From Failure to Flow: Lessons from the Sea and Beyond

By Commander Amit Arvind (Retd) 

As a schoolboy, I was always at the top of my class. But joining the National Defence Academy was a wakeup call. Surrounded by brilliant peers excelling in academics, sports, and leadership, I struggled. For five terms, I scraped through, just passing. In my fifth term, I chose sailing over studying for exams — and failed. 

Relegation was a shock. My parents were stunned, my friends disbelieving. I had to join a junior course, carrying the stigma of failure. Yet, an adjutant showed unexpected compassion, wiping my punishments clean and telling me to start afresh. My course mates rallied around me, offering support that remains unmatched even today. That failure became my turning point. I topped academics the next term, won a boxing medal, and passed out as the best naval cadet. 

In the Navy, I carried that hunger forward. As a young officer on INS Kripan, I was eager to prove myself during a boarding operation. My commanding officer, calm and deliberate, refused to send us aboard. Minutes later, the vessel blew itself up. His decision saved my life. That moment reshaped my view of leadership: wisdom often lies in restraint, not action. 

During Kargil, I served on INS Veer, deployed off Pakistan amidst rough seas and devastation. Dead bodies of fishermen floated around us — a reminder that nature’s fury can be more relentless than war itself. 

Parallel to service, I pursued sailing as a sport. From national championships to Asian Games medals, I discovered that the real joy lay not in winning but in the process — the training, the discipline, the flow. Even today, at 51, I run marathons and stay fit, driven by the same lesson: success is fleeting, but the process sustains. 

Reflection 

Failure at NDA taught me resilience. It showed me that setbacks can ignite hunger and discipline if met with support and reflection. Leadership at sea taught me that calm judgment saves lives, and that not every opportunity for glory should be seized. 

Sports reinforced the value of process over results. Medals fade, but the state of flow, the joy of training, and the discipline of preparation remain lifelong companions. 

Together, these experiences taught me that success is not about avoiding failure, but about learning from it, trusting the process, and staying balanced. 

ABCEL Perspective 

Commander Amit’s journey highlights the power of failure as a teacher, restraint as leadership, and process as the true path to excellence. Veterans bring these lessons into civilian life: they know how to recover from setbacks, lead with calm judgment, and sustain effort over the long term. 

In a world obsessed with instant success, veterans remind us that resilience, patience, and balance are the real foundations of achievement. ABCEL celebrates these lived experiences, showing how military ethos enriches civilian careers and communities.