Prime Minister Narendra Modi turns 72 today. Though a septuagenarian, he brims with energy. There are several young politicians across parties but none have the command over youth that Prime Minister Modi has. That’s because he is someone who is always thinking ahead and working for an India which will be a better place for future generations. His ideas, thoughts and visions remains youthful and connects with the youth of today. Today being the birthday of PM Modi, I thought I will pen down some life lessons that the youth can take from the life of Narendra Damodardas Modi in order to be really successful. I feel we all can learn, irrespective of our age, really cool things if we just observe the way Modi has operated throughout his life and is still going super strong.
Lesson 1 – Decide On Your Purpose Early In life
“Who you are is not defined by your birth but by your actions”. Modi’s life personifies this statement. At a very young age, he had clearly defined his purpose – he wanted to work for the society. Once you create that clarity in your mind, your path gets clearer. That is what happened with Modi who got himself connected to RSS with his life purpose in mind and from then on he never looked back.
Lesson 2 – Read A Lot. Travel A Lot.
Reading and travelling helps one build a good perspective and take well informed decisions. Modi read a lot and he was inspired by great personalities like Swami Vivekananda which I believe would have helped him decide on his life goal, the purpose. Reading sharpens your mind and travel gives wider perspectives. Modi also travelled quite a bit at one point in his life, just travelled, went to the Himalayas and returned a much wiser person.
Lesson 3 – Patience Is Key
Have patience – Keep doing the hard work smartly and hone your skills. Opportunities may or may not knock your doors but hard work will definitely open up new avenues for one to emerge successful.
Modi worked his way patiently. He started as a simple swayamsevak. He lived in a small room. His main job at one time was just to clean the RSS office. He still did that with lot of sincerity. He just kept doing the do, absorbing, learning and soaking everything like a sponge by just keenly observing the other leaders and doing all the tasks that were given to him to very diligently. He didn’t expect immediate returns. There is no short cut. Keep sharpening your axe as you go along. That’s the mantra.
Lesson 4 – Dream Big, Be Ambitious And Believe In Yourself
We all have seen how Modi always tells everyone to dream big which he himself did in his life. He is ambitious and sets really high goals for himself and party and works towards it. Our youth of today must dream big. Being ambitious is not wrong but being grounded and taking well thought out decisions takes us to success. Confidence and belief in the self and in one’s own abilities is the secret sauce. All the decisions that Modi has taken for himself and his party has given him a steady growth in his political career and has brought him to where he is today.
Lesson 5 – Embrace Adversity
Adversity strengthens you. Be comfortable taking uncomfortable decisions. Learn quickly. Adapt quickly to change. Have a strategy. Make yourself indispensable in an organization.
Modi has seen great adversities in his political career. The 2001 Gujarat earthquake and the 2002 Godhra issue are just two examples. Modi had to almost rebuild Kutch and turned it into a flourishing hub of industries, agriculture, tourism, etc. We all know how Modi had to go through so many interrogations and hearings on the Godhra incident. He persevered and came through clean. In both these cases, Modi looked as adversity as a learning experience and came out stronger. After becoming Prime Minister, Modi had to take so many uncomfortable decisions one of them being the reorganization of his team at the cost of disappointing several senior leaders. Modi also had to go through several hurdles before he was made the Chief Minister of Gujarat finally as by then Modi became indispensable for BJP through his sheer political acumen and skills. Learning and adapting quickly, being strategic, taking hard decisions and making yourself indispensable are the takeaways from the youth from Modi’s career.
Lesson 6 – Look At The Bigger Picture
It’s okay to lose some battles to win the war. Take calculated risks, keep your emotions aside, wait for the right time and strike back hard.
Moditva might have had to backtrack in several cases or some of his actions might not have given the results that he would have expected. However, Modi is a person who doesn’t get deterred or disappointed by these and doesn’t quit. He had to take back the Farm Laws that he believed would be good for the nation. He was cornered by the opposition on his demonetization decision and even during the trying times of Covid. Modi nevertheless came out shining eventually and the whole of India rallied behind him. The learning for the youth is losing a few battles is okay, don’t get emotional with a defeat and quit or take hasty decisions, wait for the right time and come back harder, you will win the war.
Lesson 7 – Be Different And Build Your Own Brand
Modi is a 24/7 politician who is very creative and always likes to differentiate himself. His Jhan Dhan yojana, Swatch Bharat Abhiyan, Har Ghar Tiranga are great examples of his creativity and smart thinking. The youth should strive to become great communicators. Being articulate gives you a clear edge and gets people to notice you. If you can carry yourself really well, you can make a statement just through your body language. Position yourself well in whatever you do. Strong strategy powered by a smart, creative mind and excellent articulation, makes you a brand to reckon with.
Modi’s oratory skills, creativity, decisiveness, personality, ambition, hard work, smart thinking, strategic approach to any problem, control over emotions even if others are calling him names, ability to convert adversity to opportunity and all of these traits that I called Moditva have made him one of the world’s most popular leader today. I hope the Indian youth will imbibe these life lessons and go on to achieve great success in life as well as make India a real Vishwaguru!
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