How To Teach Your Child The Power Of Hard Work

In this part of our ‘Super 10 for Success’ series, find out how you can teach your child the power of hard work.

- Akshaya Ganesh

“Being asked to 'work' can be annoying for some. And when the word 'hard' gets attached to ‘work’, annoyance gives way to resentment and anger, especially in those who do not like what they're being asked to do. Mine was a similar case.

While studying in the second standard, I was chosen to take part in a dance competition in my school. Never before had I expressed even a remote interest in dance. I didn’t even have the faintest idea about how to dance, but here I was, chosen to compete against someone who had been training for almost two years. I had only two weeks to prepare. My mother told me,

‘It's just two weeks, work a little harder and, maybe, you'll even win the competition.’ Encouraged by her words, I decided to give it a shot and put my heart and soul into it. I trained for a couple of hours every day and by the end of two weeks, I was pumped up and eager to show my progress. While I was dancing, I realised I loved and enjoyed what I was doing. Although I lost the competition (I stood no chance against a professional), I developed Wa passion for dance.

What hard work taught me – if I persevered enough and thoroughly explored an opportunity, I might come to love what I was doing and  unearth a genuine passion. Even though I lost the competition, the outcome was a success. I found something that I could cherish forever.”

This is the story of Ashwini Raja, a third-year engineering student from SSN College of Engineering, Chennai. This incident changed her approach to life and she became far more receptive to trying new things. She realised that hard work not only leads you to success, but also helps you develop an interest in varied activities.

WHY WORK HARD?