together for transforming our world into a Liveable Planet. That means a planet where we have taken less from nature than what we have given to it, and thus securing the future for the generations to come.”

In the end, was this blog helpful in any way? If so, please do let me know.