If you do not stand for anything, you will fall for everything — this very strong statement was made by a person who not too many people will know about. He is Don Shula who lived in a world of fierce competition and who knew the realities of life. Don Shula was the coach of Chicago Bulls in the American Football League where heroes are churned out overnight and losers admonished then and there.

The quote means that if a person is not guided by strong values and principles then there definitely are possibilities that they will end up doing things that are incorrect. With the changing times and complex nature of social, political and living means, these situations stare at us everyday and every moment. One way is to get swayed by the convenient option, or another — ‘to challenge’. You will only get the courage to challenge if you are guided by a strong set of values and driven by principles. Another way is to ignore or push things under the carpet, but I will urge all who are reading this to take initiative in life and to challenge.

But it is not easy to get it right each time and every time and more so where the margin of error is wafer thin and the consequences can be so ruthless. I recall with sadness where I have seen many a happy home shattered and many a career spoilt. Strength of character is required in individuals who has a purpose in life so that no storm can uproot or the vagaries of life do not overwhelm. I used to tell my sales team (who I led with great pride) that keep doing small things and try and doing it right each time, which will add to the confidence. I used to carry coins with me and used to distribute to the needy (we call them beggars) which used to give me a sense of well being. To have a good image of oneself is necessary to stop us from doing wrong things. We can justify to all around but can we “justify to our self”. If we have justified to our self (something) which actually is wrong then we are living in a virtual world which is our own creation and is not in sync with reality.

We are all on stage everyday and every minute. We are watched every moment and people around us form impressions of us based on our actions. Like the old saying goes, ‘action speaks louder than words’, people may hear what we say but they believe in what we do. I’m sure that you will love dealing with a strong person rather than a person who is weak. This is basically because of the confidence that you have in that person and also the thought that the person will get the job done. You will also like to deal with an honest person as you know that the person will not try and make a fool out of you. Imagine yourself trying to buy an apartment in the streets of Delhi. You simply will not have the trust and the confidence on the person on the other side. We bring repute or disrepute to our families or our society that we are from and the country we belong to. Will people feel proud to associate with us? Will people feel the same way to talk about us the way we feel proud to talk about Narayan Murthy? This requires introspection — a will and a strong urge. All these will come from your vision and the portrait that you have drawn of yourself.

Popularity is temporary, but respect is timeless. Victory if possible, but integrity at all cost. Today we require people to ask these basic questions. Challenge yourself and seek the reason why. I fondly remember reading in my moral science book the following phrase when I was a little man: “When wealth is lost, nothing is lost, when health is lost, something is lost, but when character is lost, everything is lost.”

Dhrubajyoti Pathak