The children have definitely given us a proud moment byshining in the results despite the grim situation in the valley; so theydeserve accolades for their hard-work. Kudos to every child out there who gavea tough fight in to their matriculation board exams! Keep your spirits high andenjoy the fruits of hard-work but do remember what Allama Iqbal says:
Sitaron se aage jahan aur bhi hain
Abhi ishq kai imtihaan aur bhi hain
Since the results are out, every parent might be worried about what subjects their child should opt for. A large chunk of them would want their children to go for a medical or non-medical stream; because of the common notion that arts is for “weak students” and not the brighter ones! This is a serious misconception that still exists in our society. There are a gamut of new fields, unexplored career options, bigger opportunities that await out there.
Being a doctor or an engineer is not everyone’s cup of tea and there is nothing wrong in it. Parents need to widen their horizons and think beyond the normal career options. The children need to be heard, encouraged to voice out their opinions and most importantly be motivated to dream big. Arts, literature or commerce ain’t that easy either.
I say this for two reasons: firstly, for having the courage to choose a path less traversed by and secondly, for believing in their ability to excel in the field. Parents must encourage their children to pursue their interests passionately because passion leads to hardwork which sooner or later leads to success.
In the recent years, some youth of valley have come up with brilliant startups, some have explored the field of music, some the art of sports, while few others are becoming part of the administrative setup of the state. These young, powerful and magnanimous minds are excelling in their fields, as well as bringing laurels to the state.
Nurturing the abilities of the children in the right direction should be a priority of parents. In choosing a career, the interests of the children need attention.
It is pointless to force them into a profession with which they cant connect. They might try to own the profession just for the sake of their parents wishes but they will never be able to accept it in their lives. Not being able to choose a career of one’s own choice is a major reason for job dis-satisfaction in later years and that is why we can see so many youngsters taking different career paths despite being an engineer or a doctor.
Life is not a race with others but a race with one’s ownself. To win that race one must be comfortable in his/her own shoes. You can’t expect to win the race if the shoe is not your size. Likewise every child is different and so are his interests.
Forcing him/her to do something beyond his/her interests would burden the poor soul who might then succumb to such pressure. We are living in the 21st century where there is no dearth of opportunities.
All that is required is a progressive mindset and the courage to do the unconventional. If the parents are ready to dream big, nobody can stop their children from achieving big.
This is the ideology that needs to be encouraged and imparted; so that we can have more and more young and vibrant achievers from our state.
For those children whose numbers in the exam weren’t that great and are somehow having a feeling of low self-esteem must remember: numbers (percentages) in these exams cannot and will not predict the future endeavors of your life nor can it judge your intellect.
There are numerous examples of great personalities whose numbers during school days would have never predicted the feat they would achieve in their coming years; but their conviction to succeed in life gave a strong blow to those numbers that had tried to shake their belief and self-esteem. So don’t lose hope and keep working towards your goal.
One day your existence will be measured beyond those petty numbers.
Let the children not be afraid to cross further milestones in their life. Life is about exciting opportunities and bold decisions and now is the time to do something bold and courageous.
Let go off your fears and prepare yourself for the exciting journey of learning, progessing and exploring your ownself.
In the end life is nothing, but in the words of Allama Iqbal”zauq-e-parvaaz” which everyone should strive for.