Why We Cannot Achieve Our Dreams| Lesson From the Life of a Girl
Do not Stop Because of Societal Norms
“People who are not afraid of working hard, Destiny will not be afraid to give its due” — Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl (Movie)
Many of us dream to become someone great like Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, James Patterson, or AR. Rehman. And, we also live in a delusional world. We look up to them to see what they have achieved and what all is on the platter.
But most of us miss out on the work that goes behind the lacy curtains.
How did they do it? Did they face any hurdles? Did they fail? Did they feel hopeless at any moment?
“You have one temporary and one permanent disability. You are overweight by 7 kgs and short by 1 cm to be eligible to be a part of the Indian Air force”. That is what a recruiter said to Gunjan Saxena, who applied to join the Indian Air force.
Still, she served the Indian Air force for 7 years and fought for India during the Kargil War, 1999.
We oversee a lot of things and forget the mandatory steps to achieve our dreams. Here is what I am reminded of with the latest biopic release: Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl on Netflix.
Sucess is Hardwork
We always assume that “She/he has gotten lucky”, “I am better than him/her but still, he/she got everything”, “My luck is not as good as yours”. Is it really just luck? Why do we overlook the amount of work and sleepless nights that have been poured into it?
When someone tells you that you have a permanent disability and you are no longer eligible to follow your dream, many people will stop right there. Gunjan Saxena was below the required height by 1cm (a permanent disability) and she was 7kg overweight (a temporary disability).
Most people look at the impossible and drop their goals. However, the ones who really want to achieve something will try with everything in hand and start focussing on the issues which they can solve.
After reducing her weight by 7 kgs, Gunjan Saxena tried once more and finally got selected because the so-called permanent disability was actually regardless.
“According to requirements, she is 1 cm short in height. But the reach of her hand and legs are 1.5 cm more than the minimum requirement.”
See, the only thing you can control is, what you do about the issue at hand. In any situation, continue working hard with sincerity and results will automatically follow.
I believe, blaming luck is just an “excuse” to not achieve our goal. There could be one more try, and you will achieve what you have always dreamt of.
Don’t let luck (an excuse) come in between your hard work and your dream.
Believe in Your Dreams
“Whoever flies the airplane: a girl or a boy, both are referred as Pilot.” — Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl (Movie)
When an airplane does not differentiate who is flying, why should we? There would always be a few people who will point at mistakes about your dream. It’s not because they think you might not know about these problems but because they want you to reconsider taking your next step.
There will be many mistakes you will do before you conquer your dream. And there will always be a few people who will highlight your downfalls with glitters. But instead of giving up on your dream, learn to learn from the hurdles, and build your new path to achieving that dream.
If you can dream it, You can do it! — Walt Disney
Societal Norms should not be a reason to STOP
“Why there is not a single women toilet in this place. Because this isn’t a place for women”. This is the response of a senior officer, when the first girl ( Gunjan Saxena) joined the Udhampur Indian Airforce station.
There are various societal norms we come across every day in our life like men should not cry as it will be against their manhood or women should behave gently. Nobody has a logical explanation, all we hear is: “This is how the world works” or “I cannot change how the society thinks but I can ask you to change according to the society”.
How can women be part of an army or a war? How can a black woman sit with us and be smarter than us? How can a woman be a lawyer? All these societal norms were present at some point and many people were forced to quit dreaming because of them.
But there were a few who choose to not give up, and it is because of their strong determination that these societal norms changed or are changing. If given the opportunity, be the person who paves paths for many others or at least supports the ones who do.
Be Loving and Supportive
One of the most loving and supportive characters in the biopic of Gunjan Saxena is her father: Lt Col Anup Kumar Saxena. His constant support and love for her daughter became her strength, even when all other people around her were not supportive.
Taking from my previous point, we always have the option to be encouraging and supportive of each other’s dreams and aspirations. Being supportive means putting aside your judgment and suggestions when someone opens up to you. You just have to be there trying to understand one’s perspective.
Love and appreciation are a few of the biggest sources of strength one could ask for. This support acts as inspiration in downtimes. Instead of blaming, acknowledge the ability of someone to dream and be an agent in helping them, fulfilling their dream.
Key take away:
- Don’t be afraid of hard work. Don’t let any excuse come between your hard work and your goal.
- Don’t let mistakes and pitfalls stop you in believing in yourself and your dreams.
- Have the courage to change the societal norms instead of changing your dreams.
- Love and support are the best medicine for giving someone strength and inspiration.
