Hoshiarpur Singh was a very hardworking man, though a bit stubborn by nature. He firmly believed that success should always be achieved through a straight and simple path. However, life had its own way of teaching him that sometimes, to reach a goal, one must change the method.
One day at the office, Hoshiarpur Singh was assigned a particularly difficult task. No matter how many times he tried, he kept failing. Each attempt ended with some mistake or the other. After several unsuccessful efforts, he began to feel frustrated and started thinking that perhaps the task was beyond his capability.
Seeing his distress, one of his friends advised him, “If the work is not getting done in a straightforward way, try changing your approach. Sometimes, you need to bend your finger to get the ghee out.”
The words made him pause and reflect. He realized that giving up was not the solution. If one method was not working, it did not mean the task was impossible—it simply meant that a different strategy was needed.
He decided to divide the task into smaller, manageable parts and began completing each step patiently and carefully. Instead of rushing, he focused on understanding every detail. Gradually, what once seemed extremely difficult started to feel easier.
Hoshiarpur Singh understood that hard work alone is not enough; wisdom and flexibility are equally important. With determination and a revised approach, he finally completed the assignment successfully.
A few days later, his senior officer praised him, saying, “You handled the task with patience and intelligence. That is the real key to success.”
Smiling confidently, Hoshiarpur Singh replied, “I have learned that if something cannot be achieved in a straight way, we should not give up. Instead, we should change the method.”
That day, he learned an important lesson in life: sometimes, to achieve success, one must adopt a different approach—but the intention should always remain honest and clear.
RAJEEV VERMA 