Maulana Wahiduddin Khan I Speaking Tree Website, TOI I June 13, 2014

Narendra Damodar Das Modi became country the prime minister of India after winning the 16th general elections in the During election campaigns, an ins tance was reported in the media that at an election rally held on May 5, 2014 at Amethi, Modi said, "Log kehte hain ki Modi haar jayega toh kahan jayega. Tum chinta mat karo. Meri chai banane ki ketli ka samaan tayyar hai!" ­ "People ask where Modi would go if he loses the elections. They need not worry. My tea kettle is ready!" One aspect of this utterance is that it shows the strength in us wherein a man can reach the highest post having started from humble beginnings. There is another aspect. Initially the above remark may have been considered a joke but in the extended sense, we can derive from it a wise formula of life! And that formula is ­ if you lose the first option do not waste time in worrying; instead seek the second option.

Life is full of options. If you try to opt for the first choice and try to opt for the first choice and fail, then do not consider it as the end. It is a signal that there may be another, perhaps bet ter option, waiting for you! Jawaharlal Nehru, former prime minis ter, completed his law degree from Trinity College, Cambridge. In 1912, he started his law career in Allahabad with his father Moti lal Nehru, a successful lawyer. But after some time, he decided to shift to politics. It is said that an Indian student studying law was once asked what he would do after completing his course. He replied: "Chal gayi to Motilal, nahin chali to Jawaharlal." ­ "If i succeed i would be like Motilal, and if i fail, then there is the example for me in Jawaharlal!" This wise formula applies to both non political and political spheres of life. This formula means that after losing the first chance, there still exists a possibility of achieving success. Law of nature is always with you! For example, in non-political life if you lose a job there might be the option of a second job! In political life, if you do not receive majority in the assembly , there exists an option of choosing the healthy role of opposition.

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Life is full of uncertainties, then what to do? It is not possible that the result of a per son's striving is always in accordance with his wishes. In such a situation, the best policy is that of adjustment. This formula saves you from unnecessary stress; makes you wise enough to utilise your time and gives you a chance to replan your life. It gives you unshakeable hope. It saves you from the killer psychology aves you from the killer psychology of complaints and protests.

Once in a valley i saw rivulets cascading down from mountain peaks. I noticed the way each stream flowed till it arrived at a boulder. It did not try to break the rock in order to move ahead.

when it encountered the rock, it Rather, when it encountered the rock, it simply swerved to the left or to the right, around the sides of the rock, and continued its journey uninterrupted. This phenomenon has a great lesson. It teaches that nature adopts the second choice if the first choice is not workable.

When you fail to attain the first option, you need to instantly divert your energy to discover the second option. Nature and history both give us a message: if you fail to achieve the first choice, try to avail the second choice that has existed all along! Follow Maulana Wahiduddin Khan at speakingtree.in; post your comments there.