SELF-MOTIVATION is the key... master key.

Self-motivation is nothing but clapping for your own achievements. We naturally get motivated when others appreciate for the work we do, likewise we can use the opportunity of encouraging ourselves which comes at no cost. So stop grumbling when none notices or appreciates your hard work. This can be achieved by simple things. Praise yourself! Stand in front of the mirror and admire yourself and take some time to appreciate your skills, say you are the best and you can achieve your dream. Wave aside the stage fear! Motivate yourself and attempt! Whether you succeed or fail doesn’t matter.

You could have heard that every advice consists of this “Never compare yourself with others.” Instead I’d say COMPARE! But with people weaker than you, your talents, economy, physical ability etc. And feel contented that you are blessed with those gifts which many don’t have. Rather than comparing yourself with people higher than your standard, economy etc. I can assure you that the person you compare yourself with doesn’t possess few skills that you do. And never degrade others or yourself. When you don’t praise or yourself, how do you expect others to appreciate you?

Set up a goal you want to achieve, be keen on it, and above all of it have the will power and a strong mind-set that you can achieve it. As quoted in Bhagavad Gita, “Yadhbhavam thadhbhavathi” – “As you think so you become.” It’s quite true. And there goes another verse “What you cannot visualize you cannot achieve.” Set up your own set of imaginary fans and visualize the scenario that you had achieved your lifelong dream. Feel the pleasure, if it truly happens? What more you need. Now come out of your imaginary world and strive hard to achieve it. As DR.APJ Abdul Kalam said “Dream is not the thing which you see when you sleep, it is the thing which does not let you sleep.”

When you fail in achieving it at the first time, don’t back down. Feel empowered that you have at least tried to achieve it, but failed. So what? You have attempted and experimented it and you almost tasted success. Now you are a PRO! And now you know the route to success, build your own map; reject the obstacles and wrong paths you encountered. So you are now ready to set a milestone in history! At least in self-motivation you don’t need the help of others. Hence forth motivate yourself in order to succeed.

Believe me this mantra works!

(This article was written in my 12th grade, and was published in my school magazine)

-Lohithaksha Sreedharan

On account of Teachers' day

It is inevitable to control our mind taking us to our school days when we hear “Teachers’ day”. Those special occasions for teachers by us students felt like a whole day of free-periods. But as we pass to higher classes and once in college, the role for teacher is the same but takes different terms: lecturers, HODs, professors, faculty etc. And we wholly consider them as staff. But at times we lose the connectivity with a teacher and the sole reason is grading system and judging the students based on their marks obtained.

We are so held up with our life and career, we hardly take a moment to think of how we became the person we are today. Who made us what we are. Who moulded us. Students from all walks of life, they made us noticeable and marketable in the society. Either you are a marble or a mountain rock, they sculpted us.
The sculptors may not be much famous than the sculptures. But at the end of the day, it feels contented to be the creator and taking the pride.

Now let us go chronologically. During our kindergarten teachers taught us how to hold our pencils and also not to bite it. They taught us how to write in the four-lines notebook. They taught us to draw. They taught us the language, manners and moral values. Like a mother teaches to her offsprings. They evolved us from kids to teens. She is selfless.

In the high-school they taught us literature, poetry, art, science, math, history and sports which are all necessary to understand the world and make a revolution, to innovate, to create. They give us the power to think, question, make and stand up against the odds. These are the actual benefits of education and not just the content of the books.

As we move on to higher classes, they are more like a friend to us. They teach us what we must know apart from the books. What is hidden. How the facts we learn are adulterated and what the society doesn’t want us to know. They teach us why attraction to opposite sex is normal, the hormone play in us. The values of life and the willpower to tackle all the problems. They share their experience of how they crossed their stage of student life and how precious it is and why we must seize it.
We would have come across all sorts of teachers: the ones who are extremely charming, ones who just read out from the book, one who hardly touches the books but commands the attention of the class, one who teaches innovatively, one who gives imposition to make us learn, one who has a grudge on us, one who teaches apart from the books, one who doesn’t even teach what’s in the book, one who punishes to correct us, one who corrects us rather than punishing.

But at the end of the day they all have left a mark in our lives. We’ve at least tried to give our best to impress them or to prove them wrong. Their way of teaching may differ, but the aim remains the same. To spread what they learnt, to leave a legacy, to make us think in our own perspectives. They hardly take credit for the achievement of their students. What more joy does one need when they realise they were the reason behind the fruit of their students: watering the sapling, being supportive as they grew and nurturing them to grow healthy. No teacher hates his profession or students when he realizes how noble his profession is.

Is school and college alone got to do with teachers and teaching? Definitely NO! Teachers come in all forms and in all walks of our life. As learning is a never ending process. We learn from others, everything we’ve learnt so far is a product of others’ knowledge and wisdom. Nobody is self-taught in this world, even the book or content you read on your own, there is an author behind it. There is someone behind him and the chain goes on. 

Our parents are our very first teacher. Our mother teaches us to speak, our father teaches us to walk without others support. They brought you into the world and teach you how the world works. What is necessary to be a good Samaritan rather than obtaining knowledge. They strive to give you the best. We learn from them, we follow them. They inspire us. We adore them. They teach us the importance of a family. They teach what selfless love is.

Everything is our teacher. The movies and TV shows we watch, the books, magazines and newspapers we read, the random stranger we talk to, the labourers we meet, our parents, our family members, our relatives, the kids and pets we play with, the friend who lifts us up, the friend who betrays us, our first love, our first breakup, the stupid decisions and choices we make, our role-models, celebrities, artists, politicians, sportspersons. Anyone to anything teaches us something in our life. Take the good and leave the bad.
Shouldn’t we leave a legacy behind? Yes, we must teach what we learnt. Either you belong to art or science field, you must embark to share your knowledge to the coming generations. As this is more of a journey and the destination is unknown. It is immortal and never-ending like the universe.

THINK! THINK! THINK! In your own way. Thoughts can change the world. And never forget to thank your teachers. Never forget to teach others. What’s the use if there’s a plethora of good stacked at one place. It rots! Share! Spread knowledge and love. Look at the world differently. You hold the whip to your life! You wear the crown and lead the world!

- LOHITHAKSHA SREEDHARAN