India observes Swami Vivekananda’s birth anniversary as National Youth Day and the theme for the occasion this year takes inspiration from the philosopher’s quote resonating with mind and awakening. The theme of NYD 2024 is "Arise, awake, and stop not until the goal is reached," one of the slogans popularised in the late 19th century by the Indian monk.
Swami Vivekananda's powerful words
Reflecting on the thoughtful theme, one can understand that it focuses on encouraging youth to rise and act consciously. The shloka from the Katha Upanishad serve as powerful words to inspire young minds to look within and realise their purpose in life, followed by working on it. The quote can be accompanied by Vivekananda's another saying “Your aim is yours, so don’t change it for others" which asks the young generation to believe in themselves and achieve their goals.
Embracing NYD theme 2024 in daily life
Noting cases of addiction and digital toxification in recent lives, some argue that the youth's losing their focus on building themselves. "Our youth is living in a gifted world that is flooded with technology, gadgets, and opportunities that can make their life more rewarding, but herein lies the oxymoron that they get exposed to stressful situations and challenges," says Sharmilee Agarwal Kapur, Co-founder and Co-director at Atmantan Wellness Centre, an internationally acclaimed wellness clinic has been honoured with the National Tourism Award for the ‘Best Wellness Centre’ by the Ministry of Tourism, Govt. of India.
Mindfulness is believed to be the key to strengthing one’s overall well-being in this fast-paced world. Celebrating NYD, the wellness centre encourages the younger generation to get involved in mindfulness and mental well-being activities every day, similar to how they spend time on social media.
Undoubtedly, India has the magical ancient tools of meditation such as Yoga and Pranayama, and the representative suggests these practices to the youth to strengthen their mental health and help them "Arise, Awake and Realise..."
