Perils to Beware

My dear son

I see a considerable amount of intelligence in you, a highly enthused and focused child or should I address you as “Amitu Bachchan”( This is how you would often refer to yourself)

As you continue to grow, I want to share my wisdom by highlighting that your intelligence, hard work and enthusiasm to learn more would be seriously thwarted by 3 highly seemingly innocuous habits – lifestyle, friends and social media. Let me explain further:

Lifestyle – It's easy to get caught up in the allure of expensive brands available in the market, dining out frequently, going on lavish vacations, expensive gadgets, etc like any other growing child. In the absence of the above-mentioned things, you would find a void in your life or may call it a “not-so-cool life.” Let me inform you that none of these things shall guarantee heightened intelligence, compassion, hard work, focused approach. True contentment is derived from embracing a life of simplicity, finding joy in the smallest things like watching the rain, reading a book alone, cycling, laughing with family, or challenging yourself physically. I must admit that I too fell prey to these lifestyle habits when I was growing up, and they led to feelings of inadequacy and loneliness. From my experience, I can tell you that embracing simplicity and frugality as core values will bring you greater fulfillment.

Friends – You will attract friends based on your own intelligence, thoughts, habits, and guts. Friends would be the biggest influencers and rightfully so. They would dictate further what to watch on media, what to wear, and where to buy them from. Get friends who would challenge you to become better, surround yourself with friends who help you to think better, and find friends who would enable you to reach your goal post. Be cautious as wrong associations will rupture your thought process and lead you into a labyrinth of complexities. Judge friends by their habits, aspirations, sincerity towards studies and learning, and efforts towards solving complexities. In case you do not find anyone, who is worthy of your choice then try to be your own friend. In fact, you'll thank me later for encouraging you to become your own best friend.

Social media- I have the utmost reverence for those ingenious minds that could conceive and build these social platforms driven by their sheer intelligence and visionary prowess. However, these social media over a period have acted like a bane than a boon, enslaving the majority while benefiting a select few. Excessive engagement of them shall be detrimental to your valuable time, jeopardizing physical health, and mental well-being. Your influencers on social media will largely drive your lifestyle trends and will ultimately land up in the company of the wrong crowd dragging you away from your objectives. Therefore, conscientiously contemplate, if the contents you are watching are helpful for your aspirations, the person you are listening to will make you what you want to become. I would suggest you stay away from these devils even after you turn 18 until you use them for your own career upliftment.

I urge you to be cautious in your choices. You are bestowed with a life replete with security and comfort, and it is my earnest desire to see you flourish in whatever you wish to pursue. Remember that true happiness and intelligence emanate from a life filled with simplicity, nurturing genuine friendships, and mindful use of technology.