A REALISTIC STEP
Find Your Sphere of Action
ACCORDING to the Russian writer, Maxim Gorky (1868-1936), labour is the foundation of a culture. He further says that “If everyone labours hard on his own small piece of land, this world will become a wonderful place”.
What he says is absolutely right. Everyone has a sphere in which it is possible for him to work, and if he works hard, he will be found to achieve his full potential within that sphere. Then, if everyone in the world were to set about achieving the optimum results within his own limitations, the general changes would be startling. With everyone striving their utmost to complete their tasks, progress would be visible on every side.
But man is not content to work his own small piece of land. He targets the “bigger piece of land” that belongs to others. Instead of discharging his own practical responsibilities, he demands that others do this for him.
A humble start is far better than talk of achieving great goals. There is something within everyone’s reach that he can achieve, but if he clamours for ‘the whole’, this may be counterproductive.
Such a course of action is nothing short of destructive. If it is followed by large numbers of individuals, this will create the kind of society where the air will be filled with hollow utterances, and where the whole field of action will remain barren. The ocean is made of drops. The whole is made up of its parts. Similarly, society is made up of many different individuals. Only if every individual gives his best in terms of proper behaviour and hard work that the collective results of such activity can have its impact on the quality of society as a whole. Without individual integrity, there can be no societal progress.
A humble start is far better than talk of achieving great goals. There is something within everyone’s reach that he can achieve, but if he clamours for ‘the whole’, this may be counterproductive. The programme has to be realistic. And if it is not so, it is no programme.