What is the sigh of youth
Vinod Allgoo
What is the sign of a youth?
Let me begin the conversation between us with a question – What is the sign of a youth?
Audience: Enthusiasm, energy, liveliness
It is doing anything with style. If you are youthful, you will do it with style, innovation, enthusiasm and passion.
Do you have passion?
Audience: Yes
I think, this is what is disappearing from the youth of today. Have you noticed this? Our youth today lack passion, lack enthusiasm and lack style.
What is happening in your mind as you are listening to me? Just notice – there is a judgement that is going on in the mind. Your mind is saying Yes and No. But what is worth noticing is – these judgements in your mind change so often.
How many of you have felt that your judgement of a person has been wrong on many occasions? (Many in the audience raise their hands). You had an opinion and over time, you changed that opinion. You must keep changing your opinions – this is also a sign of a youth.
Do you have a fixed mind-set?
Changing opinions means you are dynamic and not stagnant. As people age they become very fixed in their mindset. Do you know why we have this problem of generation gap? Why your parents don’t see things the way you do? This is because they are stuck in some paradigm. There are so many youths on this planet who get so frustrated trying to communicate with their parents and elders.
How many of you get frustrated? (Many in the audience raise their hands)
How many of you don’t get frustrated? (Some in the audience raise their hands)
There are some of you who are not raising hands for both. What is the matter? Observe your mind! Either you agree or disagree, you cannot not raise a hand for both situations. If you don’t raise a hand for both situations, what does it means? It means you are reluctant to participate and any reluctance indicates how dead the spirit is!
When you rebel – it shows spirit. When you agree – it shows spirit, it shows you are alive. But if you don’t do either of it, then what does it show?
What is happening in you now? Something in you is waking up, right!
Do you have a participatory attitude?
One thing is to understand on the surface level. You understand and you let it go. The other wau is to understand something and make it part of your life – this argue, you should interact, you should disagree… that is why I asked the questions both ways.
Participation is a sign of a youth. And when you participate in life, you will be successful. If you are just a witness sitting in a corner and not responding, you can live your life, but you cannot be a change agent in society. Many people on this planet are just sitting at the back and watching. They are thirsty for life, but they are unable to drink because they are not participating.
To me, youth are those who participate.