Before You Fall In The Trap of An Ambition And Competition - Go To The River

Education institutes are seeing an increasing number of dropouts, mental health issues and suicides year by year. It is a serious issue. Yesterday, one more student ended his life by jumping off from the hostel in Hyderabad. In a suicide note, he has written: "Life rather seems depressing I have no clue how my future is going to be. I have been feeling this for the past two months. Also, the courses are going bad for me. I could not concentrate well...,(Indiatoday.in)" - Isn't it really unfortunate thing?

The number of such incidents are scaringly high and are increasing. One cannot blame the victim's mental capability alone for such acts. Nothing happens without any reason. Parents, friends, relatives and fast-moving science and technology are putting huge pressure on students. On top of it, teachers are also failing miserably to train students in the right direction. There is no one to show a proper direction. Everyone is busy waiting for that grand success. How about small steps? Why aren't we celebrating them? Isn't it worth appreciating? If all of us start waiting for that grand success then even if we wait for a whole life there is no guarantee that we would see it one day. Because everyone is fighting for it. Everyone cannot become Dhirubhai Ambani, Ratan Tata, Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg or Steve Jobs. Even they had never thought or worked for what they're today. Whether you believe it or not along with honesty and hard work it's a small amount of luck (or grace) which took them to that height. Each one of them never worked like us like Donkeys like what we are doing today. Education institutes and system: No, I don't want to waste my time writing about them. The idea of education has become useless the day they started considering students as customers. Fools sitting in the management are ruling the schools. Teachers are not less than slaves in such institutes. We can't expect much from them. Good looking uniforms, nice presentation templates, AC classrooms, 'A' grades not more than this. What more can you expect from such a system? They're preparing everyone to be a king, but these fools don't understand that there can only be one king. Everyone has his/her own role to contribute to every society. No one is less no one is more.  

I have seen people who are less educated with fewer ambitions living a much meaningful life. Although they are earning less and living in smaller cities without much ambitions and competition are not depressed like youth. Look at our own grandparents and parents, their life is so slow-moving. Enjoying and experiencing every second given to them. Each one of us has limitations we should understand that and work accordingly. If time and luck come on our way then one day we may become great. There is no point in living life of a prisoner to become great one day. Every day should be great. It doesn't mean that one should not have any ambitions. Without ambitions life gets boring. Walls and floor have no ambitions so they don't grow. Ambitions should help us to grow. Ambitions should not lead us in ending our life. 

Today, in this stupid world culture we left no places for poor and weaker sections (mentally, intellectually and financially) of the society. Each one is suffering from these diseases such as too many ambitions and too much wealth. Life is changing very fast, it is hard to cope up with this pace. People are getting fooled in the name of Science and Technology. Every week we get an updated version of an application. What the hell are we doing? On one side we speak of equality and on the other side we are not giving a breathing time to the poor and weaker sections of the society to cope up with this pace.  

People say religion killed more people. I would say, after five-ten years Science, Technology and competition are going to kill more people than anything else ever. 

If you ever feel so much uncomfortable with your own life then, better you take a break than to end your life itself. There is nothing wrong with taking a long break. Nothing is going to change in this world if you don't work for a month. Give importance to yourself first. Don't just enter this never-ending whirlpool of thoughts and ambitions. As Swami Vivekananda says: "You're here to change yourself, not this world". This world is like a dog's tail. 

Go to a place where:

• there is less use of technology
• there is more nature 
• life is much much slower
• there is no competition (villages, small cities, forests)
• there is an interaction between people through the mouth and hearth not by WhatsApp and Email. 

Live with them as if you're one among them. Forget yourself for a month or so. Experience every second coming to you. Breathe the fresh air, go to a river, walk on the seashore, make friends with dogs, cats and birds. Meet people who are living in less than what you have. Meet monks - you realize how one can be happy without achieving anything. Spend time with old people - they'll share the experience. Spend some time with kids - they'll teach you happiness. Slow down your mind a bit, come back and then start playing this game of life. See how your life changes in a month. 

Don't expect your parents and teachers to guide you in life. They won't, because they're also living at the same place with the same principles. It is your responsibility to take care of yourself not someone else. 

- SB