“You cannot change your future, but you can change your habits, and surely your habits will change your future.”
APJ Abdul Kalam (1931-2015) was an Indian aerospace scientist who served as the 11th President of Independent India from 2002-2007. Throughout his long and illustrious journey, Abdul Kalam grew into one of the most iconic figures of our great country. His life mission was to propel India into a stage of grand development, a mission he undertook not only as a scientist and a politician, but also as an educator and a writer to Indian youth.
In his autobiography My Journey: Transforming Dreams into Actions, Abdul Kalam provides a vivid description of several lesser-known facts from his childhood and career, that helped to shape him into the man he went on to become. From his father’s early morning walks to his bond with mother and sister to his work under Vikram Sarabhai himself, ‘The Missile Man of India’ inspires all of us with his lifelong teachings from incidents that changed his personality.
What sticks with me more than anything else in the story is the author’s description of how significant a role others can play in influencing you. His mother sacrificing on her own nutrition to ensure he did not go hungry, his books becoming his lifelong companions, his father and two other great men making a stand against religious discrimination, his colleague Sudhakar undergoing injuries to save him in a near-death incident, and his interactions with the Father of the Indian Space Program were all essential in his growth as a human being. Instead of being undermined and demoralized by his failures, he worked harder to succeed the second time.
To conclude, My Journey by APJ Abdul Kalam is a must-read for all Indian youth aspiring to succeed in life. It certainly had a huge impact on me…
