Perhaps the main motive behind my isolation was my desire to escape from the demands of relationships, which I consider very difficult in comparison … - A. P. J. Abdul Kalam

anything could bring me down to earth and show me that sometimes the sky was not the limit, it was this rude lesson — that often there are powers greater than yours who dictate the consequences of your work. My other lesson was that while there are areas that I cannot influence, I can certainly do my work to the best and to the most of my abilities, as finally that is all that remains in one's hands.

It is a story I never tire of telling, because to me it is the perfect coming together to science and spirituality-the twin driving forces of my life.

I never used any outside influence to advance my career. All I had was the inner urge to seek more within myself. The key to my motivation has always been to look at how far I had still to go rather than how far I had come.