Arignar Anna used to say time and again – “One who conquers himself can conquer the world.” It is a difficult task that can be done
only by our resolve to win. If we consistently look at our target through our mind’s eye we are sure to arrive at it, but there are some invisible enemies who
are great hurdles on our path. The deadliest enemy is lethargy – our laziness. Great Writer Thomas Carlyle called it our first and foremost enemy. In
his couplet No.605 in ‘Thirukkural’, the renowned poet Thiruvalluvar had also specified laziness as one of our invisible enemies.
The other cruel enemies are –
1) Procrastination – postponing actions; delay in
action; placing urgent work on the back burner.
2) Forgetfulness – being absent minded; not
bothering to remember something that is important.
3) Endless slumber – deep sleep throughout day
and night; lying like a log, a useless piece of wood.
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Most of our young students are irritated to attend School or College after a joyous weekend. This is funnily called “Monday Blues” – hatred towards
Mondays. If they do not get rid of this irritation it would gradually affect their progress, since habits die hard! There are many people who are
lazy enough even to peel a banana. They never do anything themselves. How can such lethargic
people achieve their mission in life?
Our delay in action is an invisible enemy that ruins our life. All of us equally get 24 hours per day; 60 minutes per hour and 60 seconds per minute. Wise people use time wisely and emerge achievers. People who postpone to tomorrow what is to be done today, without any valid reason
to do so, can never ever find advancement in their life. It is well said in English – “Time and
Tide wait for none!” We can classify people into two categories. Some people have so much to do but so little time and some people have so much
time but so little to do. Let us never be one of the second category.
Sleep is certainly an elixir for life but too much of it would only have a toxic effect. We must drive away this invisible enemy. Impunctuality
is another deadly enemy, though not visible. Thanthai Periyar was known for his punctuality. He was always the first person to board the
propaganda van. He used to stress that punctuality is the hall mark of discipline in every individual. Sometimes Periyar used to sit alone on the stage
without waiting for others.
Eminent revolutionary poet Bharatidasan once wrote – “Overtake the clock”. What did he imply by this advice to all of us? The need of clock-work
precision in life; being ahead of the clock itself. If we have to reach a place at twelve, being there even before the clock strikes twelve would be ideal.
My dear readers, driving away all these invisible enemies would make our life lovable, won’t it?
Source: ‘Viduthalai’
