Page 34 - Failure to Triumph - Journey of A Student

Chapter 7
Assessment of Capabilities

“Our work is the presentation of our capabilities.”- Edward Gibbon

It is perfectly alright to prepare for an examination, but it is more
important to determine the examination for which you have to
prepare.

The first step in this direction is to gauze your determination and

strength. You have to look within and find yourself. Know and
recognize yourself. Aristotle said,” Knowing yourself is the beginning
of all wisdom.” Know your strengths and limitations and develop self-
awareness. You have to work around your strengths and
weaknesses. Understanding your strengths and shortcomings would

help you to ace the exams you wish to write. A man has two types of
strength—physical and mental. Almost everyone has an idea about
their physical strength. If I ask you to run 10 kilometers, you will
immediately respond whether you can do it or not because you know
your physical capabilities. Similarly, you have to know your mental
strength too.

If you need a time period of two years to clear a certain examination
then you must ask yourself – “Am I really willing to do this? Can I do
this? And is this what I really want?” The right answers to these
questions lie within you. What you want to become in life no one
knows it better than you. Never try to become something just
because you have to prove yourself or show- off to somebody. ‘Don’t

prove yourself, improve yourself.’

Once I asked one of my students about his aim in life. He replied, “I
want to become an IAS officer.” I asked, “Why?” He said, “My
neighbor has troubled my father in the past. I want to become an IAS
officer so that I can take my revenge. Sir, I will use my powers and
destroy him.” My next question was ready: “what will you do if this

neighbor dies in an accident six months before the examination? or