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The Secret of Progress

that, too, with no help from the Government or any
organization? The answer is that it was because of their
own efforts.
This illustrates a basic principle of nature. And that is
that deprivation is not just a lack of something. Rather,
it is, at the same time, also possession of something
else—a strength and an incentive to overcome the sense
of lack. Impelled by the law of nature itself, a person
who considers himself to be deprived of or lacking
something develops a strength or urge to make efforts
to acquire that which he thinks he is deprived of or
lacks. This inner urge keeps him active until he reaches
his goal. A feeling of being deprived creates within him
a strong motivation for making efforts.

To succeed in anything, it is not favourable external
conditions that are crucial; it is the inner motivation
that matters the most. In fact, it is often the case that
favourable external conditions make people complacent
and inactive. On the other hand, someone who faces
unfavourable external conditions develops a certain
discontentment, which, in turn, can provide him the
incentive to make active efforts to change things for
himself for the better.

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