Summary recap
Let us summarize and recap all the 24 chapters so that we can see the bigger picture.
The beginning: you have a dream to achieve an objective such as becoming an industrialist or leader. Or you want to solve a conflict in your life. To achieve it, you need to take a leap into the unknown. You don’t know the path ahead and you can’t do it alone. By faith in God, a man can move mountains. So have faith in yourself and in God.
You also need the support of teammates. But often the people around you pull you back, because they don’t understand your vision and they are genuinely concerned about your wellbeing.
So you need to be a torchbearer, illuminating the path and help them understand where they are headed and what the journey ahead will look like. Then, going forward, you must inspire people to take up new responsibilities. That’s not an easy task. People often reject something that shakes the world they are accustomed to. So you must entice them with a compelling picture of the rewards they’ll gain. Show them that the rewards are worth the risks. Also inform them of the sacrifices that will be required so they know if they are ready.
The middle: as in any good novel or movie, is where most of the tension plays out — the scary fights and the steep climb.Challenging the status quo does not come without hardship. You will fail several times and you will have to learn everything the hard way. These are the trials to test your strength and character.
Eventually the fighting and the climb may start to take a toll on teammates. Overcoming hurdle after hurdle can weaken everyone’s resolve. So you need to reenergize them by acknowledging the progress they have made. Remind them of key milestones and celebrate small victories while keeping their sights set on the ultimate goal.
The end: you will arrive at the new destination. Whether big or small, your achievement changes the course of future. It’s also time to take stock of lessons learned to prepare for the next journey, because if you’re planning to stick around you’ll soon have another dream or conflict. And then another. But the knowledge and experience you have gained so fat will make future journeys easier. But our final destination is liberation.
From Gandhiji’s life we can see that we need not be mere victims of circumstances. He selflessly fought for the up-liftment of oppressed communities and independence of nation. But even after obtaining independence he didn’t seek power or wealth. His desire was to run head on into the face of death to bring peace among the warring communities. That is the true mark of a great leader’s character and his greatest victory in the path to liberation.