Decision Decides Destiny.
:By Dr. Sunil S Rana
Life, in its most unadulterated form, is a continuous sequence of choices. At every crossroad, we are confronted with a decision - often deceptively small - that may sculpt the edifice of our future. It is these choices, taken at the opportune moment, that can make the difference between mediocrity and greatness. For students, and especially for Civil Services aspirants, the dictum holds with uncompromising certainty: the decisions you make today will either propel you towards your dreams or quietly bury them beneath the rubble of procrastination.
I have seen this truth unfold in my own journey and in the lives of countless others. The dilemma of choosing the right path is rarely easy. In hindsight, there were decisions I could have refined - choices that might have led to a more polished version of myself. Yet, each moment of choice was a test, and each test demanded resolve.
Youth often mistakes comfort for security. Parents and teachers caution against distractions, not out of tyranny but out of foresight. Yet, in the intoxication of youth, warnings are met with a shrug. Why heed advice when the storms seem far away and the skies perpetually blue?
But comfort, when clung to excessively, becomes a silent saboteur. Every luminous story of success is underpinned by sacrifice - the surrender of ease, the renunciation of indulgence. As the ancient adage goes, “You cannot discover new oceans unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore.”
The Discipline of Obsession
For the Civil Services aspirant, there is no halfway devotion. This is not a journey one undertakes with casual interest; it demands monastic dedication. Eat with your dream, drink with your dream, sleep with your dream. Let it infiltrate your waking thoughts and haunt your midnight musings. Only when your ambition becomes your oxygen will you have the stamina to reach the summits others merely admire from afar.
Consider Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, who rose from selling newspapers in Rameswaram to becoming the President of India and one of the most revered scientists of our age. He once said, “You have to dream before your dreams can come true.” But he didn’t stop at dreaming - he married his dreams to unrelenting discipline, working with clockwork precision towards his goals.
Similarly, IAS officer Armstrong Pame, known as the “Miracle Man” of Manipur, decided to build a 100-km road without government funds, rallying the community to make the impossible happen. His life is a testament to the principle that where there is will, the way is carved even through rock.
The Moment of Decision
The most dangerous habit for any aspirant is postponement - the seductive lie that there will be a “better time” to begin. As William James said, “When you have to make a choice and don’t make it, that is in itself a choice.”
Greatness does not arrive with fanfare; it is the byproduct of a thousand small, resolute decisions, taken often in obscurity. Strike while the iron is hot - but also learn to heat the iron yourself when the world offers no spark.
Walking in the Footsteps of Giants
Think of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, who could have enjoyed a lucrative legal career but chose instead to toil for India’s unity, earning the moniker “Iron Man.” Or Subhas Chandra Bose, who abandoned the safety of a coveted ICS posting in London to fight for India’s freedom. They understood that destiny is not stumbled upon; it is forged in the crucible of decisive action.
For the Aspirants of Today
The Civil Services Examination is not merely a test of intellect; it is a crucible for patience, resilience, and clarity of purpose. You will be tempted - by the lure of entertainment, by the comfort of tomorrow, by the deceptive ease of mediocrity. But remember: the clock is your sternest examiner, and it shows no mercy to the idle.
So, make your choice. Will you be the one who says “I will try next year” or the one whose story becomes an inspiration for others? As the old maxim reminds us, “The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago; the second-best time is now.”
If you wish to see yourself one day walking through the gates of LBSNAA, SVPNPA, or any other temple of service, let that image not be a fleeting dream but a daily fuel. Let every decision, every hour, every breath, be an investment towards that singular goal.
Because, in the final reckoning, it is not fate but your decisions that decide your destiny…!
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