In the late nineteenth century, it was uncommon to find women or girls pursuing education and excelling in it, with passion on par with Men. To worse, it was really unimaginable for persons with physical challenges. However, a young girl who lost her ability to hear and see at a young age had the will to defy all odds and significant adversity in her path and found the way for herself with the assistance of her teacher to become a world acclaimed leading author, human right activist and lecturer. She is none other than HELEN KELLER. Her story of willpower, perseverance, power of the human spirit reiterates the well-known adage “WHERE THERE IS A WILL, THERE IS A WAY”.

ENCAPSULATED IDEA:

The above proverb confesses a person with resolute willpower has the ability to achieve his goals. Will is the inner drive, motivation, and determination within an individual. It’s that burning desire which propels me to achieve something, to set a goal and pursue it with unwavering commitment. Success comes to those who are highly dedicated to their work and exhibit a high order of commitment and dedication in their efforts. With defined willpower, any adversity can be tided over to achieve success.

The underlying concept of Nietzsche’s will to power says that willpower necessitates the person to overcome an obstacle and their own limitations, and weakness to triumph. Thus, willpower is the inner strength that propels us forward, even in the face of adversity. Will power is the flame that burns within us, providing the necessary light to guide us through the darkest of times.

RIGHT MIX OF STRATEGY AND PERSEVERANCE :

Clear Goals should be chalked out to achieve willpower strength. This goal serves as the destination on our life’s journey. It is adapted to every field and every sphere of life, ranging from daily chores, academics, business plans and strategies, pursuing a career or overcoming personal challenges. These self-defined goals provide us with a series of purposes and directives in our lives.

Perseverance is the closest ally of willpower. When faced with difficulties and failures, perseverance makes oneself committed to goals. It is to be remembered that failure is part and parcel of life. Rather than viewing failure as the end of the Road, people with strong will see it as a temporary setback and an opportunity to learn and grow. To illustrate, after Chandrayan 2 failed to soft-land on the moon, ISRO did not abandon its goal to land on the moon rather learned from the failures of the past and worked diligently with strong willpower. This made the Chandrayan 3 mission successful which landed on the moon and achieved the rare feat of India being only the fourth nation to achieve it.

JOURNEY WITH POSITIVITY :

Maintaining a positive mindset is crucial in the pursuit of our goals. A positive outlook fuels our determination and strengthens our will. It allows us to see limitations. Positivity is a powerful force that attracts success and opens doors to new opportunities.

HISTORY BOASTS WITH WILL POWER :

Our history is replete with so many leaders who fulfilled their dreams, despite being challenged with all kinds of hurdles. The only thing that remained on their side was unsurmountable willpower. Abraham Lincoln's story from cobbler’s son to American president, despite adversities such as separation from loved ones, land in the senate and vice president elections, depicts his willpower for his way to success. Martin Luther king’s willpower played an essential role for American black people's way to equality. Gandhi’s indomitable will to pursue the path of non-violence aided India’s Independence. Sardar Patel with his exhilarating willpower made wide efforts to make all princely states to come under one single head of India.

Thomas Alva Edison failed more than 1000 times before the invention of the bulb. For that, he quietly replied, he learnt 1000 ways how not to make an electric bulb. His positivist approach and enduring willpower made him to tread in the path of severe inventions to his name.

Buddha’s relentless will made him to attain the path of enlightenment, neglecting all earthly vices and founded Buddhism. The importance of willpower felt by Buddha made him to claim, ”We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts, we make the world”.

The strong will of Malala Yousafzai to advocate for girls’ education made her to withstand Taliban assassination attempt and earned her the Nobel Peace Prize.

INDUCTION OF WILL POWER:

While some individuals may naturally possess a strong will, others may need to consciously cultivate and strengthen it. Developing willpower involves building habits that contribute to mental and emotional resilience. This may include setting daily routines, practising mindfulness and surrounding oneself with a supportive environment.

Willpower is a positive mindset that pushes people beyond their boundaries and boosts their confidence in achieving their goals. It is similar to muscle in the body. However, not every human being in earth had the willpower to overcome the obstacles in their path. This is because of factors – lack of self-control and self-confidence, fear of failure, mindset to avoid disturbing the hornet’s nest of tradition, stereotypes, societal commands, and negative thinking.

Everyone wants to achieve big but only a handful deliver it. This is because people make excuses citing time constraints, skill shortages, lack of privileges, etc. Thus, Victor Hugo rightly described it as “ People do not lack strength, they lack will “

Thus the life journey may be arduous and the road may be filled with obstacles, but with resolute will, we can overcome anything that stands in our way. To conclude in Niccolo Machiavelli's words, 

“Where the willingness is great, the difficulties cannot be great”.

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