This mindset isn't going to make you successful

The Government feels threatened and has to bring a hair-raising law to crush the astounding success of these people.

Natal, South Africa

It’s 1860s.

The British government wants revenue from sugarcane farming in South Africa, and it's not possible without an outside support.

So it tempts the poor, caste-crippled people of India by offering them the South African citizenship and full ownership of their farmland provided that they work there for 5 years.

Poor Indians, far from their homeland and deprived of basic facilities, can’t pose a threat to the powerful, right?

So the British Government thought.

“But the Indians gave more than had been expected…” Mahatma Gandhi wrote in his autobiography. “They grew large quantities of vegetables. They introduced a number of Indian varieties and made it possible to grow the local varieties cheaper.”

And, according to the conditions of the agreement, after 5 years these farmers became wealthy landowners.

Alarmed, the British Government revoked the clause that offered the Indians land ownership as well as the citizenship of South Africa.

It even imposed unreasonable taxes on the farmers, and ratified a fresh rule which stipulated that the farmers sailing from India had to renew their farming agreement after every 2 years.

The question that grabbed my attention was:

What motivated we Indians to work so hard?

I argue that one of the reasons was the reward kept before us. It was so big that we felt super motivated to squeeze out the very best from inside us.

When we aim for something big and thrilling, we’ll naturally get motivated to get it.

Unfortunately, we’re drilled and nurtured with the notion that aiming low and being well within our so-called limits is perhaps the wisest thing that we can do.

We fear to aim big and this is the reason why we don’t feel inspired to put up the real work.

If we want a normal 10 to 5 job, then we’re not going to work so hard. If we want to run a modest little venture, then it makes no sense to study that much and form a rich network etc.

I know that if I heed the popular advice of being realistic, of settling with the mediocre, I never am going to feel motivated enough to do that hard labour.

So I dream really big. My dreams are so audacious that thinking about them make my heart leap up with amazement.

Does your blood tingle to think about your dreams?

Do you feel ashamed to reveal them to people?

They must!

Success will follow.