SUCCESS IS A TREE THAT GROWS SLOWLY, NOT A WEED THAT SPROUTS OVERNIGHT
In a world increasingly obsessed with instant gratification, where one can access information, services, and even success in record time, the myth of the shortcut to success has become deeply embedded in modern thinking. The belief that there exists an easy, quick, or effortless way to reach the pinnacle of achievement is alluring. However, reality stands in stark contrast to this notion. True success, in any form—be it personal, professional, or academic—demands time, effort, and perseverance. There is simply no shortcut to success.
Nothing worth achieving is quick and easy and that is the ultimate law of nature and alignment with nature is key. If you want to grow a tree, you must first sow the seed. From there, it will gradually transform into a sapling, then a plant, and eventually, a tree. Over time, it will begin to bear fruit and provide shade. You can just sow a seed put 1000 tons of water and take it to the sun, this would rather kill the plant. While one might wish it could skip the slow stages of growth, the truth is that each stage of development contributes to the tree’s strength and resilience. Without the long and steady process of growth, the tree would never reach its full potential. The same principle applies to human achievement. We cannot skip the fundamental stages of learning, failure, and improvement that prepare us for greater accomplishments. Someone rightly said, “Success is a marathon, not a sprint." For instance, even for habits be it good or bad it takes consistent effort of instilling good habits and over a period of time will it materialize into something sustainable. Take athletes, for example. They spend years training their bodies, honing their skills, and enduring physical and mental challenges. There is no “easy” route to becoming an Olympic champion or a professional athlete. Every day is spent working towards mastery—whether it’s lifting weights, refining techniques, or analyzing past performances. The sweat and sacrifice behind their success stories are undeniable. Similarly, in the business world, entrepreneurs do not become successful overnight. They endure countless hours of hard work, setbacks, failures, and adjustments before finally finding their path to success. The road to building a successful business is paved with long hours of strategic planning, execution, and adaptation to changing circumstances. The overnight success story is often the result of years of behind-the-scenes work.
Education, too, does not offer shortcuts. Knowledge is not something that can be attained in a hurry. It requires continuous study, research, critical thinking, and application. Every successful individual, from scientists to writers, has spent years learning their craft, and they have failed, stumbled, and learned along the way. It is this slow and steady accumulation of knowledge and experience that creates the foundation for success. A shortcut would bypass all the valuable lessons learned through trial and error, which are often the most significant teachers in the pursuit of excellence.
Moreover, success is not merely about achieving a goal but about developing the character, skills, and mindset required to sustain it. Becoming successful with a mere stroke of luck is never sustainable and hence it is no surprise that history is filled with people who have won lotteries worth millions but eventually went bankrupt since it was not backed by an appropriate ethos. In the pursuit of success, there is a crucial lesson to be learned: the value of the process itself. Success is not simply about the result, but about the person we become in the process. It is about the development of our character, the honing of our skills, and the lessons we learn through struggle and perseverance. These are the elements that make success truly fulfilling and sustainable. We can of course fast track the learning, but we cannot fastrack the experience.
In conclusion, there are no shortcuts to success. It requires patience, persistence and perseverance to achieve something. The desire for shortcuts is natural, but the real satisfaction comes from knowing that we have earned our success through persistence and dedication. There is simply no substitute for the journey, the long and often challenging path that leads to real, lasting success.
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