Stop and look around. At the bus station. On the metro. On the roads. In the flood of cars we see everyday around us. What do you see? I see people running, constantly in motion, with worried expressions on their faces and a lost sense of why. Every person I come across is headed towards their destination, more often than not, it is either the office cubicle for their 9 to 5 job, or their school/college classroom for the quest of education.

But if you sit down with any one person, and ask why they spend every minute exhaustingly in abiding by the monotonous routine given to them through inheritance of the system, they are completely and utterly clueless.

Either a question of this nature will allow them to mark themselves as dumb and confused, or they were instantly label you as an ignorant fool to wonder why the world does what it does, and has been doing so since decades. Right?

7 billion people in this world, who are living by the same rules of success as the ones you are, how can they be wrong or deluded in the paths they have chosen as the ladder to the top. But, ask yourself, how many have actually made a name for themselves and achieved the phenomenal level of success man is capable of? How many have pursued a passion which created their supreme niche in the market and given this world a legacy to remember? A numbered few. There are signs for those who think.

We all are running, running after a concept of success, happiness, peace and prosperity which is not ours to begin with. In this rat race, we all forget the purpose of our personal existence and the fire that lies within to make miracles happen. We, instead, settle for ordinary, for the common and the standard. We let the passion inside us burn to dust and drown deep within bouts of unhappiness, depression, failures and regrets. What gives us the sheer power and dedication to break free from the chains of ‘what ifs’ and ‘buts’ we are continuously exposed.

Which road will you choose?

Every individual experiences a moment of calling in his life, where he stands at a crossroad to weigh the cost of change to that of no change. He can either opt to explore on undiscovered paths and unravel the treasures found, or he can continue on his monotonous journey of followership, blind behind hundreds treading on the same roads traveled most and traveled often.

In that moment of calling, where God gives you a chance to re-evaluate your life and benefit from the miracles lying behind the phenomenon of growth and change, most step back in fear of what might happen. Others, only take the plunge when those around them have done the same, so nothing unknown remains. Only few are lucky enough to take the leap of Faith, without a harness or safety net and land in heaps of opportunities awaiting these leaders and risk-takers.

This one moment saves you from regrets that most indulge in till their last breaths, hoping they had heard the calling, wishing they could go back to the crossroads and choose the scarier path, dreaming of the chance to relive their life without fear. These people are countless, lying on their deathbeds, nobodies, with common life stories and endless discontentment. The other group, is few, scattered, with tales unheard, some untold, some remembered as legacies and forces to be reckoned with, with lessons to impart and lives that are revered long after they are gone.

The difference is one and simple – some chose to hear the calling and welcome the new in their lives, no matter how horrifying it seemed at first, others, stayed hidden in the shadows of safety, never able to shine bright.

Nowadays, a man’s drive and motivation to achieve is constantly put into doubt and question by countless obstacles in his road to success. Day in and day out, he is faced with numerous challenges, negativity and uncertainty which puts his passion into a whirlwind of ifs and maybes. Every time one bounces on a trampoline of hope and inspiration, he is pulled back down by either his own lack of confidence in his ability to reach the goals he has set for himself, or by the surrounding crowd of failures who are tied up in their own vicious cycles. Amidst the thousands who read self-help books on gaining motivation to succeed and listen to hundreds of seminars on the same, only a handful are lucky enough to fight the beast within which tells them they can’t do something. Therefore, despite immense capability and a dire need that every individual reaches his utmost potential, we are left with a majority of followers behind the fortunate few leaders.

The sad reality hits once more, when we walk around with labels we are continuously judged on the basis of, let it be of the gender we carry, or the religious affiliation we have, or merely the nationality we hold. Our failure is indistinctively categorized as the failure of a man/woman, Muslim/Christian, Pakistani/Indian. Success, hence, is no longer a personal matter, but a responsibility we have on the account of being whoever we are and acquiring whichever identity we do. Ask yourself, how many times you scroll through a list of highly successful people and notice the number of women or Muslims in the compilation, wondering why the ratio is such and accepting it as fate that our type cannot reach the pinnacle as easily as others can.

We provide excuses to ourselves for the lack of success we see around us, and find solace in the rarity of the success stories in our society – simply eradicating the will to achieve more, and reducing our life to a common, useless existence. But are we willing to live the rest of our lives as a mere number amongst billions or do we wish to shine and leave a legacy for decades to come? If you choose the latter, every time life reminds you that it is tough and difficult, fight back stronger than before with the understanding of the need to do so. Every time you are reminded of the hardships you will have to face to climb every step on the ladder of greatness, stop looking down below and start exploring the possibilities which lie at the horizon. Every time you hear someone tell you, you can NOT do something, firmly respond: YES I CAN!