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Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru (AM/ PMD)
Updated
Mangaluru, Feb 18: 'Prerna - Confluence of ideas and motivation', a day-long event organised by VKSSF Alumni Association in association with Vishwa Konkani Student Scholarship Fund and World Konkani Centre on Saturday February 18 saw several well-known personalities inspiring students and parents in what proved to be an engaging day of intellectual enrichment.
Venkatesh Kini, president, Coca-Cola India and South West Asia was the first speaker for the afternoon session. Venkatesh took the gathering through his journey of success and how he achieved it. He said, "I was an average student. Getting a job in the 80s was almost impossible. In my final year of graduation I realised that I had to work hard. I completed my MBA from IIM Ahmedabad and landed my first job. I thereafter worked for Asian Paints and ITC. I joined Coca-Cola in 1998. I was the one who launched the brand Sprite here in India when none of the managers were willing to take the risk. I have worked hard for what I am today.
"You will face many challenges in life. Perseverance will reward you. It doesn't matter where you begin, but where you end up matters the most. All of you have global careers waiting for you. You have opportunities to shine in the world. I have visited 55 countries and believe me, Indians are the smartest. We have to struggle to get to where we are. Struggle makes us stronger. You may not be able to do something you love, but give your best to what you do. Find a way to love what you do. Never compare yourself with others. Life is a race against oneself. Set standards for yourself. Try to do better today than what you did yesterday. Focus and excel on what you do," he said.
Venkatesh further advised the gathering to learn to express their views openly and also communicate effectively.
Say yes when opportunity comes your way: Dr Sunil Shenoy
Dr Sunil Shenoy, head of the urology department, AJ Hospital, who was the next speaker said, "Life is a journey which will have both good and bad experiences. You can take the bad experiences either in a bitter way or a better way. We are all students for life. The day we stop learning, our downfall begins. Technology is improving day by day. From open surgery and laparoscopy, we have moved on to robotic surgery."
Stressing on the importance of grabbing opportunities that come one's way, he said, "Life begins with an opportunity. Some get opportunities on their laps. You have to scout for opportunities, hunt for them. Lucky people do get it. There was a medical graduate who was not getting any postgraduate seat. Then he went to Kolkata and became a duty doctor. One day, while going up the elevator, a well-dressed gentleman collapsed in front of him and he had the presence of mind to resuscitate him. The man went through a bypass surgery and once recovered, the first thing he asked the duty doctor was, 'would you like to become a cardiac surgeon?' It was an opportunity that came to him, and he said yes. The gentleman sent him to UK, where he got trained, came back and started his own hospital in Bengaluru. The rest is history. I am speaking of Dr Devi Shetty.
"If you get an opportunity and do not know what to do, just say yes first. Accept it first, then you can always learn on how to go ahead and achieve the ends. It is difficult and involves struggle, but you can do it. Every opportunity should be taken as a challenge. Follow your passion," he added.
Advising parents not to differentiate between sons and daughters, he said, "Teach them that for every enemy, there is a friend, for every scoundrel, there is a hero, for every crooked politician, there is a dedicated leader. Teach them never to put a price tag on their heart and soul.
"Attitude makes a big difference in life, your happiness depends on your attitude. You will meet a lot of people in the course of your life, some bad, some good. Learn not to get into conflicts, because it does not serve anyone any purpose. You cannot change other's attitude, but you can change your own. Enjoy your work. The moment you dislike your work, your results will come down. It is not a crime to charge for the work you do - you are entitled to it because you have put in your efforts. But never ever forego your ethics. The dividing line between ethics and illegality is very fine. Never ever become unethical as it is the first step to doing illegal stuff. Keep away from bad ethics. Let people say anything about you, but let them always say you have been an honourable person. And if you are honest, you do not need lectures on ethics.
"Teach your children how to gracefully lose. Teach them that there can be glory in failure and despair in success," he added.
"Not everyone can be a genius, not everyone needs to be a genius. You should not be mediocre, but let me tell you, society is made up of not only geniuses, there is a place for the next one also. The society runs on all sorts of intellectual capacities. So do not be disheartened if you are not a genius. There is a role for you, but whatever you do, do it properly," he said.
Speaking of personalities who have gone on to achieve great heights, he took the example of Prime Minister Modi and Richard Branson of Virginia Airlines. "Our Prime Minister, from his humble beginnings as a tea-seller, with his hard work and perserverance is now the PM of this huge democracy. I admire him for that, irrespective of my political affiliation. He is a wonderful person for India, the right man who has come at the right time.
"If a child fails in spite of working hard, it is not the child's fault, it is a systemic failure. It is because we have not recognised the child's potential. Our assessment system of examination is such that the child fails, but if we change the assessment system, probably someone else will fail and this child will pass. So failure is limited to the assessment system and does not tell anything about what one is going to do in one's life," Dr Shenoy said.
"Career is only a small part of life. Do not spend your life running a race with your peers, because there is no finish line in life. When you reach the finish line, you will find that it has shifted and there is somebody else there. Never go for the finish line, there will only be disappointment. Try to be better everyday and make your own path," he added.
Talking about the 'bottle of life', he said, "Everything in life can fit into one bottle. You can have a career, a bank balance, health, you can fill it up with whatever you want. What is important is the proportion between these things - you have to decide what is important for you and what you want in life. So work hard, follow your passion, do not rest on your laurels, be ready to face failures. But remember to give back to society. When you are successful, it is time to give back to society, and if you do so, you would have proved yourself as true sons and daughters," he told the students.
Learn to communicate, be a problem-solver: T V Mohandas Pai
The closing note was delivered by TV Mohandas Pai, social entrepreneur and corporate mentor. The talk which went on for more than hour mesmerized the listeners. He said, "We have to be prepared for future. The society is changing rapidly. Anti-globalisation will soon be the order of the day. This will have an adverse impact on the country. Automation is killing jobs. To face the challenges we need to learn what is happening around the world. Go beyond text books, learn to communicate well and present ideas. You should possess a problem-solving attitude. The body language of a person plays a pivotal role. Make sure that you are able to convince the person. Whenever you go for a job, the confidence level needs to be high to face every possible challenge. Do your job with passion, be a hard worker, be dedicated and you will overcome every obstacle around you."
He also said, "Youngsters need to keep learning and voluntarily work, show your dedication and take challenges. As time goes on, your experience counts. At the same time it is better to hold a master's degree. Go abroad to pursue studies. Countries like Norway, France, Germany have faculties but not enough students. They will provide good education and ensure job opportunities too.
"You also need to remember nobody else cares about you except your parents. Make sure you merge your ego and learn how to make money and be a brand to be successful. Becoming an entrepreneur is not an easy task as it requires to work 24x7, form a team, work with the team, learn how to market, learn how to get employees and work hard. After 10 years you will be definitely be rewarded for your hard work and dedication.
"At the same time learn to be problem solver. You are alone in this world, fight like a warrior and build the network. You will definitely be aware about the power of network when you succeed. If you allow the system to suppress you, then it will be your end. You need to have self motivation and then move forward to be successful," Pai said.
During the interactive session, answering a query he said, "Mahatma Gandhi is my mentor because he set leadership examples. As many as 300 million people responded to him which is really great. Gandhi also had a vision to be a leader and he laid a strategy against the powerful. Non-violence was his strategy and he lived like an ordinary man. He was a great communicator and he always stood for truth. He was a courageous man and also knew how to use power."
Answering another question about today's youth idolising Hitler, Mohandas Pai said, "What is the most important asset you possess? It is life. Where is your life safe? In Gandhi's India or Hitler's Germany? Gandhi knew to respect life and individual. Hitler was a brilliant leader, organiser and communicator as he conquered the world, but he had no respect for humans nor had compassion. Gandhiji was a true leader," he concluded.
The third edition of 'Prerna' witnessed student fraternity listen to personalities who have not only dared to tread the uncharted path, in professional and personal life, but have also carved out a niche for themselves.
Failure spurs motivation: Sonia Shenoy
Earlier in the day, Sonia Shenoy, editor and TV anchor, CNBC TV 18, gave the inaugural speech. Addressing the students gathered, she said, "All students gathered here are children of the foundation of Prerna who eagerly wait to spread their wings into the world outside. Today's children are much smarter than us, so there's not much telling to do. They are our hope for a better tomorrow.
She stressed on two messages, giving adages and garnishing it with anecdotes from her personal and professional life, "One, the benefits of failure. I am a student of failure. I was given conventional professional options for sure ways to making money. CV and school marks were stressed on. Always listen to your parents but take your own decisions. 'Failure' leads to stress, depression and is said to be romanticised by fools. But failure spurs motivation. Some amount of fear is inevitable. Success gives one superiority complex. Failure helps you empathise with those who experience it. Three people I look up to is Bill gates who started his super failure Trafodata, second, Michael Jordan, who didn't make it to the school basketball team, third, J K Rowling, who was depending on welfare for survival and depressed. Second theme is to try to find love, something you are so passionate about that it gives you sleepless nights. Chase your passion, money follows.
"My mother educated me about having 'no substitutes for hard work'. And in conclusion, like Malcolm Gladwell said, there is no magic button, but the mantra is 'repetition'. The problem with repetition is, people give up after a failure of two. Remember to stay invested. Don't give up. Passion and repetition is the recipe," she added, thanking the Prerna team who hosted the event, encouraging students to look beyond their horizons.
Come out of your comfort zone: Brigadier Prabhu
Brigadier CMF Prabhu, retired officer, Indian Army took the gathering through the discipline and hard work in the Indian Armed Forces. He said, "I have nothing new to reveal. My great-grandfather and father served in the army. I was not so much into studies, but once I joined the Indian Army, it was only studying, studying and studying. We undergo tough training and that helps us to sustain all types of hardships. I was quite weak in mathematics. As I was put into ballistics, I had to force myself to learn mathematics. Once I was done with my training, I was teaching the new recruitees in our unit. My advice to all the youth is to come out of your comfort zone and overcome fear.
"I would like to speak about a few qualities which lead to success. Be prepared to adapt. Get adjusted to situations and you will surely come out victorious. We in the army had to live in bunkers at high altitude places. It was difficult, but we adapted to the situation. Serving in the army for 39 years, we have learnt how to be self-disciplined and how to deal with stress and fear. We have constantly keep upgrading our knowledge to deal with situations and modern times. Being healthy is very important too. We should appreciate the good qualities in others. To be something in life, we need to have an idol and follow his or her footsteps," he advised.
Brigadier Prabhu also spoke on developing hobbies and being financial stable. "You need to start planning from a young age to save money and to be financially strong. The last thing which could lead to success is living a life which your family, community and country could be proud of. Give your best and leave the rest to fate," he said.
Answering a question on fear of death in the question-answer session, Brigadier Prabhu said it is all about fate. "I have been through many instances where I have seen death closely. But when you are serving in the army, you have to leave everything to fate go on the journey."
Answering another query on how to prepare oneself for joining army, Prabhu said that forgoing comfort and keeping physically fit are the two qualities one should possess to join army.
Kshama Fernandes, managing director, IFMR Capital and Prakash Pai, co-founder, Bharosa Club, Bharosa Technoserve Pvt Ltd, New Delhi also delivered talks.
The convention began with the ceremonial lighting of lamp by dignitaries. Kshama Fernandes, Prakash Pai, Venkatesh Kini, president, Coca-Cola India, South-West Asia; Dr Sunil Shenoy, head – urology department, A J Hospital; TV Mohandas Pai, social entrepreneur and corporate mentor; Basti Vaman Shenoy, president, World Konkani Centre; Ramdas Kamath U, chairman, Vishwa Konkani Student Scholarship Fund; Sandeep Shenoy, chief mentor, Prerna were the other dignitaries present for the convention.
Dinesh K Pai, president, VKSSF Alumni Association; Board of trustees, Konkani Language and Cultural Foundation; Donors and members, Vishwa Konkani Student Scholarship Fund; Members, executive council, VKSSF Alumni Association, were present for the conference.