‘Learning to Love to Learn’- Inspirations and lessons learnt from Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam’s life
Actions speak louder than words and this holds true for none other than Dr. Kalam. Simplicity, punctuality, the power of dreaming big and a zeal to learn are just some of the traits that define the man that he was. His life served to impart a valuable lesson that held good for every facet of life. However, the most priceless gift that Dr Kalam left behind was the never ending quest of learning.
Inspiration that serves to encourage
It is well known that Dr Kalam came from a very humble household in a non-descript town. A large family with many mouths to feed, Dr Kalam had begun working early in life as a newspaper boy so as to support his family and as a means of funding his own education.
So great was his love for learning that he soon earned his scholarship and sought out to study the subject he loved the most- aerospace engineering. What happened after was for the world to see. Not only did India indigenously develop its own advanced missile technology but also become a self-reliant, artillery-armed force to reckon with.
Today, even days after his demise, Dr Kalam’s pearls of wisdom serve to inspire children and adults alike. His profound speeches, especially to children, were always interspersed with motivational words that ignited young minds to think and develop a love for learning. He had once famously said
“Learning gives creativity,
creativity leads to thinking,
thinking provides knowledge,
knowledge makes you great”
Learning to love to learn
Dr Kalam’s love for learning saw him attain exemplary achievements be it launching the successful deployment of the Rohini satellite in near earth orbit in July 1980, being elected as the 11th President of India or being touted as the Missile Man of India. Dr Kalam’s wore many hats with as much humility as with ease.
His knack with innovativeness and acumen was not reserved for the privileged or the upper echelons of society, in fact he always emphasised on sharing of knowledge for the betterment and the greater good of mankind. To that end, not only did he and cardiologist Dr Soma Raju develop a low cost Coronary stent named as “Kalam-Raju Stent” but together they went so far as to design a rugged tablet PC – “Kalam-Raju Tablet” that was aimed towards the betterment of health care in the rural parts of India.
Lessons learnt
To us that speaks volumes about his genuine love for developing something that is not just carved out of sheer love for invention but out of the need to do something that is noble and eternal.
Dr Kalam firmly believed in the power of books besides which he was an avid listener of carnatic music. He didn’t own a television and neither did he amass material wealth which was bequeathed to his family. After his demise, his veena, some clothing, a CD player and a laptop were given to his eldest surviving brother.
Dr Kalam often said
“Dream, Dream Dream,
Dreams transform into thoughts
And thoughts result in action.”
Truly, he epitomised the love for learning besides setting a glowing example of successes that can be accomplished by hard work and perseverance.
