Eyes filled with wonder
Do you remember the time when you were a kid?
From our eyes, the world was full of wonders. For, even the most mundane of things evoked so many questions in us. We were curious. And I was one such curious kid.
However, what happened as I grew up? Why did the ever wonderful world suddenly seem more boring?
It all started with the education system.
The system where I was given uniforms to prevent me from standing out from the ordinary.
The system where I was stripped away from my name and was given a number instead.
The system where, in exchange for time, money, and dignity I was given a paper with a special ribbon on it.
This system made me lose most of my curiosity and wonder.
Of whatever little was left, society made sure to destroy it too. Society made me believe that the safest way to survive is not to take any risk, which I later found out, was also the most lifeless way to survive.
At this point, I lost my complete sense of curiosity and wonder. The world which was once so colorful appeared to me in monochrome now.
Consequently, a question arose in me which asked, “Has it always been like this for everyone in the world?”. I turned towards the pages of history and found that the pressure from the system and society has always existed. However, the one comforting part is that history is filled with people who overcame these pressures and achieved something exceptional with their lives.
For example, In the Middle Ages, Galileo Galilei published a book supporting the heliocentric model of the solar system. This was out of the ordinary by a huge proportion at that time. So, Galileo was sentenced to indefinite imprisonment until he died. During his imprisonment, Galileo started his study on a non-controversial subject of his time, and thus a new Science — “Strength of Materials” was born. Galileo’s imprisonment opened the doors for structural engineers today.
Much later, Sergei Korolev designed the first liquid-fuel rocket to launch in the USSR. This was not normal. So, Korolev was sent to the Gulag prison camps and was tortured. After his release, he went on with his work and sent the first satellites to space, sent the first dog, and of course sent the first of our species, Yuri Gagarin to space, orbiting our planet for 108 minutes. This was the first time we touched the heavens, and it was done by a man who was largely mistreated in his lifetime.
So, we can see people who refused to walk the well-trodden path have also been the people who made remarkable contributions to humanity.
Therefore, to achieve greatness one must abandon the conventional.
And, what is more unconventional, than to be a part of a startup that wants to build rockets? That is when I decided to join Agnikul.
After a few weeks at Agnikul, I realized that startups are a way to rekindle the curiosity I once lost. Even though I recovered myself through Agnikul, I still felt that there was something missing.
Only this time it was from the inside. Because the worst critic of all is not out there. It is ourselves. We may feel really confused, alone, and frankly scared in this endeavor. In all our quests searching for greatness, we fail to realize that people are not born great. No one has a clue on what they are doing. Not our inspirations. Not our heroes.
This brings us a question, how did they achieve greatness?
The greats that we idolize were hugely inspired by something, while simultaneously feeling lost all the time. They pushed through the difficult times, not taking their eyes from the end goal. They persist and persevere. They don’t agree with the voice in their head saying “You can’t do it.” by simply replying back “போடா, அந்த ஆண்டவனே நம்ம பக்கம் இருக்கான்”. They keep trying and trying till they get what they want.
To quote the post-impressionist painter, Vincent Van Gogh who struggled with self-doubt throughout his lifetime, “If you hear a voice within you say, you cannot paint, then by all means paint and that voice will be silenced.”
Therefore, it helps to remember that just as the criticism will be forgotten, the failures will be forgotten too.
In fact, there has never been a better time to do something. Things are changing now. There are more and more startups in the world, filled with people who are trying to do things differently. It helps us to remember that these startups are birthed in the incubation center of the same education system which demoted us and are nourished by the same society that mocked us. The education system and society have evolved themselves, and startups are the fruits of evolution.
There is an infinite playground out there waiting for us to explore, with our eyes filled with wonder, just like it was when we were kids. For, even the most mundane of things will evoke so many questions in us and it is certainly worth wondering about them.
