Some of you may recall from an earlier post that I walk the Adyar River Trail in Chennai on most weekends.

On one side of the trail is the Officers Training Academy (OTA), which you pass along the way. Etched on the gate are these words (as you can see in the picture):

Falling is acceptable.
Crawling is acceptable.
Pain is acceptable.
Quitting is not.

There’s nothing dramatic about the message. No flourish. Just four plain statements. Almost matter-of-fact.

What I liked was how realistic it feels. It doesn’t talk about winning or being strong all the time. It makes room for falling. For slowing down. For discomfort. And then it quietly draws a clear line at giving up.

Leadership, much like service, isn’t about constant forward motion. There are phases when progress is slow. Days when things don’t go to plan. Moments when continuing feels harder than stopping. What often separates those who last from those who don’t is a quiet decision to keep going anyway.

That mindset doesn’t make a lot of noise. It doesn’t ask for applause. But over time, it shapes people, institutions, and nations.

And sometimes, all it takes is a line on a gate to remind you of that.

Happy Republic Day, India!