Overcoming Challenges and Building Confidence: Hanuman’s Path to Success
Things to Keep in Mind When Setting a Goal: Learning from Lord Hanuman – Understand Why You Want to Achieve Your Goal Before You Choose It
Swami Vivekananda once said that you should choose a single goal in life and focus on it with dedication day and night. Without a clear goal, nothing can be achieved. Life becomes directionless without a target. When we work towards a specific goal, it keeps us motivated and energized. It is possible that the goal may not be accomplished on the first attempt, but after failure, it’s important to continue moving forward with a positive attitude.
Setting a goal is a task that requires careful consideration. If we keep in mind the teachings from scriptures, the chances of success can greatly improve.
The Goal Should Be Clear and Aligned with Your Abilities
In the Ramayana, Hanuman, Jambavan, Angad, and the other monkeys arrived at the southern coast in search of Sita. Sampati, the elder vulture, had informed them that Sita was in Ravana’s Lanka. The group then discussed who among them would go to Lanka to find her. During this conversation, Jambavan first said that he was too old and unable to cross the ocean. Angad, on the other hand, said he could reach Lanka but wasn’t sure if he could return, lacking confidence in his own abilities.
It was then that Jambavan reminded Hanuman of his immense powers. To ensure the welfare of Lord Rama and the monkeys, Hanuman took it upon himself to make the goal of finding Sita his mission. Sugriva had told all the monkeys that if Sita was not found, all of them would be killed. Without Sita, Rama would lose his will to live, and with him, Lakshmana and all of Ayodhya would also be in grave danger. For the well-being of all, Hanuman made a firm decision that he would find Sita by any means necessary.
Although Hanuman had never seen Sita, the task seemed almost impossible. But when he reminded himself of his own powers, his self-confidence soared, and he knew he was capable of achieving the task. Without hesitation, he prepared himself to fly to Lanka. Hanuman set a clear goal: he would travel to Lanka, find Sita, and bring back news to Lord Rama.
Hanuman bid farewell to Jambavan, Angad, and the other monkeys and set off for Lanka. Along the way, he encountered numerous obstacles but didn’t stop because his goal—finding Sita—was clear in his mind. Upon reaching Lanka, Hanuman searched through all the palaces but could not find Sita. After failing on his first attempt, Hanuman thought to himself, “Instead of returning unsuccessful, I should try once more.”
In his second attempt, Hanuman reached Ashoka Vatika, where he found a woman imprisoned by female demons. Realizing that this was indeed Sita, he approached her, presented Lord Rama’s ring as proof of his message, and spoke with her.
Hanuman was soon captured by Meghnad, who used Brahma’s power to bind him, and Hanuman was brought to Ravana’s court. Ravana had Hanuman’s tail set on fire, but Hanuman took advantage of the situation by setting the entire city of Lanka on fire before returning to Lord Rama. He then informed Rama about Sita’s whereabouts. After receiving Hanuman’s message, Lord Rama, accompanied by the monkey army, marched to Lanka, defeated Ravana, and freed Sita.
Lessons from Hanuman
Hanuman teaches us that our goals should be clear and well-defined. We should never stop until we achieve them. When setting a goal, we must also ask ourselves why we want to achieve it. Hanuman made the search for Sita his goal because he understood that it would not only ensure the welfare of Lord Rama, the monkeys, and the people of Ayodhya, but it would also enable the defeat of Ravana and the restoration of righteousness. Even if we face setbacks and failures in the first attempt, we must continue with unwavering determination. As Hanuman demonstrated, we must keep pushing forward until we achieve our goal.
