I accepted the invitation from a Rotary Club recently because it was to meet with an assembly of teenagers, school going boys and girls. Also called ‘Interactors’ as a part of Rotary Charter, it’s grooming programme seeks to instill leadership qualities amongst the youth.
Here is what I told them to help them learn now, rather than later. For, every mistake we make in our lives has a cost. Awareness prevents or may reduce any resultant suffering.
I started with a visualisation: Feel your head and understand symbolically that in it is a power house comprising of several bulbs with attending switches. Each bulb when well-lit or switched on is knowledge. The brains expand with knowledge as it does by meditation, in proven research. There is no limit to our learning.
Understand now certain eternal laws of nature.
Recall when you were small. Did you not love those years when there was no home work, only toys, play and fun? Now there is lots of homework, exams and competition. If asked which time was better you would say “when we were small”. The fact is that a few years from now you will say this very school time was better than college. Later college was better than work. And so it goes on.
Why am I making you conscious of these responses? So that you remember that nothing is permanent. It’s all moving. It’s all going. All you have is the present time. Therefore do all that you can now, to say later, “I gave it all my best and got the best.” Your school, your home, siblings, elders, your parents, teachers, school books and your support systems -- whatever is before you, are all going to change over a period. So value them.
One day parents will have gone, family spread out, teachers retired, friends forgotten, health not as good as it is today, home changed, and so on. Therefore, understand that when nothing is permanent, all that is in your hands is to give your best to what is before you rather than regret that you didn’t, later.
Another law of nature which is infallible is that you will reap as you sow in the form of habits. These will form your character, naturally. You sow integrity, spirit of hard work, respect, gratitude, giving and discipline; these shall all come back to you as you grow up to be young adults. You will not need transformational leadership courses then. You will use trainings to enhance your personal and professional skills further and not have to do root repairs. Therefore ensure being good gardeners of your own orchard. Feed your saplings of habits daily with right nutrition. All these will flower and yield good fruit. They determine your responses.
Finally grow up with a personal goal as well as higher purpose, which is the real meaning of life! Earn your wealth and comforts the ethical way and grow up to share alongside. Living only for yourself will not give you real happiness. This is what all research establishes. Why not make this habit a part of your life now as students when you learn to share with family and the needy whatever you can? It does not have to be big. It’s all about being sensitive and conscientious, the hall marks of good, noble person.
So light up your brain bulbs. Keep them charged daily, by switching them on through right nutrition, till they get solar charged even when you are asleep.
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