We lost a gem on July 27, 2015. Our dearest Missile Man, one of the greatest scientists of all times, a prolific writer and a great teacher, Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam took his last breath, at the age of 83, in Shillong. He had gone there to address students of the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) and collapsed in the middle of his speech.
Life had not been very easy on him; during school days, he used to distribute newspapers in order to add to his father’s income but that did not stop him from dreaming and achieving big in life. Sir Kalam was a recipient of the Padma Bhushan, Padma Vibhushan and Bharat Ratna.
One of the most important lessons that he taught us is that despite becoming big in life, one must never lose humility and simplicity. As the nation mourns his death, let us revisit some of the great teachings by People’s President–
1. “Don’t take rest after your first victory because if you fail in second, more lips are waiting to say that your first victory was just luck”.
2. “All birds find shelter during a rain. But Eagle avoids rain by flying above the clouds”.
3. “Dreams transform into thoughts and thoughts Result in action. Dreams are not those which come while we are sleeping, but dreams are those when you don’t sleep before fulfilling them”.
4. “If you want to leave your footprints on the sands of time do not drag your feet”.
5. “Excellence is a continuous process and not an accident”.
6. “Climbing to the top demands strength, whether it is to the top of Mount Everest or to the top of your career”.
7. “Look at the sky. We are not alone. The whole universe is friendly to us and conspires only to give the best to those who dream and work”.
8. “Life is a difficult game. You can win it only by retaining your birth right to be a person”.
9. “It is very easy to defeat someone, but it is very hard to win someone”.
10. “End is not the end, if fact E.N.D. means “Effort Never Dies”.
Thank you for everything that you gave to this world. We miss you, Sir.
Click on the link below to watch one of his inspirational speeches-