Searching and Learning 

I was searching for the real meaning of "search" and while searching, I found a really nice statement given by someone: "If you want to truly search yourself, then put your ear down close to your heart and listen hard." Who better can understand this statement? I work every day with hearing-impaired people and see that everyone has different kinds of difficulties. If I listen with my heart, I can best help and potentially change the lives of so many people. Through searching and learning about the difficulties of deaf kids, I have learned to search within myself. Recently, I got a call from one of my readers who said, "I read your article every Sunday in Janbhbhoomi Pravasi and felt compelled to ask you. I have had hearing difficulties for a long time. Do you think I should address my hearing problem, and if yes, do you think I can solve it?" I asked him in which situations he finds difficulty. He said, "Especially when talking to my wife." In a lighter mood, I said, "If you really want to hear your wife well, then you must, and if you decide to, you can solve your problem." That individual was not only happy to hear that, but he also said something nice: "Generally, those who write and are at a certain stage don't reply, but you picked up my call and responded promptly. I felt I have someone whom I can trust and seek support from."

This incident made me realize that "search" has a lot of meanings. Today, in the search for name and fame, we run so much that we have stopped listening to our hearts. We are lost in science and its revolutions, so much so that we don't understand the actual meaning of life. When this person called me, I never knew who he was or why he called me. I took his call because I felt I should listen since he had read my article. He shared his story, and since I write about positivity, I felt it was my duty to instill the strength of positivity in his heart. By doing so, I helped increase his confidence and clear his confusion. His search concluded, and he learned that he has solutions within himself.

I recently met a young man who came to me for a stammering issue. He was 22 years old and had been stammering since childhood. He was straining his whole body to speak. I felt a bit upset because he was very smart-looking but struggled to speak. He had passed his 12th grade and took admission in a fashion design course since his father is in the ready-made garment business. During his second year, the pandemic started, and he couldn’t attend college for a year because his parents were worried. Not attending for a year, he lost interest and left his studies. He then joined his father’s business and does sales work. One thing that raised a question for me was when he mentioned that he doesn’t sleep at night and has a lot of anxiety.

I asked him why he doesn't get sleep, and he said, "I don't get to do what I want." I asked what he would like to do. He said, "I want to do online business, but my dad is not allowing me to do that." His dad explained, "We have a wholesale business, so we can't take out a few clothes for online sales; the whole cycle gets disturbed. Online business involves a lot of activity, though it sounds simple. These days, many kids think online business is the best because you can do many things without talking, but this is a wrong perception. Youngsters also feel that all online startups are magically successful, which is not true."  I said, "Your father has been in business for many years and knows the pros and cons of online business. If you are convinced, then research and learn the best ways to execute the business and convince your father."

Today's parents pamper their children too much and then suddenly expect them to fly. Kids want to fly after seeing the exposure on social media. Every person has different skills and potential to grow. First, we need to search for what is best for us in the situations we live in and then learn to implement it in life. We need to experience what is good and bad for us and then plan. There is no magic, even in this fast-paced world. All work, even with artificial intelligence, requires searching and learning. When we start crawling to walking, it also requires searching and learning, so it’s possible to do other things similarly.

I met another boy who had mild stammering when he was a kid. I worked with him, and he overcame his hesitancies. He was a very intelligent boy who knew about every car and how it functioned by the age of seven. He completed his schooling and higher education in the USA, where he managed his speaking for six years abroad. He returned just before the pandemic, joined his father's business, and chose to do back-office work. While he spent a good amount of time there, he couldn't engage in any creative work that matched his intelligence. As a result, his subconscious mind began to cause hesitations in his speech again. Over the last year, he lost both interest and confidence. We, as parents, provide a comfort zone for our children to study, earn, and live, but this can sometimes affect them negatively. They may not get the opportunity to learn and explore for themselves in the environment they live in.

Either we give too much comfort or we leave them on their own. From working with many kids and raising my own, I’ve learned that we need to help them explore while also providing warmth and security. They need to know that, as parents, we are there for them regardless of failure or setbacks. The rat race, comparisons, and social media have affected many youngsters, so we need to provide them with direction. Today's youngsters have great exposure, and if their potential is not utilized in the right direction, it can create many problems.

Searching for your own self—spiritually, physically, emotionally, and mentally—is very necessary for every individual in this universe. Flexibility in understanding life makes it much simpler. Learning from experiences teaches us how to live a fulfilling life. Try your best to search and learn at every step of life.