Sameer usually scored average marks in his high school. In a couple of instances, he even failed a few subjects. While growing up, he struggled academically, and this lowered his self confidence too. Due to the fear of being mocked, he started skipping his classes.

The school used to conduct an aptitude test for entrance exams to various universities, upon graduating from school. This was one of the toughest tests to clear; Sameer promised his mother that we would take this aptitude test.

Though Sameer studied hard for it, he did not expect a good score for himself. When the results were out, he was pleasantly surprised – he had scored a whopping 1450 out of 1600! His happiness knew no bounds. His mother, knowing her kid, asked him, “Did you cheat?” He convinced her that he had solved the test honestly and had not cheated. Sameer eventually graduated from a reputed college and went on to become a successful entrepreneur.

This isn’t the story. What comes next is the important part.

20 years later (when he was a successful businessman), Sameer received a letter from his school.  The letter said that as part of periodic review, it had come to light that he was 1 of the 13 students from his batch who had been sent incorrect scores – his actual score was 740, a very low score.

Until then, Sameer had assumed that his life had changed because he had scored really high on the test. He realized that his life had changed not because of the ‘fantastic score’, but because his attitude and behavior had changed after ‘scoring superbly’ – the right attitude and behavior are keys to success.

“Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude.”

Two things to learn from this anecdote??

Self-Belief:

The driver behind Sameer’s success in life was the ‘whopping score’ he got. Opportunity knocked on his door – he grabbed it – his newfound courage helped him get a seat into a prestigious university where he performed well – all this contributed to Sameer’s initial success.

The entire incident led to self-belief emerging from within, which later motivated him to start his own and become a successful entrepreneur. This success was possible because Sameer started believing in himself, broadened his horizons and remained committed towards his goal. His strong sense of belief acted as a shield against all criticism and rejection that Sameer had faced as a failure during his schooldays.  The change in his behavior and belief helped develop his self-confidence, enabling him to face varied experiences with resilience.

The unwavering belief in one’s abilities forms the foundation upon which we build our futures. As we delve into the realms of self-discovery, it becomes clear that self-belief and self-confidence are critical in bringing about a transformative change, not only in our own lives, but in those around us too. This self-belief serves as inner strength when confronted with condemnation and rejection. It acts as armor through the challenges of life.

 Keep Moving:

We all use Google Maps, don’t we? If and when we miss a turn, Google Maps doesn’t say, “Hey, you took/ are taking a wrong turn”. It simply re-routes and guides you to the next best option to reach your destination.

The lesson we can take from this is that we need to understand that we are not off track, we just need to keep on moving and re-work our strategy. We may take a bit longer to reach our destination, or we may not reach the intended destination, but instead find a new pathway to a better one. The most important thing here is to keep moving.

In the above anecdote, his actual failure in his aptitude test did not stop Sameer from moving ahead with newfound confidence, which later became the driver for his professional success.

“Life has no limitations, except the ones you make.”

 About Sneha:

Sneha is a Chartered Accountant by profession and is a strong believer of optimism in most of the life situations. Apart from being passionate in playing various outdoor games, she likes travelling viz; leisure, business, culture, religious, ecotourism etc.

Sneha can be reached at snehapatel3984@gmail.com