Journey of a thousand miles starts with one step
It is the USA of the 1960s. Segregation of blacks in public places is the policy of the government. Blacks have different taps in restaurants, there are different queues for them. In the buses, they are to give up their seats for a white gentleman and move to the back. This goes on. Except for one fine day, when a certain Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus. She was tired, more than the white gentleman standing next to her. Ultimately she was thrown out of the bus.
Is this to be the end of it?
Back in India, a barrister came back from South Africa in 1915. The country was ruled by the British. Freedom was a dream not officially recognized yet by the Indian National Congress. The barrister undertook a tour of the entire country. The goal was to understand the pulse of the nation in making. The first action he took was Champaran Satyagraha where all he could do was save interests of a group of peasants who were forced to cultivate indigo. But the journey had started. It gained momentum with Non-Cooperation Movement, first true national movement of modern India. Civil Disobedience Movement followed suit and it was only a matter of time before the flag was unfurled demanding the British to Quit India. The barrister was Mahatma Gandhi. And in 1947, the not so distant dream of freedom for India was achieved. In hindsight, one step is all it took really.
Newton's first law of motion says that a body continues to be in the state of rest unless acted upon by an external force. What does that force exactly do? It merely gives a start. It breaks the barrier of inertia and the body starts moving. The journey begins. Slow and steady, distances are covered and heights are scaled. This is what happens to us, humans. One step breaks the inertia, the lethargies which enslave us. In that one step, our chains are broken. That, right there, is the starting and perhaps the most important part of our journey.
When Neil Armstrong put his foot on the moon, his words were, "This is a small step for the man, but a giant leap for the mankind. " A falling apple which sparked the idea of gravity was the beginning of man landing on the moon, which itself was only a step, but a vital one in the bigger scheme. Today the deepest corners of the Universe are being explored.
ISRO is perhaps one of the most revered public institutions of India. When it started, it looked like a cruel joke to many. A nation, whose literacy stood at a measly 20%, was planning to go to space! Indeed the first rocket of ISRO was transported on a bicycle. From there on, it has been a remarkable journey. Mangalayan was launched in 2014. The most cost-effective of all Mars missions, and it even succeeded in the first attempt itself. India was the first country to do so. Sometimes, all it takes is that one step.
How did the concept of human rights develop? In 1215, Magna Carta was granted by the English monarchy to the subjects. While it may be called the Magna Carta, it really was a limited attempt by the subjects to talk of their rights. What began in 1215 found its culmination in 1948 with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights under the aegis of the UN. And, the scope of human rights continues to expand. Miles have been covered, but miles more to go!
Dhirubhai Ambani's story is the Indian version of the American dream. He started as an attendant at a petrol pump. Soon, he took to selling items on a bicycle. In time, he laid the foundation of a company called Reliance based in Mumbai. The company stood true to its name and is one of the largest company in India. To think that a multinational company of Reliance's stature began in this bizarre fashion!
Mumbai's beaches are the lifeline of the vibrant city. However, they bore the brunt of consumerism crawling in. Piles of waste heaped on as the beaches died. A young man by the name of Afroz Shah took charge of the situation. He began alone in this act of cleaning. Soon, people joined. Bit by bit, wrapper after wrapper, and Versova beach is lively again.
We often wonder about the impact a small step would have. The fear of ridicule and the fear of failing don't help either. But it doesn't matter how big the stride is as long as a step forward is taken. The journey has its own reward. Moreover, that beginning is what separates the do-ers from others.
Dasrath Manjhi, the famous Mountain man, lost his beloved wife to a tragic accident. He couldn't take her to the hospital in time because there was no direct road to connect. The way out? - cut through a mountain to build the road. With no assistance, he began the task. He literally had a mountain to move. But the journey of a thousand miles starts with one step. The mountain was cut, the road was built. Other Dasraths would see their loved ones live!
There are numerous examples, from the pages of history, and the people around us. The do-ers are known to us, others - not as much.
Going back to Rosa Parks, her small act was a similar small step. A symbolic one rather. While she was thrown out of the bus, her journey continued. It culminated in 2008 when the United States of America got its first African American president in Barack Hussain Obama. The journey of a thousand miles was long, but all it took was a small step really.
Is this to be the end of it?
Back in India, a barrister came back from South Africa in 1915. The country was ruled by the British. Freedom was a dream not officially recognized yet by the Indian National Congress. The barrister undertook a tour of the entire country. The goal was to understand the pulse of the nation in making. The first action he took was Champaran Satyagraha where all he could do was save interests of a group of peasants who were forced to cultivate indigo. But the journey had started. It gained momentum with Non-Cooperation Movement, first true national movement of modern India. Civil Disobedience Movement followed suit and it was only a matter of time before the flag was unfurled demanding the British to Quit India. The barrister was Mahatma Gandhi. And in 1947, the not so distant dream of freedom for India was achieved. In hindsight, one step is all it took really.
Newton's first law of motion says that a body continues to be in the state of rest unless acted upon by an external force. What does that force exactly do? It merely gives a start. It breaks the barrier of inertia and the body starts moving. The journey begins. Slow and steady, distances are covered and heights are scaled. This is what happens to us, humans. One step breaks the inertia, the lethargies which enslave us. In that one step, our chains are broken. That, right there, is the starting and perhaps the most important part of our journey.
When Neil Armstrong put his foot on the moon, his words were, "This is a small step for the man, but a giant leap for the mankind. " A falling apple which sparked the idea of gravity was the beginning of man landing on the moon, which itself was only a step, but a vital one in the bigger scheme. Today the deepest corners of the Universe are being explored.
ISRO is perhaps one of the most revered public institutions of India. When it started, it looked like a cruel joke to many. A nation, whose literacy stood at a measly 20%, was planning to go to space! Indeed the first rocket of ISRO was transported on a bicycle. From there on, it has been a remarkable journey. Mangalayan was launched in 2014. The most cost-effective of all Mars missions, and it even succeeded in the first attempt itself. India was the first country to do so. Sometimes, all it takes is that one step.
How did the concept of human rights develop? In 1215, Magna Carta was granted by the English monarchy to the subjects. While it may be called the Magna Carta, it really was a limited attempt by the subjects to talk of their rights. What began in 1215 found its culmination in 1948 with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights under the aegis of the UN. And, the scope of human rights continues to expand. Miles have been covered, but miles more to go!
Dhirubhai Ambani's story is the Indian version of the American dream. He started as an attendant at a petrol pump. Soon, he took to selling items on a bicycle. In time, he laid the foundation of a company called Reliance based in Mumbai. The company stood true to its name and is one of the largest company in India. To think that a multinational company of Reliance's stature began in this bizarre fashion!
Mumbai's beaches are the lifeline of the vibrant city. However, they bore the brunt of consumerism crawling in. Piles of waste heaped on as the beaches died. A young man by the name of Afroz Shah took charge of the situation. He began alone in this act of cleaning. Soon, people joined. Bit by bit, wrapper after wrapper, and Versova beach is lively again.
We often wonder about the impact a small step would have. The fear of ridicule and the fear of failing don't help either. But it doesn't matter how big the stride is as long as a step forward is taken. The journey has its own reward. Moreover, that beginning is what separates the do-ers from others.
Dasrath Manjhi, the famous Mountain man, lost his beloved wife to a tragic accident. He couldn't take her to the hospital in time because there was no direct road to connect. The way out? - cut through a mountain to build the road. With no assistance, he began the task. He literally had a mountain to move. But the journey of a thousand miles starts with one step. The mountain was cut, the road was built. Other Dasraths would see their loved ones live!
There are numerous examples, from the pages of history, and the people around us. The do-ers are known to us, others - not as much.
Going back to Rosa Parks, her small act was a similar small step. A symbolic one rather. While she was thrown out of the bus, her journey continued. It culminated in 2008 when the United States of America got its first African American president in Barack Hussain Obama. The journey of a thousand miles was long, but all it took was a small step really.
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