I first came to understand the meaning of restlessness from Babuji of Heartfulness – Sahaj Marg, who, in my opinion, revolutionized spirituality after Vivekananda. He spoke of a restlessness that is often misunderstood. It is not the jittery excitement of craving or desire, nor the nervous agitation of impatience. It is something deeper—an intensity of purpose, a fire that refuses to let the soul remain stagnant until the highest ideal is reached.
When I understood this, I recognized the same quality everywhere. In history, in spirituality, in cinema, in sport—the people who rise above their circumstances are often those who cannot sit still when a goal calls them forward.
I also saw this truth in my own life. In a training session, my team once reflected that my essence is deep intensity. They were right. Whenever I withdraw from it, I slump; negativity clogs my movement. But when I align it with purpose, I become unstoppable, like a train running full steam toward vision. For this, I owe gratitude to the Heartfulness Masters, and especially Babuji, who showed me that intensity is not dangerous when it is freed from fear.
Let us see how this same energy marked the lives of four extraordinary figures: Theodore Roosevelt, Swami Vivekananda, Rajinikanth, and Serena Williams.
Theodore Roosevelt: The Man in the Arena
Roosevelt began life frail, asthmatic, and often bedridden. Most expected him to fade quietly. Instead, he resolved: “I will make my body.” Through exercise, boxing, and sheer will, he transformed fragility into vigor.
Then came tragedy—his wife and mother died on the same day in 1884. Shattered, he withdrew to the Dakota Badlands. There, amidst harsh ranching life, he rebuilt his inner strength.
As President, this same force drove him to challenge corruption, monopolies, and ecological destruction. He captured the essence of purposeful struggle in his famous words:
“It is not the critic who counts… The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood… who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly.”
Roosevelt’s life shows how intensity of purpose can turn weakness into strength and grief into action.
Swami Vivekananda: The Voice That Awakened a Nation
Narendranath Datta’s search for truth was never calm—it was fierce, filled with questions and challenges. Meeting Ramakrishna gave direction to that fire, but after his master’s death, he wandered India barefoot, penniless, absorbing the suffering of its people.
At one point, he reached America nearly defeated. With no money and no invitation, he almost abandoned his mission. Yet his inner drive would not let him stop. At the Parliament of Religions in Chicago, his opening words—“Sisters and brothers of America”—ignited an audience and carried India’s spiritual voice to the world.
He once gave the formula for such purpose:
“Take up one idea. Make that one idea your life—think of it, dream of it, live on that idea. Let the brain, muscles, nerves, every part of your body, be full of that idea. This is the way to success.”
Vivekananda’s life shows how unwavering focus transforms an individual into a national awakener.
Rajinikanth: The Spirit of Cinema
Born Shivaji Rao Gaekwad, Rajinikanth worked as a bus conductor in Bangalore. His natural flair for drama revealed a creative fire that could not remain hidden. At the Madras Film Institute, he was raw, unconventional, even awkward. Critics said he lacked the grace of a hero.
But what others dismissed as flaws became his trademarks—the cigarette flip, the swagger, the offbeat rhythm of his delivery. He turned doubt into charisma, and charisma into legend.
Even at the peak of fame, he retreats to the Himalayas, seeking renewal. His story shows how the same inner force that propels a man to superstardom also drives him toward spiritual depth.
Serena Williams: Strength Reborn
On the cracked courts of Compton, Serena Williams trained with her sister Venus, under the demanding eye of their father. Her power and determination set her apart from the beginning.
In 2011, a pulmonary embolism nearly ended her life. Many thought her career was finished. Instead, she returned with greater force, capturing ten more Grand Slam titles.
Her own words describe the philosophy behind her rise:
“Luck has nothing to do with it, because I have spent many, many hours, countless hours, on the court working for my one moment in time.”
Serena shows how intensity of purpose transforms near-death into renewed greatness.
The Fire That Unites Them
Roosevelt, Vivekananda, Rajinikanth, Serena—different worlds, different paths. Yet each carried the same quality: a drive that refused to let them settle. For one it was rugged will, for another spiritual hunger, for another creative daring, and for another athletic determination.
The lesson is clear: greatness does not arise from comfort. It comes from an energy that is steady, fearless, and purposeful.
And in my own journey, I’ve learned the same. When fear clouds my intensity, I falter. When I free it, I move with unstoppable clarity. This is the gift Babuji left me: not to suppress the fire, but to let it blaze clean—an intensity of purpose that carries us to our highest ideal.
