A belief in yourself, and your dreams, your ability to achieve them, and the purpose of life are essential ingredients of success. In fact, I tend to believe that success is directly proportional to the degree of belief.

There are smart ways to success but no short cuts. Becoming successful is a process, and it's important that one moves through all the required steps. One cannot buy or bribe one's way to success; it needs to be earned.

When your resolve to succeed is unshakable, no 'odds' can stand between you and your success. Look at our parents. In their own way, they have demonstrated before us: how to survive and prosper against all odds!

What I call "slumdog hope" is unique. It is the ability of the mind to be hopeful in the worst of the worst scenarios when a person with normal emotional strength may crack and succumb to the pressures of life. Those who possess this unflinching and undettered hope are likely to become slumdog millionaries.