001: Mountain Moving Man, Dasrath Manjhi – Success Story Series & David J. Schwartz quote

“Those who believe they can move mountains, do. Those who believe they can’t, cannot. Belief triggers the power to do.” – David J. Schwartz

This comic was drawn by Eastfist.

The tale in the comic is based on the true story of Dasrath Manjhi, a man who literally moved a mountain. Like the comic, Manjhi’s motivation was the passing of his wife. As he was unable to get medical help from the neighbouring village for his wife in time, Manjhi decided that others in his village shouldn’t suffer the same fate.

It took 22 years of digging to carve a proper path between villages. He may look like a simple and humble man, but this man has ambition and selflessness.

You can real the full story and compare the pictures and the comic at Oddity Central.

When I first came across this story, I initially thought it was unbelievable. To my surprise, I researched it and found it to be true. This is probably why I think it is one of the most inspiring stories I have ever come across. We often think that supernatural beings can move mountains, but someone has already done that in reality. The best part? He did it all without power-tools!

What is even cooler is that the path Manjhi cut out can be seen from space. Thanks to Google earth, you can go look at it here. If the link isn’t working, just search for “Dasrath Manjhi Rd, India” on Google Earth or Maps. The path he carved has been converted into a paved road and named after him (courtesy of the Indian Government).

The quote in the comic is by Dr Schwartz, from his book, The Magic Of Thinking Big. This book is one of the earlier self-help books published. Some people consider it to be a classic in the genre. I find that the earlier the self-help book was written, the more knowledge and the less fluff it has. This book has inspired many people since it was written, as well as many other self-help writers who came after it. You can read more about the book and its reviews at Good Reads.

I hope this comic has inspired you as much as how the true story behind it inspired me.

If you have heard of similar unbelievable but true stories, let me know in the comments below.