I would like to be a child again: Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi handled with aplomb a series of questions put to him by children at an interactive session during his visit here on Saturday, even saying he would like to be a child again and that "the more you work, the more joy you derive".

"If God asks me what do I want, I would ask him to make me a child once again," Modi said, adding that being a child is the biggest joy of life and it is only when one grows up that one realises the significance of childhood.

Asked to mention an incident that had immensely inspired him, Modi said: "Most times in life, we get inspired from other's life. For this, we have to set the path for otehrs to follow so that others get inspired from us. You all must read a book of 70-80 pages called 'Pollyanna'. The lead character in the book always tries to see the brighter things in life."

Asked how he managed to work for 18 hours in a day, Modi replied: "I don't count the hours while working. When we start counting, we get tired. When you complete your homework, your tiredness vanishes. Work never tires you rather its no work that actually tires you. The more you work, the more joy you derive."

As to what had been his biggest achievement and what he credits this to, Modi said: "One should never judge life by its achievements and failures. We should learn from our failures. The reason why some people never succeed is because they don't learn from their failures. I have seen lot of failures and I have always tried to learn the maximum from my failures.

What was the secret of his success?

"To be successful in life one must know where to head in life and also the road that will help attain the set goals. This is the right approach to remain determined despite the obstacles in life. People who drift aimlessly never achieve success in life and become toys (victims) of circumstances. One should stick to life's ambitions so that success keeps coming your way. To achieve something in life it is important that one dreams of taking sincere action than merely dreaming of being something.