Quote of the day: Kalpana Chawla's take on passion: 'Do something because you really want to do it. If you're doing…'

Kalpana Chawla, the first Indian origin woman to go into space, has left an indelible mark and a legacy that continues to inspire many. Chawla, who was born on 17 March 1962 in Haryana's Karnal, has left generations inspired by her uplifting words.

One such quote is: “Do something because you really want to do it. If you're doing it just for the goal and don't enjoy the path, then I think you're cheating yourself.”

Chawla's words emphasise how crucial it is to be happy and passionate about something in life. Whether it is a dream or a hobby. If people remove passion or happiness from any task, then they are barely left with anything to look forward to. While achieving goals is one of the most important things, it is important for them to be happy and be present in it completely. Doing something just for the sake of it or to please others will not help them in the long run and can only harbour feelings such as burnout or negative thoughts.

The reason one must continue to focus on their passion and happiness when aiming for something is simply that the road to achieving any particular goal can be long and tedious. Excitement is what helps us get started on a project or a task, but once we are into a task, that excitement is bound to fade away. What will continue to motivate us or help us get through the finish line is our determination, passion for that project, and our happiness with the result we might achieve.

It is also crucial to remember that the chances of success or failure are fifty-fifty, and each one of us would want to see themselves emerging as a winner. This is another reason why we should only do things that we really want to, because, in case a person is unable to fulfil their dream or achieve their goal, their passion and determination would at least be with them, reminding them at every step what it felt like doing something which made them happy. No matter what the result of this long and tedious journey would be, how much a person enjoys their path would always stay with them, and in times of despair, can help in giving them motivation and guidance.

For instance, if someone only wishes to earn money in life and they only focus on this particular goal, there is a high possibility that they would soon feel burned out or might even not like the work they are doing. They would then be left with two options: to continue doing what they don't like because the result would be what they expected, or change their course and find something that would make them happy and would eventually help them earn good money.

Kalpana Chawla joined NASA in 1988 as a researcher at the Ames Research Center, focusing on computational fluid dynamics. Her historic journey began on 19 November 1997, when she was a part of a six-member crew who flew aboard the STS-87 Columbia mission.