When I see wealthy, powerful, learned people struggling to be at peace with themsleves, I remember people like Ahmed Jallaludin and Iyadurai Solomon. How happy they were with virtually no possessions!

On the coast of Coromondel
where the Earthy shells blow,
in the middle of the sands
lived some really rich souls
One cotton lungi and half a candle-
One old jug without a handle
these were all the worldy possessions
of these kings in the middle of the sands...

How did they feel so secure without anything to fall back upon?
I believe they drew sustenance from within. They relied more on their inner signals and less on the external cues that I have mentioned above. Are you aware of your inner signals? Do trust them? do you have the focus of control over your life in your own hands. Take this from me, the more decisions you can make avoiding external pressures which will constantly try to manipulate and immobilise you, the better your life will be , the better your society will become. The entire nation will benefit by having strong inner directed people as their leaders. A citizenry that thinks for itself, a country in which people know and trust themselves as individuals, would be virtually immune to manipulation by any unscrupulous authority or vested interests. Your willingness to use your own inner resources to invest your life especially your imagination will bring you success. When you undertake a taks from your own uliquely individual standpoint you will become a person. Life is a difficult game. You can win it only by retaining your birthright to be a person. And to retain this right you will have to be willing to take the social or external risks involved in ignoring pressures to do things the way others say they should be done..

ABDUL KALAM (WINGS OF FIRE)