Hard Work Does Pay – Deep Shikha Sharma IAS

Hard Work Does Pay

July 4, 2015, I heard a few words for which I was waiting to hear ever since my childhood. The hard work, the efforts that were put during 20 years of my schooling, paid today. I cleared my UPSC examination in my first attempt obtaining the 33rd position.

To become an I.A.S. officer was not only my dream, but it was also my passion. It was the dream which I dreamed with my parents. My parents always used to give me inspiration by telling the stories of the great leaders. Dr. Radhakrishnan and Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam were my Role Models. I was truly inspired by their teachings and their ideologies.

My father used to gift me inspiring storybooks on my birthday. I was born and brought up in the environment where I was inspired by the teaching of Swami Rama Krishna Paramhans and Swami Vivekananda. My parents used to tell the life stories of these eminent personalities and I always tried to follow their teachings.

I am thankful to all my family members and friends for their moral support. I am proud of my parents who always stood by my side and made me to choose my future and career. They never forced their decision upon me. I am especially thankful to my own institution, my first home “LITTLE FLOWER VISITATION SR. SEC CONVENT SCHOOL, KAITHAL” and all the loving and caring Sisters who have effortlessly worked on me in improving my handwriting and developing the confidence in spoken English.

My special thanks to Sr. Gertrude, Sr. Leela Jose, Sr. Regina Blossom, Sr. Jaya Pereira and all the Sisters of Visitation Congregation for their best wishes. It is just because of them I am able to achieve this goal.

I would like to thank all the staff members of the institution for their valuable guidance and inspiration from time to time. My special thanks to Mrs. Loveena Lal our Social Science teacher at that time. It was her motherly attention, her love and dedicated teachings of the subject not only to me as an individual but to all my classmates that the subject itself was made very interesting. It was because of her able guidance that I was able to secure 99/100 in Social Studies in my matriculation examination. I would like to thank Ajay Sir for his blessings. He always had a faith that I will achieve the decided goal.

My advice to the future aspirants is to work hard without stress. The most important of all; it is all that can be possible with one’s mental software, the very first thought that made me, ingrain it and start fighting, forgetting that WHAT WE RESIST, ACTUALLY PERSIST. In the process of relieving it, we end up creating more of it.”

Stress is the culmination of less energy, the first half should be increased with the management of the second half. Therefore healthy food and good sleep with meditation can provide a vital role in securing one’s destination, but the key lies in the management of work which is all about prioritizing the urgent work and important work and completing them.

My area of preference as an I.A.S. officer would be the empowerment of women and the strengthening the Panchayati Raj Institutions.

I would like to conclude with one of the inspirational quotes of Dr. A.P.J. Kalam “if you want to shine like a sun first burn like a sun.”