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Communication skills, negotiation skills, social skills, etiquette, behavioural skills, etc, should be part of your learning.
Develop confidence because that's the key to success, advises rediffGURU Archana Deshpande.
Why does one need a World Youth Skills Day? Because you, the youth, are a nation's elixir, its future!
If you are enthusiastic and vibrant, so is the nation.
India has the world's largest youth population; they are the future workforce that can help us become Viksit Bharat.
This article is distilled from a decade of experience working with young people like you and, in equal measure, from the trials and triumphs of bringing up my two children.
Listed below are some very simple mindset and skill sets for you to develop so that you can live a balanced and successful life.
1. Take Pride In Your Nation
Having stayed abroad for several years, I have seen that we tend to get saddled with a certain inferiority complex in our dealings with the Western world.
The first step is to shed this complex and treat ourselves as equals, if not better.
Let the benchmarks be ours; we make the rules of the games.
You need not be shy. Demand equal respect.
But, for that to happen, you have to be proud of your own country.
We are a nation that has always stood tall and strong under trying circumstances.
The difference between our nation and the rest of the world is that we have always spoken about the world as one -- Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (the world is one family).
Remember that we have been so strong that when the whole world stood polarised during the Cold War, we stayed non-aligned. That requires courage.
Which nation in the world other than India says, 'Sarve Janah Sukhina Bhavantu (May everyone be happy).'
This is who we are as a nation. Be a proud Indian; don't let anyone belittle you.
2. Develop An Entrepreneurial Mindset
We are a rising economy, we are a nation of startups, we are ever the jugadu Indians.
Even in the most testing circumstances, we don't simply complain, we make most of the given circumstances to rise above it all.
Keep asking yourself: What I can do to make things better?
There are so many things can be improved and these are fields you can contribute to -- the education system, air quality, environment, crop cultivation, rain harvesting, utilising wind and solar power... the list is endless.
Fortunately, the government too is encouraging entrepreneurship. Make the most of it.
3. Don't Run After Money, Let It Run After You
For that to happen, trust me, do not undermine education and don't ever undervalue a degree.
We are a nation that has always believed in education and learning.
Don't fall prey to people telling you that a college dropout made so much money and has such a grand lifestyle.
There is something else also that gets enhanced in you when you’re educated:
All of this comes with education, from learning in a classroom with other students.
In life, there are times when you have to do certain things that are right even if you don't feel like doing them. This comes from learning a variety of subjects at school whether you like it or you don’t.
Not everyone has the skills and talents of Sachin Tendulkar, M S Dhoni or Dhirubhai Ambani to make it big in life without a formal degree. Remember that they are an extremely minuscule percentage of those aspiring to make it big in life.
Predominantly, it is those people who have undergone the rigours of getting a formal higher education who have been successful in life. And such success is not transient, it is long-lasting.
I can see a trend nowadays that glamourises college dropouts. BEWARE. Don't fall for it.
4. Focus On Your Life Skills And Soft Skills
Your life skills are your future.
Communication skills, negotiation skills, social skills, etiquette, behavioural skills, etc, ought to become a part of your learning.
Be confident about what you can do and be realistic about what you cannot.
Develop confidence because that's the key to success. It is a skill that can be learnt. You need to work on it.
Upskilling and reskilling are life-long processes. Train yourself to be a lifelong learner.
5. For Heaven's Sake, Don't Reinvent the Wheel
Cultivate the right habits. Wake up early, take a bath every day, exercise, meditate, pray, socialise, celebrate our festivals and live life with awareness.
Our traditions and customs are such that every action from waking up till you go to sleep is a reverence to and a celebration of our body, mind, spirit and the nature around us.
Don't wait for the West to endorse our practices. They systematically vilified our homemade butter and ghee a few decades ago and have now taken a U-turn.
While some of us despised our grandma's haldi doodh, we seem to be happier lapping up Turmeric Latte listed on the Starbucks menu.
Remember, life is the sum total of the minute-to-minute choices you make. So choose well. Live well.
rediffGURU Archana Deshpande is an image consultant, soft skills trainer, life coach and the founder of TransformMe Life Skills Coaching.
She has been working with individuals and corporate organisations for more than 10 years during which she has helped professionals and students improve their soft skills, build confidence and enhance self-esteem.
