BLOGS

THOUGHTS FOR OUR YOUTH

•   When you view India through a prism, its multi-faceted refractions are awesome, unique and partly distressing. A multiethnic, multi-religious, multilingual, multi-cultural diverse democracy, rich in its distinctive heritage — India is, indeed, captivating. Our democracy resonates throughout the world. Moreover, the way in which India has transformed itself from a colonial, agri-based backwater economy into an independent, modern, knowledge-driven one is the stuff of case studies at the best-in-class business schools the world over
•    While the youngsters must appreciate these facets, he or she must have a thorough understanding of the different strands that go into the weave of India. The partition in the aftermath of our freedom struggle has left a scar, as has the divide in the name of God. India is a country of extreme paradoxes. We are reckoned as a nation of tremendous opportunities and, yet, it is a reality that India is a place of perpetual struggle. We have large areas of our country that have yet to witness any economic advancement
•   The great challenge of transforming India can be achieved through our youth who have the power of ideas, ambition and ability. Of our population of over a billion, 52 per cent of India is below the age of 25. As predicted by the World Development Report 2007, our demographic transition and the peak will come in the year 2030. That is the time when India will be the leader in the global pool of human capital. This asset, our youth, holds the potential and promise to power our country to greater heights.
•    Sir Winston Churchill once said: “…the empires of the future will be the empires of the mind.” How true these words ring in the age of the knowledge economy. The vocationalisation of our educational process should be a priority. The Youth must establish themselves more as ideating leaders rather than iconic ones. Above all, leadership, in every sphere, will have to be about compassion. Even in business, we cannot adopt a system of unbridled capitalism; we have to work towards a system of compassionate capitalism, which implies making market forces work for the poor, and striking a balance between GDP growth and equity. Growth for growth’s sake can never be an end in itself.
•    Being the youth of today, you have the responsibility to transform this country for the better through the foundation of a great value system and a sense of sacrifice. You have the confidence, energy, idealism and aspiration to make India a global power. If dreams are the seeds for achievement, then persistence and perseverance are the keys to success. In going after your dream, you will have some challenges, some roadblocks, but you must persist. You have got to be creative and use all of your talents to overcome life’s obstacles.
•    You must look for the opportunities in life, and if there are no opportunities, you must make some. You must take the lemons and icy-cold responses that people throw on your dreams and turn them into lemonade!. You have got to believe in yourself and make a commitment to persist, to never give up! Once you get an “I can” attitude, you must back it up with an “I can” aptitude. You must make a commitment to persevere and be persistent until the goal is attained. When you are faced with adversity, you can either succumb to self-pity, wring your hands in despair or decide to deal with the situation with courage and dignity.
•    Always keep in mind that it is only the test of fire that makes fine steel. A friend of mine shared this incident with me. His eight-year old daughter was struggling away at a jigsaw puzzle. She kept at it for hours but could not succeed. Finally, it went beyond her bedtime. My friend told her, "Look, why don't you just give up? I don't think you will complete it tonight. Look at it again tomorrow" The daughter looked with a strange look in her eyes, "But, dad, why should I give up? All the pieces are there! I have just got to put them together!" If we persevere long enough, we can put any problem into its perspective.
•    A common denominator links some of our youngsters today who have achieved success. It is not exceptional innate talent or skill; it is their extraordinary drive and determination. A commitment is a heartfelt promise to yourself from which you will not back down. It is the fuel that drives successful people. If you are committed to your health, you will exercise. If you are committed to your family, you will spend time with them. If you are committed to your career, you will constantly seek ways to improve the quality of your work. As the great management guru Kenneth Blanchard once said: “When you are interested in doing something, you do it only when it is convenient. When you’re committed to something, you accept no excuses, only results.”
•    Many youngsters have dreams and good intentions, but few are willing to make the commitment necessary for their attainment. Identify some of the common barriers to generating a deep and lasting commitment to doing something. Write these down. Some of the examples could be: I don’t have the time, I don’t have the money; My parents don’t want me to do it; I don’t have the contacts; I don’t have the experience; I can’t keep a commitment. Relate these barriers to the vision and purpose of your life and work out a plan and strategy that will help you live the life you’ve always imagined for yourself.