Articles
Youth- A Time to Hurry.
Opinion | Articles | Capt. Eddie Viegas | 22-Jul-2025
One day a little Black Lad was watching a balloon vendor. The little boy saw that the vendor had balloons of all colours. As each balloon was filled with gas, the balloons would rise high into the air. There were balloons of white, green, blue, red, yellow and so on, but no black balloons. The boy was rather intrigued. He approached the vendor and curiously asked the vendor “Sir, would a black balloon float like the others too?”
The vendor was touched by the boy’s query and giving him a tight hug, said “Son it is not the colour of the balloon that makes it float. It is what is inside the balloon that makes it soar”.
Yes, it is what is inside you that makes you whatever you become in life. Knowledge, humility, your attitude towards yourself and towards others around you, are some of the qualities that need to be honed during your youthful years for building a good personality and your success in life.
A simple guide to success can be can be found in the Four D’s. 1) Desire, 2) Direction, 3) Discipline and 4) Dedication.
Desire: To be something in life You have to have a goal, a dream, a strong Desire. You can be anything in life provided you want it desperately. President Clinton shook hands with President Kennedy when Clinton was a boy of 13 years and that day he decided to be the President of America some day. He did it.
Direction: Once you have a desire to be something, it is necessary to find out how to get there. What to study, how much to study, where to study, whom to consult, what exams to appear for, and so on.
Discipline: What you have to do today, do it now. That’s discipline. Procrastination leads to laziness and laziness leads to physical, mental and moral degradation. Discipline helps you to do not only the things that you have to do but even provides you with time to pursue your hobbies and also to interact with your friends and family. Have a programme for each day- starting with “Jumping out of your bed” early each morning. You’ll see the difference.
Dedication: It is the quality of perseverance that makes winners. Great athletes, players, musicians, artists, scientist, etc are known to be practicing or working at their interests for eight to twelve hours each day for months on end. Those who persevere or work dedicatedly- Win.
Youth does not last forever. Each day of this most pleasant part of our lives is a time given to us by God to Sow, so that one may reap abundantly. Work hard and work fast during these few years and you will be happy for decades in life. While away and squander this time and you will be struggling and regretting throughout your life. The Choice is yours.
(The author is a Master Mariner and a Ship and Marine surveyor in Goa. He represents numerous National & International organizations in the world of shipping as a technical consultant).
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