The journey began and the beautiful milestones kept greeting me. There were road blocks too. Frankly speaking there were more road blocks and stop signs but we always found a way to move forward. There was always a way. It is truly said that where there is a will there is a way. Sometimes there were many ways too. One can only imagine how this happened and how we could surmount all the hurdles. But we are winning the race everyday. Defeating all the set backs and problems we could still move forward.
Setbacks give you a new way to move forward and they taught me the following lessons:
I could see beyond a certain level and think of ways to do things differently.
There are a hundred other ways to do the same thing.
One way or another we can accomplish our goal.
A task needs to be done and it has to be done. The most important thing is that it has to be done in some way.
One may think it is difficult but there is always a way to do it.
People may tell you it is difficult, impossible or impractical but if your heart is set on it, nothing can stop you from doing it.
The most important thing is your determination and the urge to do it.
Road blocks and hurdles will always teach you something new about yourself and others too. Overcoming them will show that you are stronger than you know.

You can surmount the hurdles and find your way out of anything if your goals are clearly marked. Accomplishing small goals one at a time will ultimately help you achieve the main goal.

Small achievements give motivation and make you feel good about yourself and keep you going even in trying times. Small successes and even small progress can take you places. It makes you aware of your own potential and capabilities. You may not even know what you are capable of. Small progress in the right path is vital for the next step and that’s the way I could move forward with each small step every time.

Every time I got a kid back to school or a new kid to school for the first time I would have a feeling of contentment inside me. When a child comes back to school after a long break or absence, it gives me reassurance that I am doing something right, maybe not perfectly but to some extent I was moving in the right direction. The kids always taught me more than I could teach them in return. They taught me the right way to do things and sometimes the solutions to some problems as well. They are the ones who should lead the way when there is no light. They are the ones who always know how to take up a challenge and come out of it with flying colours. Setbacks and hurdles are building blocks for success. They make sure we succeed, no matter what.

These children have helped us keep ourselves grounded. No matter how successful we are in whatever we do, we ought to keep ourselves close to reality and keep growing. We don’t grow till we test our limits. In a field like education we can’t get too comfortable with a set pattern or system. Change is crucial for new ideas to guide us and move forward. The only ‘Mantra’ I repeat to myself in any situation is to keep moving forward. Never stop, keep moving forward.