Look!

Look! The World Is In Your Hands.

     When the new academic season begins, students, graduates and postgraduates, seem to be on the run. Wherever the sight reaches, advertisements of courses, universities, institutes are visible. The season seems to be as colourful and as promising to the young generation.

     Their fantasizing and ambitious minds take them to greener pastures, unaware of the practicalities to be faced on each and every step of these enduring, promising careers. It is a fact that all through the school years the students maybe achieving high grades, may it be academic, sports or extra curricular activities. But the moment they step out of the school, they are at the verge of the turning point in their life.  They are lost in uncertainty. The secure environment of the school is no more available. They feel insecure, lost in the unknown world. It is not that they are ignorant or unaware of the different choices, careers, their capabilities or the options set forth before them with their future opportunities. But it is the decision making that leaves them in a dilemma. Choices may be multiple, but the decision has to be only one. And that one decision makes them helpless, lost.

     It is though not a new dilemma. Time and again every generation has faced these problems. A lot has been discussed, solutions are suggested, professional guidance is provided, but yet it remains an unsolved problem for thousands. The rarest of rare are very clear about their ambitions and even rarer are those who fantasize, follow the path to their ambition and actually achieve it.                      As Orison S. Marden puts it,

“The golden opportunity you are seeking is in yourself. It is not in your environment, it is not in luck or chance, or the help of others, it is in yourself alone.”

     Due to some unfavourable circumstances, students at times do not get admissions to their desired courses. At such times, advice, consolations from parents and teachers also are held unimportant. In such situations, the most essential factor is better understanding, positive and practical attitude towards life. The younger generation should be made to understand that the non attainment of any career is not the end of the world. With the fast pace in professional up gradations, multiple choices have mushroomed. You leave one and you find a multitude. Cherie Carter-Scott has explained it very well,

“Your life has the potential to be a wondrous journey, filled with exciting moments and astonishing experiences. It can be a thrilling ride if you are open to exposing all that is available to you. Adventure is the result of your willingness to live life with a spirit of enthusiasm.”

It is not that failure in one field will lead you to total darkness. One needs to grope in the dark, to find the sparks of light. They should learn to find a way in life, out of any and every situation. If not able to attain one goal, go for the next, if not the next try yet another, but never get discouraged or depressed. Where there is struggle, there is always a way out. Achievements obtained without struggle may not be as enduring and satisfying as the one gained through a lot of struggle. When the fire to gain is ablaze, it can never leave darkness in the vicinity. To keep that fire live it requires determination in thoughts, words and deeds. It is well said, “Our desire should be for that which makes us strong, strong to meet unexpected shocks, depression, chaos, uncertainty. And this strength does not depend on material resources but on poise and mental caliber.”

     Does this sound like a spiritual discourse?

 Probably, Yes. But it is the hard reality of life. It is a fact that concerns thousands of young lives, emotionally, spiritually and monetarily.

     Looking into the future, trying to mould the path to achieve the goal, helps to achieve the ultimate. The ultimate can be achieved when a person can use his mind and intelligence freely. And the mind and intelligence can be used freely only when the mind is composed. When the mind, body and the distractions co-ordinate, it makes a full innate efficiency in whatever work we do. Give full attention to the smallest tasks, do everything with feelings and devotion, it is the best way to build up the habit of concentration. And concentration is the major factor that the present generation lacks. Concentration can unite the self with all things from the lowest to the highest. As a Yogi has truly said,

“Through the mastery of concentration one gains access everywhere, from the atom to the Infinite.”

Khalil Gibran has said further explaining,

“There is a space between man’s imagination and man’s attainment that may only be traversed by his longing.”

     From time to time people encounter these crossroad moments. When one thing appears to be drawing closer, the other seems to be drifting away. We are not prepared for the former to end and the latter to begin. We feel completely lost at a four way intersection. Which direction to traverse. It becomes a great confusion, where we are not able to distinguish between the crossroads as the meeting point of four roads or a junction that disperses into four different directions. It may be a centre to stop and gather maximum power or it may be a centre of complete break down.  Such moments seem to appear to every individual in different age groups. Though early twenties and mid forties are the most eligible groups. We are unable to decide the road to be taken, the career to choose, handling difficult situations, tragedies, losing jobs and so on. There may be innumerable reasons for the occurrence of these precarious stages in life.

“Every generation has the obligation to free men’s minds for a look at new worlds, to look from a higher plateau than the last generation. Your vision is not limited by what you eye can see, but by what your mind can imagine _ _ _ _ .Make your life count and the world will be a better place because you tried.”           ----------    Astronaut, Ellison Onizuka.

     In such situations people either turn inactive due to fear or senselessly fling the self into any unknown fields, as if in a frenzy. Instead of succumbing to frigidity or frenzy, one should calm the mind and listen to the self. This calm cool state of mind will show the way to make further decisions and act accordingly. We must be ready to leave behind the well planned life we had imagined, only to find the life that is awaiting us in its full bounty.

      Look! The world is in your hands, but only when you can see it from every dimension. Turn it, turn around, turn it to find your true place in it.