There are innumerous stories out there that talk about people who quit their lucrative or boring jobs to start their own venture. Stories that fill us with a sudden burst of hope and inspire us to dream bigger! Stories that instigate us to opt for a divergent path and go beyond the clichéd career options. We encounter so many people on a daily basis who are dissatisfied with their modus vivendi and wish to do something different that not only makes them feel special but also provides them with a sense of contentment that a regular 9-5 job usually fails to provide. The feeling of creating something on your own from scratch, putting in hours for its growth and slogging for months to sustain it is certainly priceless!

But like it is said, to achieve something great, you must sacrifice something great. Does that mean you should give up on your day job so that you could give your 100% focus on your dream? There is nothing wrong in being dissatisfied with desk jobs and corporate gigs and thinking of other options. You certainly don’t want to look back on missed opportunities with a sense of regret. But be sure to not chase your dreams in a way that leaves a trail of ruin behind you. Make sure you ponder your specific situation before taking the plunge and doing anything under the pretext of “chasing your dream.”

Be Responsible

If you have a family that subsists on your paycheck, you can’t just simply ignore their needs and turn a blind eye to everything to follow your passion. Many working individuals quit their jobs without a backup plan and make things topsy-turvy for their loved ones. Rather than making a hasty decision, take your time to figure out whether you can manage your employment and your dreams at the same time.

If you are really serious about your dream project then you will likely do it under whatever circumstances you are currently in. You’ll make it work either by doing it outside of work hours and replacing your weekend plans with your dream plans. No matter what, you’ll make sure you put in extra amount of efforts to make it work!

Out there, you’ll find people who-

-Have a full time job yet manage to work on their novels after office hours by staying up late and working on weekends

-Are stay at home mothers who manage their household chores (which include cooking, washing, taking care of their children, teaching them, shopping) as well as their business resplendently

-Are full time students who use their holidays and summer vacations to build their products rather than enjoying at the beach!

Go For A Transition Process Instead

Most of the people who were dead serious about their business and were adamant on turning their dreams into reality first did it while keeping their day jobs. They saw managing their employment and dream project as a transition process. In the initial stage, you could create momentum and position yourself well for the time when you might actually take that leap of faith and give up your employment to chase your dreams. Until then, you could see your day job and paycheck as the resources to bootstrap your new venture in the days to come.

Think of your dream project as your child. You do not neglect your child’s growth while you are working, do you? Instead, you manage to get the time to nurture your child with love and care.

Starting up your own business requires unwavering determination that isn’t swayed by what others have to say. It also involves huge risks. So, if you are serious, start taking these risks from now on and start living like an entrepreneur from this moment by managing your time wisely to yield phenomenal results!

Share your thoughts on what you think about the idea of quitting jobs to chase dreams!

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It’s time to stop cramming for a while and ponder over your decisions. It’s time to stop being victims of pointless rat race and start being thinkers. It’s time to stop studying mindlessly and start asking yourself what you breathe for!

Have a look at our part 2 section for more pictures!

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“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”

– Nelson Mandela

Ankit is a 19-year-old MBBS student who always had a flair for writing. There is a deluge of classic novels like Pride and Prejudice, Wuthering Heights, Great Expectations and To Kill a Mockingbird on his bookshelf. “I was always desirous of being a writer as a kid. But my parents, relatives and even my teachers made me understand that there is no scope for writers in today’s fast-paced world. I didn’t want to spend the rest of my life struggling and begging money from my parents so I decided to take up a respectable profession so that I could earn well and stand on my own feet.” said the young lad with a tinge of disappointment on his face.

When asked if he was content with his decision and enjoying his studies, Ankit had no answer. His silence was enough to reveal the fact that his decision was an outcome of societal pressure and not thoughtful consideration. Just like Ankit, there are millions of students in our country who are victims of a pointless rat race. If you have watched the movie ‘3 Idiots’, you must be having a clear idea of how our education system advocates this stultifying rat race and crushes the originality of students under the pretext of imparting ‘knowledge’.

We cannot refute the fact that our country is experiencing a burgeoning education crisis. It is said that education is not the learning of facts but the process of training the mind how to think. In a system where rote learning is encouraged, students only study to score good marks and this results in poor long-term retention of the material which is forgotten once the exams are over. The practice of cramming has been discouraged by educators throughout the world but our system propagates it openly. In his book ‘The Curse of Education’, H.E. Gorst stated that “as long as education is synonymous with cramming on an organized plan, it will continue to produce mediocrity.” This probably explains why India has failed to be the hub for technological innovation despite of having the most number of engineering graduates in the world.

The following flaws of the education system need to be fixed if we wish to see our country turn into a place that nurtures great minds and not incentivizes a mindless rat race.

Reward Thinkers And Not Crammers Or Rote Learners:

“The whole purpose of education is to turn mirrors into windows.” A mirror shows you something you already know, while a window helps you broaden your horizon. Education begins at home. If parents decide to shun the popular belief in the society that only a doctor or an engineer is respected in the society and can earn enough to lead a happy life, it could mark the threshold of a revolution in India.

Why do we focus so much on teaching our children to be salaried people and not leaders or innovators? This country certainly needs thinkers, innovators, artists and entrepreneurs and children should be encouraged to take the path that they find interesting and not the one that the society believes is apt for them.

Understanding That Every Child Is Unique:

Not all children love Maths or Science. Some are more interested in Art while the others take great pleasure in musical lessons. Some kids learn faster while some are comparatively slow. Some have great visualization skills while some prefer learning with the help of images and videos. Does this mean the ones who are interested in art aren’t talented enough like the Math geeks? Well, unfortunately this is what many teachers believe.

By differentiating in the classroom, our teachers make us believe that the ones who score good marks are the achievers and will achieve rewards while the others are incompetent and must work hard to be as good as the achievers.

If we want a change in the education system and prevent brilliant students from walking towards the altar of sacrifice like sheep, we must make sure our teachers are skilled in the art of dealing with different types of children. We need teachers who opt for a creative approach of teaching and are willing to focus on skill based education by encouraging originality among children.

Taking The Help Of Technology To Take Education To The Next Level:

We need to create education more interesting if we wish to truly impart knowledge. The syllabus needs to be up to date and should include technology as an imperative part of it. Chapters that focus on technology should be taught in a facile and non-intricate way so that students don’t opt for rote learning but grasp lessons which will help them in the long run.

We need to make use of technology and internet in making education a fun experience, even in remote villages. The need for revolution in the rural part of the country cannot be ignored.

Gone are the days when students and teachers were satisfied with a classroom filled with just a blackboard, chalks and textbooks. There is an alarming situation calling out for a change in the education sector as children need to be tech savvy and should be taught in reference to the future.

If you are student who is stuck on the horns of a dilemma and is confused whether you should chase your ambitions or follow herd mentality and do what the rest of the world is doing, just close your eyes and listen to what your heart has to say. You might crack exams like IIT JEE or AIMPT but does that mean you were born to be an engineer or a doctor? Is that what you’ve always wanted? Or are you taking this path just to please your parents?

Remember, the future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams and if you have the courage to pursue them, nothing can stop you!

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Through these dark and silent years, God has been using my life for a purpose I do not know. But one day I shall understand and then I shall be satisfied.

-Helen Keller

She sat quietly on a garden bench, engrossed in reading her book. She loved the feel of the soft flower petals and the gentle warmth of the sun on her face. She was always enamoured with the enigmatic things created by Mother Nature. As a child, she loved sitting in trees so that she could feel the branches sway in the breeze and touch the cold leaves. “The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt by the heart.” was Helen Keller’s response to her deaf-blindness.

Her life wasn’t meant to be facile. Like the rest of the blind and deaf people, many expected her to live a life that was meaningless and devoid of any ambitions. But, she decided to challenge the world with her luminous intelligence, high ambition and dedication.

However, things weren’t all hunky-dory since the beginning. When Helen was a little girl, she was more animal than human. She did not let her mother comb her hair for weeks, wore filthy clothes, grabbed food from other people’s plates, threw it on the floor, and spat out whatever she didn’t like. Her parents thought it wasn’t realistic to expect someone who was blind and deaf to have good manners and behave like the others. Many even believed that she belonged in a hospital with insane people because of her temper tantrums.

But then something happened. A person walked into Helen’s life and brought the beacon of a bright future along with her. Her parents decided to hire Anne Sullivan as Helen’s teacher. Anne had herself gone blind when she was five and had spent most of her childhood with hundreds of drunk, crippled, and insane people. But after an eye surgery, she could see fairly well. As soon as she met Helen, she realized that the two most important lessons Helen needed to learn were discipline and obedience.

Helen was stubborn but so was Anne. But once Helen realized that Anne was here to help her, she started obeying Annie and had an unrelenting desire to learn. Anne once pumped well water into one of Helen’s hands and wrote the spelling of the word ‘water’ on the other one. This way, Helen started understanding the connection between a word and a concept. Soon she started writing and reading Braille and could even speak a few words.

When Helen was 19, she decided that she wanted to receive education in a traditional college alongside hearing and seeing students. She set her ambition high and wanted to study in Radcliffe College, the top university for women in the United States. She even passed the entrance test which was daunted as an intricate one even for those who could see and hear. Her teacher Anne sat with her in lectures and spelled each word the teacher said into Helen’s hand. Helen devoted more time and attention to her studies than the average students did. And finally in 1904, she was awarded a Bachelor of Arts degree from Radcliffe College and became the first person in the world who was deafblind but graduated from college.

People were amazed and wanted to know how she could finish such a difficult journey successfully. Years later, when she was asked why she chose Radcliffe College, Helen said, “Because they didn’t want me at Radcliffe and being stubborn, I chose to override their objections.”

Helen then started writing articles on how the physically challenged are not useless and spent the rest of her life working on behalf of blind and deaf people from all over the world. Helen remained unmarried and had no children of her own, but she touched the lives of thousands of countless children and adults. Her written work, The Story of My Life is an invaluable piece of inspiration for sighted as well as blind people who find themselves in the midst of calamity.

Helen Keller dedicated her life towards making a change in the world and due to her efforts; people had started understanding that physically challenged people aren’t useless and need ambitions in their lives too. After all, what is life without dreams?

There are times when we often find ourselves stuck into the clutches of disappointment and words like “I’ve failed,” “This isn’t worth trying,” and “I think I should give up now” start echoing in our minds. But that’s exactly the time when we should remember people like Helen, who challenged the world with their unwavering faith, determination, and spirit and turned difficulties around.

Remember, if Helen could bring inspiration to thousands of stagnant lives, so can you!

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The class began and the teacher had decided to reward those who had scored the maximum marks in the test. So she called out a few names and gave those children chocolate bars while the others were told to just clap for the ‘achievers’. While the ‘achievers’ were busy in rejoicing in their happiness, little Anita was engrossed in her painting. With a few oil colors and sketch pens, she was trying to create a garden of happiness to reflect the atmosphere of celebration in her class. But there was a difference. In her painting, everyone was rewarded with chocolate bars and everyone was an achiever.

Isn’t our society just like Anita’s classroom? Since our childhood days, we’ve been made to believe that winners get the rewards and losers are ostracized. As time passes by, chocolate bars are replaced by money and fame as they become the parameters of judging a person’s success. We’ve been taught that failure is a monster that lurks in the dark to attack his prey and the only way to defeat this monster is to be successful! But is failure indeed a monster? The mere thought of failing shatters us and we embark on a rat-race of proving our worth, proving that we are winners and not losers.

How many of us think like Anita? How many of us embrace optimism in the midst of challenging times? The world is certainly a wonderful place but there are times when even the people who are closest to you and know you the best will discourage you from trying again. Words like “It just wasn’t meant to be,”, “You wouldn’t have failed if you were so good!” often dampen our motivation to try again and ultimately we choose to give up by believing what others want us to believe. But, for a moment embrace failure as your best friend and you will be surprised to see that it is not a monster but your greatest teacher for it highlights your shortcomings and lets you explore new routes to achieve your goals.

If you still think you are nothing but a loser and shouldn’t waste your time in trying again, read the failure stories of the following five people who decided to see failure as a new path rather than a dead end.

1. Bethany Hamilton

Bethany Hamilton has become a source of inspiration to millions through her story of faith, determination, and hope. She was born into a family of surfers and started surfing at the age of 8.  On October 31, 2003, at the age of 13, Bethany was attacked by a 14-foot tiger shark while surfing off Kauai’s North Shore. The attack left Bethany with a severed left arm. Though she was devastated at first, she decided to buck up and keep moving towards her dream of becoming a professional surfer. She returned back to the waves just one month after her attack and a year later she took 1st place in the Explorer Women’s division of the 2005 NSSA National Championships – winning her first National Title.

If Bethany could realize her dream of becoming a professional surfer with a severed arm, what’s stopping you from achieving yours?

2. Albert Einstein

Einstein didn’t have a great childhood either. Throughout elementary school, many of his teachers thought he was lazy and wouldn’t make anything of himself. It is said that he was engrossed in his own world and often asked abstract questions that people failed to understand. But he didn’t let the opinions of others deter him from thinking and being different!

3. Thomas Edison

We all know Thomas Edison as the man who created light bulb but many are oblivious to the fact that he failed around 10,000 times before he successfully created the light bulb. “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” was Edison’s response to his repeated failures. So the next time you don’t do well in your task, remember that you haven’t lost but realized what doesn’t work!

4. Vincent Van Gogh

This amazing man was poor but was blessed with an unwavering dedication that helped him to paint 900 works of art without money. Though he sold only one painting during his lifetime i.e. “The Red Vineyard at Arles”, he is today considered one of the greatest artists of all time. His talent went unnoticed when he was alive, but his story teaches us to be proud of our talents, even if others fail to acknowledge them.

5. Steven Spielberg

The man behind the masterpieces like “Jurassic Park,” “A.I. Artificial Intelligence,” “E.T.” “Schindler’s List,” and “Saving Private Ryan” was rejected by the University of Southern California (USC) School of Cinema Arts twice because an admissions officer deemed his C level grade average too low. Despite of being rejected, he got up each morning and used to send letters to the university as he believed the university could help him improve his skills.

Spielberg loved films! He never wanted to get rich or famous or chit-chat with famous celebrities but just create great films. Did he give up his passion just because the university closed its doors for him? No, in fact he pushed it further and years later, he became a trustee of the university once he gained his success.

We all have some similar passions. There will be times when you’ll fail or get rejected. But that shouldn’t stop you from moving on! Remember, the society believed that the dreams of all these people were “unrealistic”. When people call you “unrealistic” it means you are thinking out-of-the-box. So don’t let the “realistic” thinkers reel you back in and never let go of the passion that burns in your hearts. 

Life is all about choices and you have to decide what is going to be yours.

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