FOUNDER'S NOTE

There have been tremendous strides in every aspect of science and technology in the past few decades.  Then why is it that….

Diabetes and hypertension has increased

More people are getting heart attacks and cancer

Stress at workplace has worsened

Students do not enjoy going to school

Traffic jams and highway accidents are rampant

Pollution is reaching alarming proportions

Floods and earthquakes occur regularly

Divorces are steadily increasing

Housing in cities has become unaffordable

Millions of children do not get good education

Innumerable people go to bed hungry

More and more people suffer from loneliness

Rich-poor divide is widening

Wars and killing have not reduced

Long live progress!

I am thankful to those of you who read the notes I put up every fortnight, and those who reflect over it creating your own ideas. In this era of Reels, Insta’s and forwarded videos, I would like to express my appreciation to those of you who read written words. I ensure that these write-ups are brief and I try to convey something which can be like a seed implanted in your mind for you to think, nurture and blossom into your own thoughts and ideas. 

Get into the habit of expressing your original thoughts – not forwards and mass mails. Share in whatever form with those who are important to you.  Remember that the written word always has a deeper and longer-lasting impact, and that is how genuine relationships are built.

At times someone we trust or love hurts us badly.

The person may have let us down, cheated us, humiliated us or ignored us.  When outsiders do the same we are upset for some time but we recover and move on.  But if the person was (or is) very dear to us then it becomes difficult to get over, and the emotional hurt persists for a long time.

Here are some simple tips to reduce the pain and thereby become more relaxed or functional:

1. Acknowledge and Accept Your Feelings, label them
2. Practice Self-Compassion
3. Challenge Negative Thought Patterns
4. Cultivate Forgiveness
5. Spend time with those who have been good to you
6. Do Healing Activities
7. Set Boundaries in to prevent hurt in future

Don’t expect quick results.  The above have to be practiced regularly for a long time before you feel lighter.  Best of luck!

“Which is the best career?”

If there was a “best” career that everyone would aim for, then very soon its scope would drastically come down, because there will be too many people qualifying in that field.  In fact this is what happened in the late nineties to IT and in the past few years to BT (biotechnology). Both are very challenging and promising fields.  But whenever too many people rush towards them, the demand obviously comes down.

Keep in mind that when you choose a career and qualify in it, you will be working for almost fifty years in your chosen profession.  Have a vision, don’t be carried away by which field the highest paid jobs are currently being offered in.  In your working life, many times the “scope” of the career will go up and down.  But if you choose wisely, and for the right reasons, you will continue to do well even when there is a recession in that field.

Your career decision should be taken based on the following factors:

1. Your interest (what you actually want to do for the rest of your life, what you will enjoy doing).
2. Your love for particular subjects, since they lay the foundation of the work you are going to be doing.
3. The lifestyle that you prefer, your personality characteristics, your extra-curricular interests.
4. Your aptitude – i.e. your potential to develop the skills required in any particular career.

Equally important is to know what the various career options are.  The choice is increasing at a rapid pace, and you need not follow in the footsteps of the older generation.  You can be part of a new, challenging, and thrilling vocation.

Do your career planning when there is no pressure

When you are in the beginning of the academic year, with no pressure o annual or Board exams, this is the right time to narrow down your career goals and thereby plan which course or college you would like to go to. Once you choose your career, you will be working in that field for at least 40-50 years.  Hence you need to start the process of narrowing down, even if you are in 9^th or 11^th.  Once you decide your career, it becomes easier to select subjects and courses to take you towards your goal.

What course you take e.g. science, commerce or arts, what degree to pursue after 12^th and even what post-graduation to take up after degree – all these should be decided based on a careful and scientific evaluation of the combination of interest + aptitude (skills) + personality traits + opportunities.  Do not wait till the last moment when admissions are closing and you need to take immediate decision. Get yourself assessed at Banjara Academy.  We will list out all your traits holistically and once you agree that we have analyzed you correctly, we will list out most suitable careers, and then we will work with you on what courses, colleges, subjects you need to select to take you to the right goal.