Overcome Your Fear and Problems Consciously
Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam always emphasized that children, from their student life onward, should dream big. But as life progresses, those dreams often begin to feel distant. The constant blows of reality and the inability to meet self-expectations give rise to doubt and fear.
Every person struggles on a daily basis. We all face problems in life that need to be overcome. When things are uncertain and no solution seems visible, it creates fear in our minds. The feeling of being stuck in the same place and living a monotonous life becomes unbearable. The reality of life is that, to achieve your dreams, one must endure all the worries and tension. Ironically, the only way to avoid the stress of worries and tension is to bear them. It’s paradoxical, but true.
Just think about it—do the worries you had at age 10, 15, or 16 still trouble you today? Whether it was a game issue or a boy/girl problem, those concerns no longer hold the same weight. Isn’t that true? The same applies to the problems we face in our present lives. The more we endure them without creating a fuss, the more they prepare us to become wise and resilient.
Unfortunately, most human beings refuse to bear life’s challenges consciously. Life is such that problems and worries will always exist—it’s up to us whether we use them to our advantage or allow them to disturb us. Consciously facing problems makes a person wise, and in old age, only wisdom truly serves. Most elderly people who remain constantly worried and frustrated are often those who didn’t live their lives with conscious awareness.
Just like building physical muscles, we need to build mental muscles as well. A bodybuilder gradually increases the weight and his endurance to bear the pain. The same applies to the mind and life. The more you strive to achieve and change your circumstances, the more challenges will arise. Consciously bearing those challenges strengthens our mental endurance. From experience, I can say—more than building physical strength, developing mental resilience is essential.
Modern life presents various challenges that are often unseen and invisible, affecting the mind more than the body. The number of people experiencing depression is rising every day. As the saying goes, the more affluent and modern a society becomes, the greater the need for psychiatrists. Today, it’s common to hear people talk about undergoing therapy and how it helps them. But the real question is—why is it needed in the first place?
I’m not against psychiatrists—they’re doing great work for people in today’s circumstances. But I’ve also heard that even psychiatrists seek therapy from other psychiatrists. What does that imply? My point is simple: every person has problems and not facing them consciously is what makes life harder. Challenges will always exist, and it’s our responsibility to seek solutions—that’s what life is. There’s no end to problems, but there will always be a solution, no matter how difficult the situation may seem.
The world has endured two World Wars. Every year, natural calamities affect different regions, yet we move forward, often forgetting the past. The same applies to human beings—every year brings personal challenges, and with time, life offers its solutions. The best way to deal with adversity is to learn from it: understand what went wrong and what could have been done differently. These lessons prepare us for the future. So, keep dreaming big, face your problems consciously, overcome your fears, and pursue your dreams.