Worry not for life will move on...

This post is dedicated to my dear friend 'A'. I have had several friends but one person who motivated me the most was 'A', His tale is one of grit, determination and strong will. He never lost heart and had worked hard. He never gave up hope and always told himself that he would see light at the end of the tunnel. 

Every classroom in any institution will have melange of people ranging from the super-geeks to the most chilled out people. Though the ratio of the geeks to average humans depends upon the ranking and repute of the school, every class will have atleast one different person who does not fit into the mould.

I studied in an Undergraduate School that was not bad but was not a great school. Our class had a fine balance of nine-pointers and average students. Some people studied really hard and walked away with brilliant grades. While some were just content to pass. However there were some people who did not fall into both categories. One such person was 'A'.

He worked really hard. While others started studying for a test only a day prior to it. He would study for weeks. He would revise two, three and even four times but would mess up at the end of the exam. At the end of the test he would be glum as would not have been able to answer most of the questions. He would then move on and study for the next test. This pattern continued until a point when he finally lost his motivation. One day when our seniors were graduating from college, he saw them in their graduation gowns and lamented that he would never graduate. I jokingly asked him to borrow a seniors gown and click a picture in case he never graduated. However he took in good spirit and continued to work as hard as before.

The problem with 'A' and many others like him is that our education system caters only to a particular Genre of Learners. He was a semi-kinesthetic learner who understood things by experiencing them. Once while explaining to him how to draw a diagram over the phone, he repeatedly asked me the same question. I finally lost patience and gave up. He then took a pencil and compass and constructed the diagram himself. The next day he showed me the diagram. It was perfect and flawless. He then began to understand his learning patterns. He got notes from our class toppers and focused on what he was best at. He cleared all his backlogs and passed his course with flying colours. 

Post his Bachelor's he joined a Master's course in USA. Unlike his previous stint in India he had a good start to his course. He worked hard and cleared his first semester with a stellar 4 on 4. He said through the other semesters well and is now on his way to receive his Masters.Now, whenever I feel low he motivates me.

When I think of him and all that he has gone through I realize that he played a very important role in my life. By explaining things to him, I learnt things better. By seeking motivation by looking at him I felt motivated. 

Everytime we are running through a rough phase in our lives we only think of our ourselves and fail to realize that we are not an isolated system. Our difficulties and joys also contribute to the upliftment of others around us. The earth by itself is a system in equlibrium. It is not possible to have a perpetual summer or winter as the each region needs to experience its own equilibrium in order for the earth to be in balance.

As you go through each day, If you are happy share your joy with others and help them regain their equilibrium. If you are sad, share your sorrow with those who matter and help yourself get back on your feet.

And everyone else who feels like a black sheep or an underachiever. Remember there are many flocks of white sheep and though you might feel odd one day you will eventually find your flock. The day you discover what you are good at or when someone else discovers you is not far. A world with only white sheep is a colourless world. Until then just focus on keep yourself in balance.

Epilogue :

He walked into the room, with his bride holding his hand. He flashed his million dollar smile at us as he walked along the flower decked aisle. He had two degrees, a wonderful wife and a stellar career. I flashed him a smile and walked up to the podium by the stage to deliver the best man's (woman in my case) speech. He who was once considered a lowly black sheep was now an amazingly successful one.