Of the varying qualities that humans possess, most plus-points are possible to pin-point. Not so with the X-factor; that indefinable, intangible, indescribable element possessed only by some individuals who magically transform losing causes into winning positions.
This X-factor is sadly missing in most of us, but is clearly palpable in Olympic athletes, unicorn founders and born leaders. What is it, though, that propels an average student to dizzying heights of success in life? Why do some poets rule our hearts despite being technically flawed, while seemingly perfect writers fail to leave an impact?
These days, another factor, the “ex-factor” comes into play in many lives. The ex-life partner or ex-lover tends not to fade away, and keeps piling on the pressure! This writer heard a loud youngster ranting about his “ex” on a flight recently. Evidently, their breakup had taken place very recently, and had been a far from pleasant affair at that. Many rows of passengers on that flight were entertained with eyebrow-raising details of the turbulent experience that our flying neighbour had just emerged from.
Jokes apart, success stories like those of actors Vicky Kaushal and Rajkummar Rao weren’t written without an element of the imperceptible in them. Thousands of Bollywood aspirants, perhaps blessed with better looks, stronger connections and even acting pedigrees, fell by the wayside, while Kaushal and Rao made it big. Even the great Shah Rukh Khan, the boy next door with a charming smile, apparently had no real chance of becoming a Bollywood hero. Yet, an indefatigable attitude, sheer willpower and an X-factor that refused to fade away chiselled his persona into becoming a mega star for all seasons.
The humongous numbers of ladies who continue to declare their fondness for Khan shows no sign of dwindling any time soon. Abhinav Bisht, the young man who pranced his way into becoming an overnight Instagram sensation to the tune of “Mere Mehboob, Qayamat Hogi” clearly possesses the X-factor, though it remains to be seen where life finally installs him.
College heartthrobs who waltz their way into the hearts of fellow students need not be Hrithik Roshan lookalikes. But there’s a hard-to-describe energy that differentiates these ultra-popular individuals from the riff-raff. The vibe they carry, the aura they emanate and the way they are are perceptibly different from all others in their cohort. It is also possible that the said youngsters hardly perceived such qualities within themselves until the hour for them to shine suddenly dawned.
That scraggly, unimpressive, average college-going student who’s probably hanging out at a shack right now, wondering what to do with himself, might just become a world-beating AI innovator or a pathbreaking podcast host. Who is to define what success really means? Dictionary definitions scarcely suffice. And the route to the top is anyway hazy, cluttered and arduous. Another compelling example is that of the founders of Skyroot Aerospace, the exciting company that is gloriously paving the way for India’s surging space tech success.
Even though Pawan Kumar Chandana and Naga Bharath Daka were IIT toppers and ISRO scientists, no one would have imagined the skyward spiral of their company’s graph. It seems that the X-factor of such human beings does not extend only to the earthly realm. The who’s who of the world’s spectrum of fame consists of many such sparkling pearls who refused to remain in oblivion. The sheer urge, the 5 am alarm, the sleepless nights, the midnight brainwave: all these and more could be a part of such a glorious journey. Above all, though, it is the mindset that matters.
As Dale Carnegie said, “Our mental attitude is the X-factor that determines our fate.” Thus, if a fledgling greenhorn seeks to make a mark, the first step is improving their outlook. A bitter, morose and overcritical approach will never yield success. Instead, resilience and mental toughness allow the seeker to reach the highway of glory. The X-factor may be ephemeral when it pops up, but the wait is worth it.