The world is broadly divided into two categories of people: achievers and admirers! There are those who make achievements in life and those who think they cannot do what the achievers do and end up as their admirers.

It is a question of grit and determination. It is a question of will to achieve. It is a question of putting in an extra effort. It is a question of being ready to do more than what an average person is willing to do. That sums up the difference between achievers and admirers.

Students who attend classes regularly, do their home work, take extra classes and burn their midnight’s oil make the grade. Those who take things lightly and do not work hard enough fall by the wayside. Here, the difference is in the determination to make the grade and willingness to put in that extra effort to achieve it.

You may not be the best student in your class. Your ranking might be 20 out of 60 students. If you are complacent, you may cling to that position. That is, if you are fortunate enough. Otherwise, you may slip further down in ranking. But, if you aim for the first rank and prepare for the examination accordingly, you may climb several ranks higher even if you don’t make it to the first place.

If you want to go for a four kilometer walk in the morning, don’t stop at the second kilometer mark. Instead, make the third kilometer mark your goal. That way you would be preparing yourself for a six kilometer walk! If you set a four kilometer target for a four kilometer walk, the odds are that you may feel tired and exhausted before you complete those four kilometers. But, if you set a six kilometer target and to do a four kilometer walk, your energy level at the end of the four kilometer walk is likely to be higher.

What is it that helps mountaineers climb up high peaks? Are they any different from us? Are they made of some different stuff? No, they are also made of the same five elements that we are made of. But, what distinguishes them from us is, they are determined and they do not give up easily. They keep going when an average man would have given up.

Believe me, the human body is a storehouse of energy. We never use our energy levels to the fullest. Our energy is like the fuel in the petrol tank of our vehicles. The vehicle comes to halt when we have used a certain quantity of petrol. That means it is time to refuel and replenish our stock. We think we have exhausted the stock of petrol in the petrol tank. But, there is some petrol left in the tank which is actually the reserve stock to bail us out of tight situations. We seldom use it. But, it is there. So is the case with the human body. We think we are sapped of all energy, when there is still some energy in reserve.

Take this example. I went shopping one day. I walked for nearly three hours at a stretch. When I was about a hundred yards away from my home, I felt absolutely exhausted. I thought my feet had turned into feet of clay. I thought my feet would give way under my weight. I thought I could not move another inch. At that moment, I heard a dog bark behind me. I was startled. I started running. I was mortally afraid of dog bites. In minutes I had not only covered the hundred yards but also climbed 32 steps of my staircase to my house before I felt safe!

That incident taught me a big lesson in life. We have more energy than we think. It is a question of believing in it and pushing ourselves that extra bit.

If we are happy with a half-century in cricket, we may never get around to scoring a hundred. But, if we aim for a double century, the odds are that we may score a century some time. When we decide to do something, the vibrations in the whole universe supports us. They push us. The energy in the whole universe is pooled in to make that happen. The important thing is to decide. The important thing is to believe in ourselves. And, set out to achieve our goals.

If we aim for a hundred percent, we may fall short of it. But, if we aim for more than that, we are sure to get there!