Education is…
“What remains after one has forgotten everything
That he learned in his school.”
- Albert Einstein
What is my qualification to write the book "SECRETS
OF SUCCESS - What parents don't know, teachers never tell"?.
Only one. I failed my fifth class once and sixth again. I was my
grandfather’s pampered child. When he expired, I went to live with my
father. I was in my sixth class (second year). He started teaching
me for an hour every day. Next year in my seventh standard, I scored
cent percent marks in mathematics and never looked back. I have
broken fifty years record of my high school at Hyderabad in final
exam. This is the reason why I started believing that an average
boy (like me) can be trained to success.
Instead of creating fascinating interest
towards education, parents unknowingly thrust it upon their children
by constantly telling them to ‘work hard’, I strongly believe that if
a Student has interest in his studies, it is enough if he studies two
hours a day at home. I told the same perception to my son who is a
State Ranker in his intermediate but joined as an industrial trainee
at Nagarjuna Power Project for a stipend of 1500 per month. That’s
how he simultaneously completed his B.Com (Honors) studying part time
in the evening college and completed C.A.,
then worked for two years in World Bank and went to France to do his
M.B.A. He is now a Business Executive with a salary of rupees four
million per year at the age of Twenty-seven. Appears to be
self-audacity but by intention is to inspire the students “the
pleasure of studying” and enjoying the success. The happiness is
surely better than watching an idiot box or thinking twenty-four hours
about cricket.
As an executive of a Bank, though good at
spoken English, I was poor in writing better English in spite of my
writing abilities in Telugu as a novelist. The THE HINDU city editor
Sri Srinivasa Reddy asked me to write a column for his daily, I was
thrilled but hesitant also. THE HINDU is famous for its unblemished
literary quality. He encouraged me and I practiced. The letters from
the readers for past two years progressively gave me the confidence
that by practice one can achieve something that he feels impossible at
one stage.
With these intentions I started writing this
book. This book is meant for students who are willing to work smart,
practice the principles and come out as ‘Bests’. I don’t believe that
all those who read this book would become an Einstein or
Newton. But I am sure, if you practice at least fifty percent of
these techniques and apply the underlying philosophy, you would be one
among the top five rankers of your institution.
There is every reason for you to have a
doubt. ‘Is it necessary to know everything so scientifically? People
of previous generations, were they not living in high spirits without
learning all these motivation techniques and psychoanalysis? Then
where is the need?
Here is the answer.
Earlier the farmers grew their crops without
any fertilizer support. As there was no farming research, they could
only sell whatever was left after the pests masticated. Now we spend
so much time and money on exploration of scientific knowledge
pertaining to fertilizers and pesticides. The research is for a more
rewarding harvest and to meet the increasing demands.
Imagine that your balcony was various kinds
of potted plants. Some should be kept in bright sunshine and some
others in a shade. Some plants require less water and vice versa.
You know the plant physiology through the experience of your elders.
You add your scientific insight to it and transfer it to your
subsequent generation. When the perception continues from one
generation to next, it becomes ‘science’, philosophy’ and logic. And
that is called wisdom.
The formula applies to education,
intelligence and memory techniques also. With more complicated lives,
phobias, frustrations and syndromes, students are more prone to
various problems and require a methodical counseling. That is the
reason for these type of books. My intention of writing this book is
to mould you different from other students. Initially you find it
tough. But note that Abdul Kalam to Amitab Bachan underwent through
the same phase. Yes, I want you to grow to a stage on par with them.
The contents of this book are helpful not only for your studies, but
in all fields of life including your games, sports, painting, music
etc.,
Certain techniques and modus operandi
suggested in this book may not be acceptable to some people and
subject to their criticism. I am not here to morals like, ‘study six
hours a day, concentrate more, be a jewel for your country etc and
gain appreciation from all. I have written what I practiced. If I
write that I hardly went to barbershop since past twenty years. It is
because I enjoy trimming my hair and above it I started believing that
people see what is ‘in’ my head rather than outside. If I declare
that you, particularly boys, need not apply coconut oil to your hair
and it is enough if you wash it once in three days, it is true that I
have been practicing the same since thirty years without getting any
headache or my head becoming bald. In the same fashion, my advice to
drink lots of water and juices, suggestions like ‘One – day two Dawn
Theory’ and Developing Concentration through motivating the Five
Sensory Organs’ are all practiced by me. I am thoroughly benefited by
them and hence advocating the same to you. Discard what you don’t
like in this book and follow the other techniques.
Knowledge is what you gain that is necessary
and wisdom is what you leave that is unnecessary.
Taken from Preface to the Book "Secrets
of Sucess" (What Parents Don't know, Teachers never Tell)
