Our Interests Speak Volumes

One of my all-time favorite movies is Taare Zameen Par, it conveys a beautiful message of realizing your dreams – no matter what they are, but pursuing them with conviction if they give you true happiness. The question is – how do you realize what gives you true happiness? Not everyone is lucky to be mentored by a teacher like Mr. Aamir Khan who can instill dollops of confidence with color.  

On my last trip to India, I was very delighted to meet my teenage nephew, Mayank. He is 15 years old, growing at the same rate as technology is in our lives. 

He has always been a gregarious and extroverted boy who enjoys to socialize with friends. I think he enjoys to be the center of attention in a group – because he knows he can hold his own really well. A strong wit is his armor. I’m almost envious with his sharp sense of self and inherent confidence.

When I met him, we indulged in a conversation about career aspirations, how he can pursue what he wants and choose the appropriate subjects in eleventh. Understandably, he didn’t have a career path outlined for him but he knew what he enjoyed the most in his current line of subjects, i.e. History/Social Sciences. He also expressed some interest in advertising and inquired more, since I belonged to that industry. At first, I thought his choices were a bit frivolous, like choices of those boys who want to become a pilot when they grow up (I know, a bit judgmental).

So, I asked him “what do you like about history”, to which he said after some deep thought…”I specifically like the World War II period and how fast it had spread across Europe. I’m going to read Anne Frank’s diary this year and I’m really excited to learn about her life, how they escaped as a family and lived in a small home for so long”. I was flabbergasted to say the least and felt so embarrassed to have presumed his choices were frivolous -- this boy knew what he wanted, at 15. Damn, I wish I had that clarity when I was 15.  

If I was responsible to guide his career choices, I wouldn’t need to worry as his instincts will guide him to reach a place of true happiness. However, our society is structured around subjects that promise monetary returns in the future, especially for men, i.e. Math and Science. Choosing to study History with a vague interest in advertising does not guarantee financial success.

Then, what are options for a young boy who enjoys to read World War II? I am not sure if our economy provides any solution – any pressure Mayank might face in his life to stick to the convention will work on him, unfortunately. And he, like many others, will lose his natural zest.

The movie, Taare Zameen Par, tells us that we’re all diamonds, each with our own unique skills. But how do we identify our uniqueness? With a dilemma like this, I think the trick is to understand what Mayank's interests say about him as a person and his skills. What about World War II and Anne Frank’s diary does he connect with? It may be that he is a sensitive boy who empathizes with people who're struggling in any capacity, and perhaps he has an ability to help them. Just a hypothesis, but it’s a trigger to recognize multiple possibilities. The idea is to identify his unique skills, strengths, natural inclinations and what can be done with them. Loving history doesn’t mean becoming a historian at some archaic university.

If we divert his interest to Science etc. to follow the popular convention, we will shut that door completely – and his ability to truly fly. And I sincerely hope that he and all other people like him get to do what they want. Our job is to take these small little cues and help them realize their full potential. Not distract it, but push it even further with full support and confidence. He may not become the richest person tomorrow, but will be a happy one. And may even help his children to recognize their dreams too -- successfully breaking out of this vicious cycle.