I have often wondered how sometimes as a young child I was so different from what I am today – a Communication and Soft Skills trainer – who primarily communicates and interacts with several people almost every day, while back to my younger days I was an introvert.
Was it the school curriculum or was it that while I was in my Graduation years I found the subjects that kept me completely engaged? Or it was the multiple forums that I got where I could speak, read, express my views and meet new people. Maybe I was always inclined towards pursuing activities that involved reading, discussing, and listening to others. Hence it explains why I feel so passionately about my profession – of being a trainer. I meet a number of people and I enjoy talking to them and getting to know them.
What if I could have discovered this when I was still in school? How much different would I have been from what I am today?
This makes me think about what are some of the Life Skills we are teaching our children. Do we instill confidence in them to be effective speakers, be brave to take up a sport or an art or a musical instrument and not worry about what future opportunities will be like, or are we teaching them critical thinking or responsible decision-making?
Do they know what Empathy is? Are they good listeners? Or do they only thrive to be heard? How aware are they of their emotions or how best can they handle them? How often do we sit with these brilliant minds and tell them to take one step at a time, to breathe, to learn to let go, to relax?
Talking about day-to-day activities – do our children know what investments are, how to fill a bank cheque or a counterfoil? I probably know the answers to all of the above and so do you. If you have a keen interest in History, you may perhaps know that our ancient education system was designed in a way that encouraged talents and skills. If I was good at a particular skill, I could own it, hone my skills and pursue my life. That system did not aim at creating jobs. It aimed at creating a self-sufficient society.
We may not see an immediate change. The change may take us a few more years, but a change is certainly due – A change that welcomes an amalgamation of the contemporary methods and our ancient best practices.