National Youth Day is observed in India on January 12 in commemoration of Swami Vivekananda’s birthday. Swami Vivekananda, a noted Indian philosopher, believed that if human beings are persistent enough, they have the potential to overcome any hurdle.
“ARISE, AWAKE, AND STOP NOT TILL THE GOAL IS REACHED”-was a sloka which was popularised in the late 19th century by the Swami Vivekananda. As a well-read man, he made a strong impact on the minds of the youth through his powerful speeches.
Our Youths have the potential to be much more than us.
Swami Vivekananda firmly believed in the potential of youth and rightly so, because our young growing boys and girls are the future of the nation, in fact, the future of humanity. They should be recognised and respected. National Youth Day, hence is very aptly celebrated in his memory to encourage and inspire Indian youth to choose the right path, to promote the concepts of national unity and fraternity, and to contribute to the development of the country.
The real essence of life lies in the STRUGGLE.
Swami Vivekananda said, “Brave, bold people, these are what we want. What we want is vigour in the blood, strength in the nerves, iron muscles and nerves of steel, not softening namby-pamby ideas”. The youth of today’s world do understand the fact that the real essence of life lies in the struggle. They believe that we all are born to succeed.
Do one’s duty with DETERMINATION and DILIGENCE.
Our ancient scriptures also advocate that one should do one’s duty with determination and diligence focussing on only one thing at a time. The calmness of mind, mindfulness, conscious and reflective thinking help a person in his endeavours to face challenges and pave his way to achieve success.
Have complete FAITH in oneself.
We must achieve something great in the limited time that we call life. This is our duty-a duty that every man or woman should perform. Youth is to have complete faith in oneself, to put one’s resolution to work, to build one’s identity. This will actually result in the highest levels of contentment and satisfaction for both the individual and everyone else involved.
Don’t just DREAM.
One thing to keep in mind is that we must act on our behalf because no one else will work on our dream. Every great achievement requires bravery. Work for achievement rather than just dreaming about it. We must keep our options open and never be scared to start alone. Never must we let our own lesser beliefs restrict our aspirations. It is never too late to begin the activities one enjoys. Our vision has the power to transform lives, but to make it a reality, we must have the grit to pursue it.
YOUTH IS THE MOST PRECIOUS PERIOD of LIFE.
National Youth Day is an ideal opportunity to express our appreciation for all the youths around us as it is so good to see our vibrant, enthusiastic youths succeeding in life and shaping the future. We do need to give our energetic younger people inspiration to keep striding forward in life.
Put in the best effort in YOUR PRESENT.
Live your present doing the best you can, putting in the best effort in all that you do, the future will definitely blossom bright. Success does not necessitate having outstanding talent. You can achieve great things in your pursuit of success if you have faith in your talents, a desire to prove something to the world and yourself, and the willingness to put in a lot of work.
I would urge every youth around to make the most of the youthful stage of life, which is the wonderful phase of life. May the youth of all nations remain rooted, inspired, and focused on life and work to advance their countries. To the forces that will shape the future, to the heroes of the future – a pleasant and Happy National Youth Day to all!
Dr G.S. Matharoo
Chairman
Prudence Group of Schools