Price of Success

A famous line from The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, “When you really want something, the universe always conspires in your favor”, provides the best standing hope that if you want something for yourself, the world will favor you to achieve it. But it is not always true.

Most of the success stories that we observe do not prove this so called quotation as it is. Success is a state or a thing that is unique in its nature and deeply desired to accomplish. More than ninety percent of the success stories have faced the extreme criticism. A person finds a locked door at the end of each way he follow for the success even every single moment is against the dream he pursue.

In 1883, a creative engineer named John Roebling was inspired by an idea to build a spectacular bridge connecting New York with the Long Island. However bridge building experts throughout the world thought that this was an impossible feat and told Roebling to forget the idea. It just could not be done. It was not practical. It had never been done before.

Working together for the first time, the father and son developed concepts of how it could be accomplished and how the obstacles could be overcome. With great excitement and inspiration, and the headiness of a wild challenge before them, they hired their crew and began to build their dream bridge.
The project started well, but when it was only a few months underway a tragic accident on the site took the life of John Roebling. Washington was also injured and left with a certain amount of brain damage, which resulted in him not being able to talk or walk.

“We told them so.” “Crazy men and their crazy dreams.” “It’s foolish to chase wild visions.”

In spite of his handicap Washington was never discouraged and still had a burning desire to complete the bridge and his mind was still as sharp as ever. He tried to inspire and pass on his enthusiasm to some of his friends, but they were too daunted by the task.

He touched his wife’s arm with that finger, indicating to her that he wanted her to call the engineers again. Then he used the same method of tapping her arm to tell the engineers what to do. It seemed foolish but the project was under way again.

For 13 years Washington tapped out his instructions with his finger on his wife’s arm, until the bridge was finally completed. Today the spectacular Brooklyn Bridge stands in all its glory as a tribute to the triumph of one man’s indomitable spirit and his determination not to be defeated by circumstances. It is also a tribute to the engineers and their team work, and to their faith in a man who was considered mad by half the world. It stands too as a tangible monument to the love and devotion of his wife who for 13 long years patiently decoded the messages of her husband and told the engineers what to do.

The key to every lock is made before the lock. All those success solutions are in six directions. If everyone in the world is going in the same direction and achieve that thing that will not be referred as success as when it is divided to take the part of each one it would be much less. Now if a person break the norms and follows his dream in almost opposite direction as the world see it he would mark the success but with the whole universe against him. It is like a drop flowing against the direction of ocean while being the part of it. This is the price of success. After the price is paid; the universe starts conspiring your favor.