A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, former Indian President and scientist, tells young people that success requires facing failure as the captain of your problem, not its victim. He argues that creativity comes from imagination, that you must fight to stay uniquely yourself against society's pressure to conform, and that teachers shape your vision more than almost anything else.
Chapters
I want the young people to understand how to manage the failure.
If you want to be innovators, I am going to give you what type of characteristic you must have. See, I have a feeling whenever I give something, I feel happy. You, you want to be you? Yes! Not everybody else. By breaking their limits of their imagination, they change the world. Creativity leads to thinking.
When he enters the classroom, my teacher, I see radiation of purity of life. A leader should work with integrity and succeed with integrity.
Sir, how did you become so great?
How did I become so great? That's the question. When there is order in the nation, there is peace in the world.
He was the 11th President of India from 2002 to 2007.
A career scientist turned politician, he studied physics and aerospace engineering.
He was intimately involved involved in Indian civilian space program and missile defense systems.
He's APJ Abdul Kalam, and here are his top 10 rules for success.
We should know how to handle the— not only how to handle success, how to handle the failures. Particularly you are in the management environment, we are I want the young people to understand how to manage the failure. Because any task you do, you have to come across problem. Problem should not become the captain of the individual or the project chief. And the project chief should become the captain of the problems and defeat the problem and succeed.
If you want to be discoverers, if you want to be innovators, I am going to give you What type of, what type of characteristic you must have. Invention and discoveries have emanated from creative minds that have been constantly working and imagining the outcome. The telephone, he was imagining the outcome, imagining the outcome in the mind. With the imaging and constant effort, all the forces of the universe work for that inspired mind, thereby leading to invention, discovery. See, I have a feeling whenever I give something, I feel happy.
You see, this is— you try that whatever you may have knowledge, you have sometimes better economy you may have, better, better, maybe sometimes you have kind words you can have. So if you use and make somebody's life happy, that is, you are giving and his or her life is happy. That's the best thing a human being can think of. Then you will get a conflict-free world.
I learned— what did I learn from the youth of 11 million people? I learned every youth wants to be unique. Every youth wants to be unique. That is you. Every youth wants to be unique. That is you. But the world around, around you is doing its best day and night to make you just everybody else. Now, now, the question is whether you want to be you or everybody else. You? You want to be you? Yes! Not everybody else. Now, the question, being like everybody else is convenient. At the first glance, but not satisfying in the long vision. The challenge therefore, my young friends, is that you have to fight the hardest battle. You have to fight the hardest battle which any human being can ever imagine to fight, and never stop fighting until you arrive at your destined place. That is the unique you. History has proven, history has proven that those who dare to imagine the impossible are the ones who break all the human limitations. In every field of human endeavor, whether science, medicine, sports, arts, or technology, the names of the people— just now I listed some of the names— The names of the people who imagined the impossible are engraved in our history. By breaking the limits of their imagination, by breaking the limits of their imagination, they change the world. You take C.V. Raman, you take Newton, you take Einstein, you take Chandrasekhar. By breaking the limits of their imagination, they change the world.
Learning, learning gives creativity.
Creativity leads to thinking.
Thinking provides knowledge. Knowledge makes you great. You have many accomplishments. You've written books, you've served as president, you're an aerospace engineer, you've been a professor, but you say the title you like best is the title of teacher. Why is that? You know, I had a teacher. When I was a young boy, 10 years boy, wartime, the Second World War going on. At that time, I used to see in my class, 5th class teacher, in science teacher, his name is Sivasubramanian. He entered the classroom and we used to see the radiation of knowledge from him, radiation of knowledge from him. When he enters the classroom, my teacher, I see radiation of purity of life. And the way he taught, my dream got shaped, what should be my way of life. He is the person, the teacher gave me the vision of my life when I was a young fellow. Now teacher has got a fantastic opportunity to grow minds, to enrich the minds, and give the dreams to the young people, and nurture the dreams with them, and they will become a great human being. Sometime, they will become better than you, better than the teacher. So that opportunity you have. And also the teacher, like what I am doing, I am a professor, I can also do the research. Young researchers will be work with me. That's a great pleasure when they get a PhD. Every action of the leader should be transparent. You know what I mean? Every— that is, leader should work with integrity and succeed with integrity. Leader should work with integrity and succeed with that integrity. And I believe president, since you asked the question, has to be continuously in touch with the people. Rashtrapati Bhavan, where I was there, became a people's Bhavan. Instead of Rashtrapati Bhavan, it becomes people's Bhavan. And also I travel into the whole state, cutting across hill, deserts, and sea. I was in touch with millions and millions of people.
Sir, how did you become so great?
How did I become so great? That's a question.
Well, which class you are studying?
Fourth.
What's your dream in life?
I want to become a singer.
Singer? Pakistani or Carnatic? Pakistani or Carnatic music? Any music?
Yeah, any music.
Any music music. Well, I don't know how big—
I don't know.
You know, these are relative terms. So I personally believe you must have a dream. Say, you must say, I must have a dream.
I must serve a dream.
I must continuously acquire knowledge. Continuously acquire knowledge.
I must continuously acquire knowledge.
Hard work. Hard work.
Hard work.
And perseverance.
And perseverance.
One should not be afraid of problems.
Not afraid of problems.
Then you will be successful.
Okay? Come on! As we say in India, where there is righteousness in the heart, where there is righteousness in the heart, there is beauty in the character. When there is beauty in the character, there is harmony in the home. When there is harmony in the home, there is harmony— there is an order in the nation. When there is order in the nation, there is peace in the world.
Mr. President Abdul Kalam, in the name of the European Parliament, I want to thank you for this important and inspiring speech. This was one of the most extraordinary speeches we have ever heard. From a statesman, scientist, and poet. This is unique. All the best to this great nation, India. All the best to our cooperation between the great nation India and the European Union. All the best, Mr. President.
Thank you so much for watching.
We made this video because Ravi Chandra asked us to. Once again, if you have a famous entrepreneur that you want us to profile, please leave it below.
I'd also love to know which of the top 10 rules that we mentioned today meant the most to you, had the biggest impact. Leave in the comments, we'll join the discussion. Thank you so much for watching. Continue to believe, and we'll see you soon.
