I begin by telling a story about Arjuna. Once in his childhood he was practicing archery with other two students at his master’s house. The master placed a parrot on a tree in front of them and ordered to aim its eye. When the students aimed at it, the master went near the first one and asked, “Do you see the parrot”? He answered, “Yes master”. Then he asked the second student, “do you see the parrot”, he answered, “yes master”. Finally he asked Arjuna, “Do you see the parrot”? He answered, “No master, I see but its eye”.  Ponder over the story well.
 Adolescence is more psychological and to lesser extent, a physical phenomenon. So, one should prepare for a mental battle than a physical one. Here is how you need to go about it.

• Set a constructive objective for yourself and strictly adhere to it; following your dream to become a doctor or a cricketer. This will channel your energy and help focus your thought process away from other disturbing ideas. If you are aiming for academic excellence don’t forget to maintain a balance between study and sports.

• The only thing that differentiates a common man from a genius is perseverance. Once a reporter told Edison, I heard you have failed 1200 times before you succeeded to light up the electric bulb. He replied, yes indeed; now I know 1200 ways that fail to light a bulb. Work hard consistently, neglecting every fear of failure.

• Busy yourself; an idle mind is the devil’s workshop. So adopt a hobby like reading books, spending time with members or any other activity that can elevate your mood. Interaction with friends can relieve a lot of stress; but remember better alone than in a bad company.

• Avoid thinking in loneliness regarding past failures or loses if any, as this may incorporate in you a sense of disappointment and contempt towards life.

• Develop a sense of self help; God helps those who help themselves. As we live in a social web, asking for help makes the delicate fabric of relationship. But sometimes to enhance your courage and capabilities, stand-alone against the problems and face them with a belief that you can solve them. Einstein says, thanks to those who said no to me, it is because of them I did it myself.

• Stop worrying, for to err is human. You are not an exception. But at the same time, it doesn’t mean you shall commit blunders and expect a silent escape! Experience is the best teacher; hence, don’t repeat mistakes rather try to learn from them.

Any adolescent who strictly adheres to the basic teachings of his religion, irrespective of which religion he belongs, shall benefit, for every religion is based on humanity. And humanity teaches us self-discipline to overcome countless shortcomings of human nature.

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Lastupdate on : Thu, 12 Apr 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Thu, 12 Apr 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Fri, 13 Apr 2012 00:00:00 IST