You can do anything you wish to do, have anything you wish to have, be anything you wish to be, if you try. Building up a career requires character, integrity, commitment and liking for the work. In Japan, job becomes hereditary, family being affiliated to a company, organization or trade. But in the western countries, it is job-hopping to improve prospects, create wealth, even if there is no job satisfaction. Predicting the future is not that difficulty, first, there will be more changes happening around us as days roll on; second, there will be more competition in our field, than before; third, there will be more opportunities to build up a career as more channels will open up as we proceed ahead in life. Fourth, the opportunities have to be converted into a concrete reality. Andrew grove, Chairman of Intel Corporation said, that one of the profound changes of recent times is that each person is the architect of his own career and life. You need not rely on a company or corporation to take care of you or your family. The reliance is on yourself as you are the chairman of your own life corporation. You are always self-employed, no matter who signs your paycheck.

Today, we are trying to solve life’s problems through violent means when actually life is a gift to be shared with others. We have to move from the gun culture to fun culture. The approach and attitude should be to plan the best, expect the worst and be prepared for a surprise. A happy person can never become violent. When grievances mount in his thinking, there is a burst, which is likely to happen in any situation. Be a unifier and not a divider, because unity adds to strength and division weakens everyone.There is the story of an old man dying on his bed. He called his four sons and gave them one stick each and asked them to break it, which they could easily do. After that, he gave each of them a bundle of sticks tied together, and asked them to break it. They could not. He said: “Sons! Be united and never separate and dissipate your energy. Also remember, that winning is not excelling or surpassing others; winning is to become better than yesterday. “There is the story of a businessman who approached Ramakrishna Paramhamsa and said: “I had everything in life; I have lost everything in business through speculation. Can you show me the path to live in future?”

The sage said: “You have lost nothing; you can rebuild yourself and it is in your own hand. Take a decision and proceed ahead. Remember, that the world is a mirror and it reflects back your beliefs, convictions, your attitude and faith. For example, through extra work, enthusiasm and unlimited energy, you can be where you were and go above it, if you continue to strive”. All our problems will be solved, when memories of failure are erased and past successes and victories are remembered. In a Punjabi folk tale, a sage visited the palace of the King and saw the Prince playing in the garden. The sage gave the Prince three dolls from his bag with a thread and asked the Prince to insert it in the right ear of one of doll. When the prince inserted from the right ear, it came out of the left ear. In the second doll, it came out of the mouth; in the third one, it did not come out at all.

The sage asked the Prince what it meant. He answered the question himself. “The first doll represented the question himself. “ The first doll represented people who do not bother to listen; the second one represented people who repeated other people’s versions and opinions; and the third represented those people “who will not reveal to others what they have heard”. When the Prince asked which among the dolls is the best, the sage pulled out a fourth doll and asked him to repeat the chore. The Prince inserted the thread in the right ear, and it came out of the left ear. When he repeated a second time, it came out of the mouth. A third time, it did not come out at all. The sage said: “This person is the best and trustworthy. He knows when to listen, when to remain silent and when to speak out. If this system is practiced, you will be a great King!” This advice only means that one has to restructure his activities, continually focus and refocus on a few things for most of the results. All of life is a test in some way or the other. The potential of a person is a huge ocean unsailed, a new continent unexplored, a world of possibilities waiting to be released and channelled towards some great good.