Ujjain: Given today’s globally competitive world the role of educators has become incredibly crucial. Ujjain has had many a teacher under whose tutelage not only did students reach their true potential but also carried forward this rich legacy to their future generation. Varun Gupta aptly typifies that as hundreds of students are cracking much-coveted exams like CAT, CLAT, GRE, TOEFEL, IELTS, Banking and many others under his guidance.
Free Press spoke to this educator-cum-motivator where he candidly shared his knowledgeable insights about youth, education and Ujjain.
(Excerpts from the interview)
What caused you to be a teacher?
I belonged to a middle-class family and had fewer resources at my disposal. As a child I would nudge my parents about every fanciful and necessary thing; be it shoes, bicycle or new dresses among other things. However, my father had a very weird yet very profound way of inculcating good values. If met with any demand, he would just hand me a laconic reply abruptly by saying “Everything will come out of books, read them”. When he said these golden words, probably I couldn’t possibly imagine the immensity of it and never realised what worth it carried. Nonetheless, I took it on the face value and became obsessed with books. My obsession bore fruits and I came out flying by topping the state in higher secondary examination. In felicitation ceremony at Bhopal, I was quite exulted and tried to mingle with other laureates who all came from top-notch English medium schools. However, to my dismay, they all cold-shouldered me because being a simpleton I lacked oomph and of course, I had very poor communication skills thanks to my Hindi medium schooling. Pearls of wisdom dawned on me that day and I resolved to bust my shyness and fears. I learnt to apply myself intelligently and become a fluent English speaker alongside being an educator and public speaker as well.
What’s your take on hard work v/s smart work debate?
To begin with, I view it completely differently. For me there is no versus between them as for success they are always in tandem. There is no substitute for hard work; however, it has to be carried out smartly. Those who believe that they can succeed by avoiding hard work and banking too much on smart work, will invariably be doomed to fail. Hard work does help in sustenance, but smart work helps in manifesting glittering success. So juggle them well and world will be yours.
At one hand, we have bright and smart kids and on the other hand we have depressed and frustrated lot? Why such imbalance?
I reckon, one’s flawed self-assessment is at the core of such depression and frustrations coupled with one’s lack of efforts. In my view, unrealistic goal-setting becomes the undoing of youngsters and they fall by the way side. A true assessment of your strengths and abilities with right dozens of efforts over time, will guarantee success.
And there are more confused than confident kids?
I think confusion is good as long as it offers exploration and insights about various possibilities for one’s career. Without confusion sometimes we end-up being a horse with blinkers on which always sees straight disregarding the possibilities of right, left and behind. So its prevailing is justified only if it allows you to explore yourself and of course, not beyond that.
Given students’ competitiveness, how do you see the rise of communication skills?
In a globalised environment, it has become imperative for the student community to have very refined and charismatic English speaking skills. Any student dreaming of making it big globally expected to master many skills among them ability to communicate stands tall. A language if spoken with proper usage of words and in the right context can create wealth of opportunities for an individual. Therefore, we are witnessing those gifted or acquired it are thriving and flourishing in professional and personal sphere like never before.
Why motivation has now become a buzz-word among youth?
Motivation has a vital role in one’s success. If given properly, it can help an individual rediscover and redefine his true self. We all are having immense potential having said that it has been scattered in diverse direction in our lives. Motivation actually blesses one with razor-sharp focus and binds and directs their potential towards success.
What kids should do fundamentally for early attainment of success?
Well, three things they should do. One, be committed. Second, pay enormous attention to details and third immediate follow-up on things learnt. These will ensure guaranteed success.
Any message?
Think big, act bigger and achieve biggest.
#Quotable Quotes#
Role of Morals...
In my view, morals pay-off handsomely in the long run and cement success. For aspiring individuals sticking to morals can be really annoying especially when everyone around is hell bent on attaining success by stooping to any level of immorality. However, history teaches that even the big-wigs or so-called eminent personalities being non-committal to values couldn’t last long and failed miserably. Therefore, integrity and propriety must be inculcated in kids and values ought to be imbibed.
On sky-rocketing ambitions of youth...
Now-a-days, today’s youth dreams have become bigger. They aspire to achieve and succeed more. Every generation is outperforming their previous generation and inspired ones are even outrunning their source of inspiration professionally. World has become really competitive and appetite for success has assumed such proportions that if one doesn’t upgrade oneself then soon obsolesce would be staring at him.
Better school kids...
Our educationists and policy makers must get students to interact with professionals as a part of their school curriculum. Because world is evolving and so does technology and allied fields where students would be having plethora of options to choose from.
On mother...
We ought to spare some time for our elders no matter how busy we become. I loved and respected my mother a lot but I couldn’t spare as much time as I wanted when she was alive. Even on a day of her passing away I was busy taking classes which I repent even now.
