My Journey: Transforming Dreams into Actions

by A.P.J. Abdul Kalam

one must keep dreaming at various phases of life, and then work hard to realize those dreams.

'Dreams are not those that we see in our sleep; they should be the ones that never let us sleep.'

'Arun, my life can be summed up in these phrases and words: love poured to the child…struggle…more struggle…bitter tears… then sweet tears…and finally a life as beautiful and fulfilling as seeing the birth of the full moon.'

APJ Life in one sentence

Then he went on to tell me something about prayers and its power over man that still resonates, despite my years in the field of scientific research.

Importance of prayer

'One must understand the difference between a fear-ridden vision of destiny and the vision that enables us to seek the enemy of fulfillment within ourselves… When troubles come, try to understand the relevance of your sufferings. Adversity always presents opportunities for introspection.'

introspection is essential

'There is a divine power that looks over us, that gently lifts us from our sadness and failures and miseries. If we open our minds and let it, it will guide us to our true place. Release yourself from the bindings that limit you and let that power overtake your mind, and that's when you will be on the road to true happiness and peace.'

presence of divine power

Of knowing that there is a larger energy and force that can crush our ambitions and plans in the blink of an eye, and that the only way to survive is to face your troubles and rebuild your life.

How to face troubles?

true quality does not come from a great building or great facilities or great advertisements. It happens when education is imparted with love by great teachers.

it does not matter how large or small your sphere of activity is, what counts finally is the commitment that you bring to the job that has been ordained for you in this life.

That day I learnt two lessons: a teacher who has his or her student's progress in mind is the best possible friend, because the teacher knows how to make sure that you excel. And second, there is no such thing as an impossible deadline. I have worked on many tough assignments, some of which had the country's top leaders watching over my work, but the assurance I gained in my capabilities at MIT thanks to Professor Srinivasan, helped me later in life too.

'Accept your destiny and go ahead with your life. You are not destined to become an air force pilot. What you are destined to become is not revealed now but it is predetermined. Forget this failure, as it was essential to lead you to your destined path. Search, instead, for the true purpose of your existence… Surrender yourself to the wish of God.'

Albert Einstein. When he was twelve, his mentor, Max Talmud, gave him a book on Eucledian geometry. This book opened the young Einstein's mind to concepts of pure thought and how to explore universal truths, and he began to realize the power of the human mind.

(Think of rising higher. Let it be your only thought. Even if your object be not attained, the thought itself will have raised you.)

'All beings are born to delusion… overcome by the dualities that arise from wish and hate…but those men of virtuous deeds in whom sin has come to an end, freed from the delusion of dualities, worship me steadfast in their vows.'

'See the flower, how generously it distributes perfume and honey. When its work is done, it falls away quietly. Try to be like the flower, unassuming despite all its qualities.'

'Light upon light. Allah guides His light to whom He will.'

It told me that the passing away of souls is inevitable and the only constant is God: 'Your wealth and children are only a temptation whereas Allah! With Him is eternal award.'

Samuel Taylor Coleridge's words described my state of mind the best: Day after day, day after day, We stuck, nor breath, nor motion; As idle as a painted ship Upon a painted ocean

words by T.S. Eliot: Between the conception And the creation Between the emotion And the response Falls the Shadow.

It is sacrifices, toil and valour that are seldom seen that truly make a nation.'

Each one of us has to confront death and heartbreak in our lives, but if there is something I have learnt in my eight decades of life on this planet, it is that these moments are our true friends.

Joy is fleeting, whereas true happiness and calm can come to us only after intense pain, when we have confronted ourselves in the mirror of our souls and understood the self.

Life definition by APJ

Life had already taught me that the best way to win is to not covet the win too much, instead to keep a calm and open mind to new challenges.

A winning strategy

science and spirituality—the twin driving forces of my life.

science and sprituality

Dr Vikram Sarabhai is no longer among us, neither is Reverend Dr Peter Bernard Pereira, but I see them as flowers that blossom to bring value to others' lives. This is described in the Bhagwad Gita: 'See the flower, how generously it distributes perfume and honey. It gives to all, gives freely of its love. When its work is done, it falls away quietly. Try to be like the flower, unassuming despite all its qualities.'

The message is, the best component of religion can be transformed into a spiritual force that will shape society.

Firstly, he was always ready to listen.

was an ability to build teams.

But before his going he had equipped us with the knowledge, confidence and foresight required to take on all sorts of challenges, and I believe that our greatest homage to him was for each of us to realize our own true potential, which he had spotted at the very first meeting.

Science sought to provide answers to all natural phenomena, and spirituality helped us understand our place in the entire scheme of the universe.

I had been brought up with the lesson that true reality lay beyond the material world, in the spiritual realm, and that true knowledge lay in exploring the inner self.

As had once happened when Professor Srinivasan rejected my design work at MIT and I redid my entire work in the span of two nights, I again found now that the mind is unbelievably elastic. It can expand as much as you let it, and once it opens up, there are no barriers—the belief in yourself that comes as a result is something no one can take away from you.

learnt that science is open-ended and exploratory. That it sets out to find answers like a traveller goes on a voyage. It is, in fact, a voyage into all that is possible and all that will one day be explained and made possible. Science is a joy and passion.

'You should always remember that we don't just build on successes, we also build on failures.'

'Do not make rocketry your profession, your livelihood—make it your religion, your mission.'

At that time in life I put everything other than the SLV project on hold. I also learnt to manage stress. It is the way your mind handles the difficulties that are strewn in the path of your goal that determines the result. I truly believe we need these difficulties in order to enjoy the final success of any mission.

At the end of the day, when goals have been set and mapped, when the path has been traversed and obstacles met head on, it is only the values of humanity that will bring true succour.

To be able to be gentle and forgiving, compassionate and kind are finally all we need to be in times to come, whether we develop missiles or teach in a school; whether we hold high offices or are parents bringing up children in this confusing world of ours.

I am a well in this great land Looking at its millions of boys and girls To draw from me The inexhaustible divinity And spread His grace everywhere As does the water drawn from a well.