I have published the 100th blog today and it feels like an accomplishment! It is a milestone that I had set for myself and it is an amazing feeling to have reached it! Though a Medical Doctor by Degree and profession, I am an educationist by choice. I have always enjoyed reading and writing and during my professional life, I would often write articles for newspapers and magazines. Reading and writing were my hobbies, and although I could find time to read, writing gradually faded from my schedule. A busy schedule and multiple responsibilities would not allow me to indulge in my hobby of writing. Therefore, I made this commitment to myself that I would publish a blog every Monday, under the broader umbrella of Monday Motivation. Now as I publish my 100th blog, I feel that the fact that I could stick to the regime of writing has been quite an achievement for me.
In certain ways this achievement also makes me relate to the spiritual side of me. I am God- loving person and do my daily pujas but just to prove to myself that I too can do it, like many others, a few years ago I undertook the fasting for ‘Sawan ke solah somwar,’ which entails fasting for 16 Mondays during the Shravan month as per the Hindu calendar. I wanted to see how difficult it would be. When I completed writing my 100th blog, it gave me the same sense of spirituality as I felt on completing my journey in fasting. Only, these have been a 100 Mondays instead of 16!
When I write the blogs it makes me think with a broad mindset. Sometimes I write about my personal beliefs, practices and routine and sometimes on the professional aspects of my life and sometimes my observations. My writings have helped me express myself and utilize my creativity. Sometimes I receive feedback too and that leads me to think critically and build a diverse perspective. This is also what education should be all about! We should bring in confidence among students so that they can communicate openly, through writing and through verbal communication. The younger generation does not like to be assessed, whether it is by their teachers or parents or even their peers. But they should learn to do so and be open to taking feedback as it will help them gain a diverse perspective and develop resilience, which I find missing to a large extent among the present generation. Through my blogs I also elicit a lot of comments, through which I develop the resilience to accept critique and appreciation. This is the basis of education.
Coincidentally, the 100th blog is just a day short of Teacher’s day. As I have been in the field of education for more than 25 years now, I do deliver a lot of public speeches and inspirational talks not just within Symbiosis with a strength of more than 46000 students and more than 6000 faculty and staff, but also outside. Therefore, I am in an environment that creates human resource for the country. I strongly believe that the role of the teacher lies in shaping characters, building capabilities and enhancing the knowledge quotient of students, thus making them global citizens. The role of a teacher is like that of a parent. When the child is young, he needs nurturing from the parents but as he grows up the teacher becomes the role model and the student starts to imbibe more from the teacher. I still remember my school teachers from St. Joseph’s School Pashan and also remember my days spent at B J Medical College. Like-wise all of us remember our teachers who have shaped our lives and careers.
Therefore, I dedicate the 100th blog to the millions of teachers around the world who have dedicated their lives to shaping the lives of others. Wishing a Happy Teacher’s Day to all the teachers!