Following is the speech by Chetan Bhagat given at the orientation programme for the new batch of MBA students at Symbiosis, Pune. When I see students like you, I still see some sparks. But when I see older people, the spark is difficult to find. That means as we age, the spark fades.
People whose spark has faded too much are dull, dejected, aimless and bitter. So how to save the spark? Imagine the spark to be a lamp’s flame. The first aspect is nurturing - to give your spark the fuel,continuously. The second is to guard against storms.To nurture, always have goals. It is human
nature to strive, improve and achieve full potential. In fact, that is success. When you are grown up, where money constraints force everyday choices, financial freedom is a big achievement.
But it isn’t the purpose of life. If that was the case, Mr. Ambani would not show up for work. Shah Rukh Khan would stay at home and not dance anymore. Why do they do it? What makes them come to work everyday? They do it because it makes them happy. They do it because it makes them feel alive. Striving for that next level is important. Nature designed with a random set of genes and circumstances in which we were born. To be happy, we have to accept it and make the most of nature’s design. Goals will help you do that. Set goals to give you a balanced, successful life. I use the word balanced before successful. Balanced means ensuring your health, relationships, mental peace are all in good order. There is no fun in driving a car if your back hurts. Life is a tough race, it is a marathon or whatever. Your striving is only worth it if there is harmony in your life. One last thing about nurturing the spark - don’t take life seriously. One of my yoga teachers used to make students laugh during classes. One student asked him if these jokes would take
away something from the yoga practice. The teacher said - don’t be serious, be sincere. This quote has defined my work ever since. I get thousands of opinions on my writing everyday. There is heaps of praise, there is intense criticism. If I take it all seriously, how will I write? Life not to be taken seriously, as we are really temporary here. We are like a prepaid card with limited validity. If we are lucky, we may last another 50 years. And 50 years is just 2,500 weekends. Do we really need to get so worked up? It’s ok, bunk a few classes, goof up a few Interviews, fall in love. We are people, not programmed devices. I’ve told you three things - reasonable goals, balance and not taking it too seriously that will nurture the spark. However, there are four storms in life that will threaten to completely put out the flame. These are disappointment,
frustration, unfairness and loneliness of purpose. Disappointment will come when your effort does not give you the expected return. Failure is extremely difficult to handle, but those that do, come out stronger. If challenges could always be overcome, they would cease to be a challenge. Disappointment’s cousin is Frustration, the second storm. Have you ever been frustrated? It happens when things are stuck. From traffic jams to getting that job you deserve, sometimes things take so long that you don’t know if you chose the right goal. Frustration saps excitement, and turns your initial energy into something negative, making
you a bitter person. Friends, food, travel can help you overcome it. Remember, nothing is to be taken seriously. Winner’s Talk don’t take any decisions, when you are angry or sad. and don’t give any promise when you are happy. Frustration is a sign somewhere, you took it too seriously. Unfairness – this is hardest to deal with, but unfortunately that is how our country works. People with connections, rich dads, beautiful faces, pedigree find it easier to make it – not just in Bollywood, but everywhere. And sometimes it is just
plain luck. There are so few opportunities in
your spark is Isolation. As you grow older you will realize you are unique. When you are little, all kids want Ice cream and Spiderman. As you grow older to college, you still are a lot like your friends. But ten years later and you realize you are unique. What you want, what you believe in, what makes you feel, may be different from even the people closest to you. This can create conflict as your goals may not match
with others. And you may drop some of them. Basketball captains in college invariably stop playing basketball by the time they have their second child. They give up something that meant so much to them. They do it for their family. But in doing that, the spark dies. Never, ever make that compromise. Love yourself first, and then others. There you go. I’ve told you the four thunderstorms – disappointment,
frustration, unfairness and isolation. You cannot avoid them, as like the monsoon they will come into your life at regular intervals. You just need to keep the raincoat handy to not let the spark die. I hope that ten years later as well, your eyes will shine the same way as they do today. That you will Keep the Spark alive,
not only through college, but through the next 2,500 weekends. And I hope not just you, but my whole country will keep that spark alive, as we really need it now more than any moment in history. And there is
something cool about saying - I come from the land of a billion sparks.
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