"Don't just have career or academic goals. Set goals to give you a balanced, successful life. I use the word balanced before successful. Balanced means ensuring your health, relationships, mental peace are all in good order. There is no point of getting a promotion on the day of your breakup. There is no fun in driving a car if your back hurts. Shopping is not enjoyable if your mind is full of tensions.

"Life is one of those races in nursery school where you have to run with a marble in a spoon kept in your mouth. If the marble falls, there is no point coming first. Same is with life where health and relationships are the marble. Your striving is only worth it if there is harmony in your life. Else, you may achieve the success, but this spark, this feeling of being excited and alive, will start to die. ??????

One thing about nurturing the spark - don't take life seriously. Life is not meant to be taken seriously, as we are really temporary here. We are like a pre-paid card with limited validity. If we are lucky, we may last another 50 years. And 50 years is just 2,500 weekends. Do we really need to get so worked up? ?????.

It's ok, bunk a few classes, scoring low in couple of papers, goof up a few interviews, take leave from work, fall in love, little fights with your spouse. We are people, not programmed devices........." :)

"Don't be serious, be sincere.!!"

CHETAN BHAGAT, SYMBIOSIS

CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF THE SPEECH:

Chetan Bhagat, the writer of today's Indian era, who entered the limelight from his book Five Point Someone (2004) is as well as a columnist, a screenwriter and a speaker. The author has given us many bestselling books like  One Night @ the Call Center (2005), The 3 Mistakes of My Life (2008), 2 States (2009), Revolution 2020 (2011), and What Young India Wants (2012).

The speech was given by the gem at Symbiosis Campus, Pune. Here, the author turned speaker asked the students to understand the real meaning of life. He fairly reflects in his speech the importance of health and relationships for living a content livelihood via modern examples that the students can easily associate themselves with. He urges the students to solicit what things really need to be taken out from life.

Although, at some instances, I don't agree with the author. One is when he compares life to a race. Life is not a race! If we take it as a race, we always rush, but life is meant to live. Though Bhagat's statement is justified, as we see him idealizing the same by taking the example of marbles in the spoon. Even if we consider life as a race, winning or losing doesn't matter, what matters is the spirit of participation, how content we are, how blissfully we earned serenity from the race of life.

In another statement, he compares life to a prepaid card with limited validity. Yes, we have got a limited span of time to live this life, but nothing has already been paid. We pay every day, to be precise, every moment. We pay by our actions, our karma is the recharge we make. "As we sow, so shall we reap." is a famous adage that inspires my credence in this substance. Another and the most imperative inspiration is the sacred Bhagwat Geeta, in which Lord Krishna says, "Karma kar fal ki ichha mat kar", which means do your karma and do not desire any results/fruits. The results will gradually follow.

Yet another situate where I don't agree with Bhagat is when he states "Don't take life seriously". Life is intended to be serious, but, we should not take stuff too seriously. Sincerity and seriousness are two sides of a coin, both are vital to lead to a hale and hearty life. To be too serious about the small little things in the various phases of life is what should be avoided to lead to a content, idyllic and delightful livelihood.

The Spark!!! The spark which Bhagat asks to nurture and cherish, is the spark of life. The spark of health, the spark of family, the spark of friends, the spark is nothing but all about the most significant and essential part of our life. A healthy relationship with your love or spouse, a glint of mischief with your siblings, the respect and love for the parents, the vehlapanti with your friends, these are the real jewels of our life. These are the persons who add the spark to our lives. The time we spend with them is beyond price. It should not be compromised at any cost. This is our factual earning from our lives.

"It's Ok, bunk a few classes". Yes, it really is!!! Study is not the only thing to do in the college, there are other things around too. Other activities are also important. It's good to participate in some extra curricula's, to have some chai-shai with your friends, to go out for some movies. Always topping the score charts does not give you any memories. In fact, many surveys have revealed that even the teachers remember the most mischievous ones and not the studious ones. Some poor marks doesn't mean you failed in life, but, if you do not get some, after a few years, looking at your mark sheet you will realize that you topped all the subjects, but missed something, you missed the most important thing, in the race of getting good marks, you skipped living your life.

Concluding all, what Chetan Bhagat was trying to convey to today's youth(the students at Symbiosis) is a very good and important message. But, there are some bottlenecks, but I would imitate what he has said,

" We are people, not programmed devices........."

And people are meant to commit mistakes, no one in this world can be perfect. And in the end I would say,

Be serious and sincere, but don't be too serious!!