Magical Moments

While many of the parents including me were tight gripped in fear during this time as our children face some of the toughest exams of India (Possibly the Globe too I guess as we challenge our children with such high expectations and they are smarter to break these toughest questions also with full marks in many parts of India, every year) I could visually see a cold wave crossing in the minds and the faces of every parent!

Just then a boy with one of the most positive faces I would have seen came and sat next to me. Surprisingly he carried no books, no bags and had only the hall ticket and a folder to carry. His parents dropped him at the centre and the dad moved on after dropping the mom and the son at the centre. The mom said "Do keep yourself comfortable throughout the exam" and the boy nodded with a very pleasing smile. Thats all she said throughout her time there.

As the kid was too charismatic and appeared to be very calm, naturally I was drawn to him and I placed my first question to him. He had come to take up the final group for yet another most difficult All India Exams of India. Upon discussions he said he has cleared all the other three groups, each consisting of 4 subjects in the first attempt. "Lovely" I said. "Tell me your success mantra" was my next question to him. The response he gave me I shall treasure them and will value them for the rest of my learning career and life. He said

he never wanted to rework on anything for which he had purposefully spent his devoted time. I will not want to rework again and again. It adds more stress and leaves me tired for no learning. I told myself that I will study once and the best I deliver thereupon, be it my project or my seminar or my competitive exams that I may engage my time. My time is precious and will be at my full control.

I enjoy this subject the most. My dad is from Civil Services and he has gone on Election Duty today. My mom is a surgeon. His mom was stunningly simple and highly calm and most important composed. Not sure how many of us will leave our children for such tough exams and move to Election Duty. I won't be surprised to see the depth and the complete control the boy was having on himself. He was engaging in conversations with others at ease and with absolute no signs of any tension or anxiety.

He said he enjoyed playing chess and was a State Football Player. These told he is able to achieve all this through his physical fitness regime coupled with his calm and composed nature. He never waned to do this course to merely earn money or a position in future. He wanted to do it as it is his love and passion towards becoming a SME. Thankfully he did not wanted to do it because his parents wanted to do it.

Reflecting this on our professional life, every potential employee shall achieve the best given right guidance like a leader (not as managers) with trust and knowledge, the outcome could be overwhelmingly superb. Upon due directions, if each talent is left to their creativity and even allowed situations to fail and arise, everyone would love to not rework. Isn't?

Personally, if parents were to understand the true capability of the children and guide them in the interests that children may excel, that would be true good to not only the parent but also to the children. It is most unfortunate that many children succumb to high pressure from the parents / peer group in the want of such high end exams and land up in high stress. One kid coming out of the examination centre within 45 minutes of the exam said "Let me see if I will be able to do atleast my next exam well" to her parent who in turn instantaneously said "The is what you said to your earlier exam. Every day I tell you .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . " the heated conversation went on. Parents play a role of a true leader but all that I say is it must be situational leadership that works the best!! Agree?

While reflections came back to the boy seated next to me, he had completed his conversations and was ready to go. I wished him from the bottom of my heart " All the very best to you. I just wanted to tell you that you will do very well wherever you are and whatever you do" and meant every word of what I said. He thanked me and smiled and moved on as the bell rang. I learnt something from a kid who was aged my experience, leaving me completely perplexed, as he walked away!