Since my birth, I have always lived in India until recently. I love the culture, I love the food, I love the people, I feel like I belong everywhere I go. But, India is not without its deficiencies. While the first thing that comes to our mind when I say deficiencies could be the women's security or political uncertainty or even poverty and unemployment for that matter. However, these are outside the scope of this article. In this article, I want to talk more about what I call micro-deficiencies that shape the mindset and influence future generations.
Here are a few things I have noticed, want Indians to know.
- Respect more. This could sound ironic as we Indians consider ourselves the best in this regard as we respect our parents, teachers, or relatives, and friends. We even have separate words to shows respect in our languages (ji in Hindi, garu in Telugu,... and English seemingly does not have such words). Yes, we do all the above. But, if we observe the pattern there, we only respect age. And that is not the only respect people deserve. India needs to learn the dignity of labor, respect for individualism, respect the differences in cultures and mindset. Finally, Indians need to respect other's views.
- India is not the only country that has delicious food. Yes, Indian cuisine is exquisite and it takes a lifetime to try all the different varieties of dishes that are from India itself. However, Indians to date have only been influenced by Mughals, the US burgers, Chinese fast-food, Italian Pizza. There are thousands of other cuisines which are as delicious as any around the world. So, Get a cookbook, try out many authentic recipes from around the world (a suggestion would be if you are trying any recipe do try to know something about the place where it comes from as this would help you enjoy the meal and remember that for longer duration).
- Love for art. Art is one declining in India, the number of art schools, music schools are reducing every year. The mindset today in India is that art is not a money maker. In some cases it is true, I am not saying education is not important. However, interest in arts gives a person a sense of individualism and lets it stand out from others. I urge the parents and schools all over the country to encourage your kids and provide numerous options for them to choose, it gives them an identity of their own.
- Sports awareness. Cricket is not the only sport in the world. Yes, Cricket is big in India, but cricket cannot get us Olympic medals (at least not yet). We have many cricket grounds everywhere, but the number of stadiums or places that suit other sports and games is missing. Sports not only keep the person active, but it also can pave the way for India’s future in other sports and drive kids to take up sports as their viable career option. Today, many other sportsmen and sportswomen are still not financially independent even after winning international medals. Sport awareness could change sport wise income inequality.
- Value is in Originality: The word original is slowly fading away from Indian minds. Be it the movies, books, or personality, Indians are trying to copy their idols, parents, other companies for that matter. This is not only an individual problem, but it is also a cultural issue. Indian culture rarely appreciates originality, hence, we do not have much personality-based training. Be it a company, product, or service, or even art, Indians need to thrive for originality and the rest of us need to support and encourage it in others.
- Education goes beyond engineering and doctors: The safe Indian middle-class mindset is to get a degree (engineering or doctor) and then follow your dreams. Here, is an unbelievable fact, ‘Most successful people around the globe have started their careers or made up their minds on their future career option by Age 14’. Which clears talks so much about our education system and why is India lacking in many competitions out there.
- Travel teaches you about life and what matters: In India traveling is considered to be a waste of money by many. I think the opposite. Traveling is the best investment one can do for himself/herself as it teaches you with experiences, it also teaches things that cannot be taught. Traveling is so much fun along with a group/gang. But, I would encourage people to solo travel once in a while as you will discover things that you never imagined in your life. Solo travel opens up opportunities, makes connections, forces you to come out of your comfort zone. Try it yourself!
- Taking time off for yourself is not a sin (Solo is content, not lonely): Taking a break or signing off from the routine for a while is considered to be abnormal and a break to our careers and life in our country even when one of the modern-day visionaries like Steve Jobs, have taken time off and it only multiplies your career growth once you restart. Security is the biggest resistance in your life especially when you are not living the life that suits you. So, have you ever tried taking time off of your busy schedule and thought peacefully on what is right for you? If not, do try it.
- Always say yes to exploring new things: When was the last time you found out a new thing about yourself? Life is not just about school, college, Job, Marriage, kids, and death. We always say no to things that do not give any immediate benefit to us. Life happens when you least expect it to. Explore new things, try out new hobbies more often, meet new people regularly, cherish the experiences forward. We only regret things we never did, not the things that we did. So, say Yes more often.
- Finally, It is always and only about the right mindset: Indians tend to have a much more narrowed mindset than other countries in general as that is what we have been taught recently. As a country that introduced meditation and yoga to the world, should we not be in a better mindset and practice them regularly? Stop judging people/things from what you already know, have the right mindset to understand things/people as they are.
I would want Indians and all other people with similar mindsets to explore life and make informed decisions on what you have to do rather than just follow the trend. Remember, Value is in Originality.
