Why a Blog?

The idea of writing a blog didn’t germinate instantly. It was hovering in the back of my mind for quite some time.

Last week I was conducting a training session in one of the prominent colleges when a young girl approached me. She said that she liked my FB Group. “However there is only so much that you can write in a post on Facebook. There are issues which need deeper discussion. For that you must write a blog.” It made perfect sense.

Each week, I receive scores of emails from students from all over the country. They have issues which confuse them. I make it a point to religiously reply them to the best of my understanding of that issue. However, these issues are not restricted to a single person. Every student in that age group may be facing such problems daily.  If these issues are addressed in a blog, they can reach a larger audience and benefit many of you.

I do not like to preach. Also I never consult any books. My lectures in colleges are centred around my own experiences. Life can be a great teacher. One must only be willing to observe and learn.

Also no one particular technique is fool proof. What may work for one may be an utter failure for another.

I remember during my college days, I was in my final year of Mechanical Engineering when a professor asked us what we wanted to be in life. I enthusiastically rose and informed the class that I would like to go in marketing. The Professor simply banished me with a shrug of his hand saying that I didn’t have the communication skills to be successful in marketing.

Offended and annoyed, I decided to prove that evil man wrong. I worked on my skills carefully observing good speakers. I noted their pauses, their intonations, their diction, their eye contact with the audience and their humour. Ironically, I spent most of my life in Marketing in the UK and USA.

But I was unable to forgive the teacher. As luck would have it, one day when I was on a vacation and was travelling from Bhopal to Gwalior, I met this man. The old anger surfaced. The professor now was in his sixties. I wondered if he would even recognise me. I went to him and introduced myself.  He appeared to be pleased and asked me what I was doing. I was waiting for that particular moment. I had lived that moment many times in my mind and dipping in sarcasm, told him what I was doing.

The good man chuckled happily and said that was his way of motivating . “I don’t remember you. But I must have seen that spark in you. I had to make that passion burn and there is no better motivation that humiliating a youngster.”

Since then, I have forgiven him. However I am not sure if I support his method.  But I must be eternally grateful. That was one lesson that I learnt.

Never make situational judgements.  There may be teachers who may want us to succeed and they may be having unorthodox ways.

Success doesn’t come overnight. It needs a lot of dedication and focus. To achieve that focus, one must be motivated. How one motivates himself/ herself is up to him/ her. Or to someone like that good Professor.

Please be generous with your comments. Your  suggestions will decide the direction of this blog. Do let me know the subject on which to write.

Till next week, when I come with a new topic.