Source Credit: Twitter @marycjackson
Arise, awake, and stop not till the goal is reached.
Nachiketa, the son of the sage Vājashravas, was sent to Yama, the Hindu god of death, by his father.
In the abode of Yama, he answered Nachiketa's questions and taught him Self-knowledge and the methods of Yoga.
The words "Arise, awake..." can be found in the 1.3.14 chapter of the book, where Yama is advising Nachiketa.
उत्तिष्ठत जाग्रत प्राप्य वरान्निबोधत,
क्षुरासन्न धारा निशिता दुरत्यद्दुर्गम पथ: तत् कवयो वदन्ति |
Arise! Awake! Approach the great and learn.
Like the sharp edge of a razor is that path,
so the wise say—hard to tread and difficult to cross.
The inspirational Sloka was Swami Vivekananda's message to Indians to get out of their hypnotized state of mind.
The Sloka was meant as a call to his countrymen to awaken their "sleeping soul" and propagate the message of peace and blessings given by the "ancient Mother" to the world.
"Awake" also denotes the awakening of one's real nature and the consequent ushering in of prosperity.
There will be obstacles in your path - people who discourage you, who disparage you, who laugh at your many trials and tribulations, who belittle you for experimenting and learning - who cares?
Don't hold yourself back.
Stop feeling sorry for yourself.
Stop whining.
Stop limiting yourself.
Let nothing stop you from getting to your goals!
A lovely reminder for all writers and all those who may have given up or are afraid of facing failure and making mistakes.
There's no age limit to your dreams.
All you have to do is show up.