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During my younger days, I aspired for a career in the defence forces. Inspite of
basic training, fate decided that I couldn't wear a uniform and so here I am - a
financial advisor ! During my training days, we were told by our training officers to
prepare an essay that portrayed bravery, courage under fire and something that
inspired. While cleaning my drawers recently, I happened to read my own essay -
and it hit me how true this theory still holds ! Here it goes in brief -
The British naval armada was fighting a very powerful foe and was about to suffer a
crushing defeat as the vaunted british empire which prided itself with an invincible
naval prowess was likely to face a humiliating defeat. Ship after ship in the fleet
succumbed to enemy fire and the morale of the british sailors sank rapidly. The
Admiral commanding the british fleet could take it no more ! The toll on the fleet in
terms of human life and ships was unacceptable. He decided to retreat. Though it
was unimaginable, that a british commander surrender to the enemy, defeat and
death were inevitable. Saving life and property seemed the viable option. In those
days, signals were sent by raising flags from the admirals ship masts. The same
signal was relayed forward by the vice admirals down the chain of command. The
british admiral raised the flag for his vice admiral to retreat and he himself retreated
into his cabin to accept defeat.
The vice admiral in question was a young, fearless warlord in the british navy by the
name of Nelson. He was also blind in one eye ( from an earlier battle injury ). When
he saw the surrender flags with his telescope, he noted that the enemy ships
withdrew and awaited the historic defeat of the mighty british empire. He then put
his telecope to his blind eye and ordered his ADC to raise his flags which read -
England expects every man to do his duty !
And then sounded the bugles to play the national anthem ! The effect was electric !!
The disheartened and demoralised troops of the british armada turned their ships
around and fiercely turned upon the enemy which was half celebrating victory.
Needless to say, the british won the battle. Nelson's blind eye saw what his
admirals good eye couldn't and saved the day. Courage under fire.
Often we are faced with these situations in real life, financial, legal, social, family and
health problems. Existential anxieties bring us down to our knees and we think of
abject surrender. We retire like the british admiral into our cocoons to accept
defeat, whereas all it would take is to turn a blind eye to the adversity and attack it
head on ! It is easy to accept defeat, it's courageous to fight on ! Lets not take the
easy way out and fade away into the night, without a fight. Just pause to think -
If each citizen of this country is like a cog wheel ( geared wheel that drives other
geared wheels ) of the larger machinery called the nation, how we weaken the
nation by succumbing to defeatism. Remember we are the cog wheels in the machine, when we break down, the
machine breaks down. We should never allow that to happen. Each man woman and child carries the ties of relations that affect
people around us - positively as well as negatively. You owe it to people around
you and to our country to give it our best shot till the last breath. Because nothing is
over till it's dead and buried, and we know that courage never dies. I have never
doubted that our nation is abundant with talent, intelligence, hard working sincere
people. What we lack is the steel in our nerves and sheer grit in our blood. If we
impart it into our kids in elementary school onwards, no way can anyone beat us !
So the next time you are faced with a tough fight - put that telescope to your blind
eye and fight on ! Need more pep ? Gimme a call.....
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