William
Shakespeare, that great doyen of English Literature, wrote this lovely line way
back in the 16th century, about 400 years ago. But even today, it
remains as true as it was when it first crossed that great dramatists mind.
Everybody desires prosperity. Who does not want to be rich? Who does not want
to roll in wealth, move about in an air conditioned cars and enjoy the
luxurious of life? But wishes are not horses. Had they been horses, beggars
would have been the first to ride.
Man, by
nature, is a selfish and ease-learning creature. The poor fellow was living a
life full of ease, luxury and blessedness in the garden of Eden when the cruel
God pushed him down.
He had to
come down and fate the mighty challenge of life. He did not know how to do it
but the adverse circumstances he was plaud in taught him to fight the battles
of life. Through his heroic struggle against the adverse circumstances, he came
out of the forest, changed the fate of the universe and landed on the moon. All
this could not be possible if man had been blessed with prosperity.
It is in the
very nature of adversity to bring out the best in man, develop his abilities,
and lead him on to a path of prosperity and progress.
A great
writer once said, “Good brings men into deep waters, not to down them, but to
cleanse them. “ Adversity throws up a challenge; a slip, a careless action and
laziness can mean disaster or death. One has to rise to the occasion, be on the
guard, put up the best of the fight and this fight makes him stronger, bolder
and wiser.
Adversity
brings out all the qualities in man. It makes him humble, patient and self
reliant. Humility is the mother of other virtues. Thus adversity proves to be a
much better school than prosperity. The history of the world is the story of
the survival of the fittest, a story of those who fought against adverse
circumstances and achieved great victories.
Some people
foolishly believe that wealth can solve all problems. One may be able to buy
the best of pens with one’s wealth, but can that improve a man’s hand-writing?
A wealthy, but ugly woman, may purchase the best of cosmetics with her money
but can she become really beautiful? A prosperous rich man, struggling with
paralysis or cancer can buy health? Certainly not, the real qualities of head,
hand and heart, can be attained only through struggle in adversity. It is
adversity alone that teaches you to play the game of life as a real player. Can
a fighter enjoy a victory if enemy is weak and broken? Prosperity makes a man
lazy and lethargic and makes him a good for-nothing fellow. He falls a prey to
all evil habits and fails to get real joy in life.
Human history
is full of examples of several great men who were born and brought up in the
school of adversity only. Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri was born in a very poor
family. But poverty brought out his real greatness and he rose to be the Prime
Minister of this great country.
Adversity not
only brings a man to the pinnacles of glory in this world, It also brings a man
nearer to God. It is only in pain, sufferings and misfortune that one remembers
God. Prosperity too dazzling to let a man see God. Lord Christ had rightly
said, “Blessed are the poor.” He also said, “ It is easier for a camel to pass
through a needle’s eye than for a rich man to enter Heaven.”
Every dark
cloud has a silver lining. The darkest the night, the nearer the dawn.
Adversity therefore, has its own sweatness.
