The well-known tennis champion, Martina Navratilova was born in Communist Czechoslovakia in 1956. Because of her pro-American ideas, the Czech authorities stripped Martina of her nationality in 1975. In 1981, she acquired American nationality. Martina worked very hard on her sport and went on to become a famous tennis star, winning several championships.
Czech citizenship was her right but, even when her right was taken away, she neither protested nor engaged herself in any activism to regain this right. She focussed on her game and went on to become a champion. This changed the mind of the Czech government. Navratilova, who was earlier considered a liability for the Czech government, later on emerged as an asset and her citizenship was restored in 2008.
In such situations, often people resort to making protests and demands. It is a matter of record that they seldom have anything positive to say. On the contrary, Martina did not launch any campaign and she had her rights restored by virtue of her own prowess.
This world is a world of challenge. Given this reality, registering protests and complaints is quite irrelevant. The only effective way to meet challenges is to prove your competence. This is the secret of success in life. The path of rights-based activism should never be adopted. It is always better to engage in the kind of activism that emphasizes duty — and then you will have no complaints against anyone.
Source: Leading A Spiritual Life
