The beginning of every year starts with paying homage to the greatest saint of modern India – Swami Vivekananda, also the youth icon of India. This special month of his tithi puja and birth anniversary celebrated as the National Youth Day in India, provides an opportunity to immerse ourselves in his ideas. His greatest teaching is ‘Practical Vedanta’ where he asserts that the ideals of Vedanta weren’t to be mulled over only in the forests or caves but also to be practiced in our day-to-day life. In our humble way, we can start to imbibe Practical Vedanta by leading a life of values and making responsible choices. This blog is for all, especially the youth, appealing to our conscience to structure our lives around values to find success and live happily.
The Ideals that Swami Vivekananda expected us to have
by Dr. Anuradha Balaram from Bangalore
Whatever the obstacles that come my way I will keep the deepest mental poise and will always keep my mind cheerful. I will grow inside out.
When I find myself suffering, I will blame neither Man nor God but will look within and try to improve myself. All that I need is within me.
I will not be afraid of making a small beginning. I know great things will follow.
I will give up jealousy and conceit and learn to work unitedly with others.
I know great things require great sacrifices and I am willing to make them.
I will never listen to one friend in private accusing another.
I will be fearless from this day on.
I will have faith in myself first.
I know I can be a giant if I have obedience, readiness and love for the cause.
I will fill my mind with great thoughts and highest ideals as I know that from that great work will come.
Purity, Patience, Perseverance and above all Love – these are my ideals
अपने युवा काल को सुझाव
by Ramesh Dwivedee, Delhi
अपने युवा काल को अगर मुझे कोई सुझाव देना होता तो मैं दो देता।
पहला कि किसी भी कार्य की प्रक्रिया पर उतना ही ध्यान दो जितना कि परिणाम पर।
बल्कि परिणाम की बजाय हमें प्रक्रिया पर ध्यान देना चाहिए।यदि प्रक्रिया सही है तो परिणाम जरूर आएगा। होता क्या है युवा काल में हम बहुत सारे सपने देखते हैं और बस उन सपनों को लेकर हमेशा मगन रहते हैं।प्रक्रिया पर हमारा ध्यान नहीं होता। नतीजा यह है कि वह नतीजे नहीं आते जो हम चाहते हैं और बस एक भारी मन से जीवन में आगे बढ़ते हैं।
दूसरा सुझाव मैं अपने मन को देता कि बीती ताही विसार दे आगे की सुधले।
युवा काल में हम बहुत सारे सपने बुनते हैं। हमारे बहुत से दोस्त होते हैं।हमारे पास कई वस्तुएं होती हैं।धीरे-धीरे हमारे वह सपने टूटते हैं, दोस्त दूर जाते हैं और वह चीजें हम से खोती चली जाती हैं।आगे के जीवन में हम सही निर्णय लेने की हालत में नहीं होते हैं और तब एक अवांछित जीवन में प्रवेश करते हैं।और कभी काल को कभी कर्म को और कभी ईश्वर को दोष देते हैं।हम तब भूल जाते हैं कि स्वामी विवेकानंद ने कहा है,“हम ही अपने भाग्य के निर्माता हैं” (“You are the creator of your destiny”)। तो यह मेरा सुझाव रहेगा मेरे युवा काल को। धन्यवाद।
Conversation between the Young Me with the Present Me
By Sumana Biswas Manna from Delhi
S1 (Young Me): I am so disappointed.
S2 (Present Me): Why, dear? What happened?
S1: I’m so worried about my exams, my hobbies, and everything else… Oh God, please help me.
S2: Why so anxious? How is your preparation going? May I suggest something that might help you?
S1: Will it help me feel calm, peaceful, and free from worry?
S2: Yes, surely. I’ve been practicing this for some time now. Come, sit here. Let me share a few points—choose what feels right for you.
Always remember: we have the right only to our actions, not to the results. This is beautifully stated in the Bhagavad Gita. So, study sincerely, with full attention, but free yourself from worrying about the outcome.
Next comes patience. Everything happens at the right time. No amount of hurry or worry can make things happen faster.
Another important point is letting go. If something happens against your will or choice, simply take a deep breath and mentally chant, “Let go.” Free yourself from that thought. This will help you stay calm and composed.
Finally, sit straight, close your eyes, and breathe slowly and deeply. You will feel relaxed. Practice this every day and notice the difference for yourself.
Along with this, eat light, home-cooked food, include plenty of fruits, drink enough water daily, and sleep well for 5–6 hours every night.
S1: Thank you so much for these tips. I will definitely try some of them. Bye.
Values for the Youth
By Aman Rana from Gurugram
In my opinion, the following three values are very essential for youth to develop in order to achieve anything great and lead a life of happiness and contentment.
The first value: Immense faith in yourself and your ideals
William Shakespeare once said that some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them. I cannot comment on those who were born great, nor on those who had greatness being thrust upon them, but surely, I can speak of those who have achieved greatness. People who achieve greatness by themselves have immense faith in themselves and their ideals. Mahatma Gandhi was ridiculed for his method of ahimsa to achieve freedom, but he proved its power and mobilized the whole nation. During a protest, he said: “They may torture my body, break my bones, and even kill me. Then they will have my dead body, but not my obedience.” Such was his faith in his ideals. Similarly, we see this in Bhagat Singh and Chandrashekhar Azad.
In science, we have Thomas Alva Edison, Einstein, Nikola Tesla, etc. They all had faith in themselves. People did not believe in them initially, but they believed that what they had thought, they would accomplish by their own methods. Later, they proved it. For example, when Tesla conducted experiments on transmitting electricity wirelessly, people thought he was mad. But after some time, he proved it was possible, and today he is regarded as a visionary scientist.
In entertainment, Jim Carrey and Charlie Chaplin are famous examples. Even in history, some infamous or controversial figures like Napoleon Bonaparte and Winston Churchill demonstrated this quality of immense faith.
The second value: Perseverance
If you define determination as a mental state of firmness for a specific target or purpose, patience as the ability to wait for a long-term target with sustained motivation, and persistence as the continuity of effort in a stable manner, then perseverance is a combination of all these, and even more.
People have given different names to this quality. Some call it lagan (लगन), some call zidd (ज़िद), and in modern psychology it is often called grit. Today so many books are available on perseverance and grit in the market, some of them being best bestsellers, which show the relevance of this value in today’s world.
Researches conducted have found perseverance, as an overriding quality in persons who have achieved greatness in life. It is this perseverance, i.e., the continuity of effort with determination and patience that makes a person successful and life worthy.
The third value: Empathy
The above two values can help one achieve something great, but they do not guarantee a fulfilled and happy life. For happiness, one more value is required, empathy. Young people often feel that they alone are important in this world, that only their problems are the world’s problems, and that they have nothing to do with others’ problems. Due to inexperience and tremendous youthful energy, they often fail to recognize the struggles of others. But if they develop empathy, they realize they are just a part of a larger ecosystem, not bigger than it. If they feel connected with this world, they will be easily able to accept their mistakes, and can tame their pride and ego effectively. Less stress, less competition, more collaboration and happiness. Empathy is not just emotional contagion or sympathy. Sympathy is feeling sorry for someone, but empathy is trying to understand the real cause of their suffering. When one knows the real cause, maybe in the future one can help alleviate it. Empathy allows one to make this world a better place. Most great humorists and writers became popular because they can relate to people’s problems. They wrote so well that they gave solace to people through their words and helped make the world relatable, friendlier and hence a better place.
As a parting word - today the young people have become a little bit too mature and sophisticated, I think a balance of maturity and mischief is important.
A Note to My Even Younger Self
by Shatarupa Dutta from Faridabad
Ones I wish I had understood earlier, and ones I now feel anyone who is young today may find useful.
Accept.
Doing what everyone else is doing will not make you “cool,” and following the latest Instagram trend will not make you seen. It only makes you distant from yourself. What truly matters is learning to accept yourself as you are, with all the flaws, confusions, and unfinished edges. It won’t feel easy, but time has a way of softening and shaping what feels rough today. Be kind to yourself. And while you’re at it, accept your parents and siblings too. They may seem strange, quirky, and utterly confusing at times, but they are your closest confidants, the ones who will stand by you in ways the world rarely does.
Love them in their imperfect ways; they too grow and change with time.
Engage.
Read, read widely and endlessly. Immerse yourself fully in whatever work comes your way, no matter how small or insignificant it may appear. Yes, much of what you study may help you earn degrees, but there is always that unseen fraction that quietly shapes your perspective on life.
You’ll never know in advance which part that will be, so you better take the entire journey seriously.
Anchor.
Find your faith and strengthen it. Not faith as a label or ritual, but faith as an inner anchor. Discover what gives you strength, through reflection, prayer, meditation, or deep thinking. Return to it often. Regulate yourself around it. Strengthen your anchor, the ocean will get rough and you have a long sail ahead.
युवाओं के लिए तीन मूल्य
by Saurav Bisht from Gurugram
मैं युवाओं के लिए तीन मूल्यों को आवश्यक मानता हूँ— सत्यनिष्ठा (Truthfulness), क्षमाशीलता (Forgiveness), औरपवित्रता (Purity)। जब भी मैं इन मूल्यों पर विचार करता हूँ, तो मुझे यह स्वीकार करने में संकोच नहीं होता कि कई बार मैं स्वयं भी इन्हें अपने जीवन में पूरी तरह से व्यवहार में नहीं ला पा रहा हूँ, जबकि ये मूल्य मेरे लिए भी उतने ही आवश्यक हैं जितने युवाओं के लिए।
पहलामूल्य: सत्यनिष्ठा (Truthfulness)
आज के समय में हम सभी—मैं भी—सोशल मीडिया और भौतिकतावादी दुनिया पर अत्यधिक ध्यान देने लगे हैं और धीरे-धीरे उन्हीं को ही सत्य मानने लगे हैं। परंतु वास्तविक सत्य इससे कहीं गहरा है। सबसे आवश्यक है स्वयंको जानना औरस्वयं के प्रति ईमानदार रहना। जब हम अपने प्रति सत्यनिष्ठ होते हैं, तभी हम अपने वास्तविक स्वभाव, अपनी आवश्यकताओं और अपने जीवन की सही दिशा को पहचान पाते हैं।
दूसरामूल्य: क्षमाशीलता (Forgiveness)
आज का मनुष्य अनेक विचारों, परिस्थितियों और बाहरी प्रभावों से अत्यधिक विचलित है। हम स्वयं को सही दिखाने के प्रयास में कई बार अनावश्यक बोझ अपने भीतर रख लेते हैं। क्षमाशीलता हमें यह सिखाती है कि हम हर परिस्थिति को बदल नहीं सकते, विचार और स्थितियाँ हमारे नियंत्रण में नहीं हैं, उन्हें छोड़ देना भी एक कला है। जब हम बाहरी शोर से हटकर स्वयं पर ध्यान केंद्रित करते हैं, तभी आंतरिक शांति संभव होती है।
तीसरामूल्य: पवित्रता (Purity)
आज हम प्रतिदिन अनेक दृश्य देखते हैं, अनुभव करते हैं—कुछ हमें तत्काल लाभ भी देते हैं। परंतु वास्तविक विकास के लिए मन, विचार और आत्मा की पवित्रता आवश्यक है। हो सकता है कि पवित्रता हमें अल्पकाल में कोई विशेष लाभ न दे, लेकिन दीर्घकाल में यह हमारे चरित्र, निर्णय और जीवन की दिशा को सशक्त बनाती है।
