Spiritual Curry for the youth

The Times of India, 14th February, 2010
H.H. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
A lack of understanding of life and lack of clarity are driving our younger generation to extreme choices. Youth face big highs and so many lows and they want immediate solutions, immediate gratification. For them, everything should happen now, this instant! Unless youth learn how to cope with their wants and aspirations, they will be tempted by wrong choices that promise short-lived thrills.
Today youth suffer from mental illnesses, depression and suicidal tendencies more than ever before. The number of youth who are taking to violence and crime is alarming and that of those who are giving in to smoking, drinking and drugs is at an all-time high.
Youth yearn for enhanced enthusiasm. Spirituality is that which kindles, sustains and enhances enthusiasm. Our youth need to realise that they can be creative and productive without losing the humanness that they are all born with. They also need to realize that they have huge potential and strength to achieve whatever they want. They experience the peak of material prosperity and comfort so much that life has become saturated with stimulations. Just material things or comfort alone do not really make a person comfortable.
One of the key aspects of Indian spirituality is the service or seva component of it. Youth have the required energy to service the urge. When one makes service the sole purpose in life, it eliminates fear, brings focus in the mind, purposefulness in action, and long-term joy.
The service aspect of spirituality needs to be harnessed to alleviate fear and depression that bog down our youth. Seva always brings a big kick. It’s the most effective antidote to depression. The day you feel hopeless, horrible and worse, get out of your room and ask people, “What can I do you for you?" When you engage yourself in helping others, you realise that the Divine is taking care of you very well and the hopelessness transforms into love and gratitude. On the contrary, when you ask questions like "Why me?" or "What about me?, you get into depression.
Inhibition is one of the biggest problem amongst our youth today. From the smallest decisions like which clothes to wear, which mobile to buy to more serious ones like which career to opt for, most decisions are taken based on the undercurrent of what others would think about them rather than rational and informed choices. Spiritual practices such as breathing techniques and meditation can help youth eliminate this inhibition.
Youth should not be afraid of failures in life. Just accept: ‘Ok, I am going to fail. So what? I still want to do it.’ It's like a game you play, whether you win or lose, you play the game. Life is a mixture of everything: failure & success - they complement each other. If you fail, then you know the value of success, it is a stepping stone.
You need to move forward: ask yourself, what did I learn from the past, and then what is my vision for the future? This will keep you going. For this, you need presence of mind, and for this, you need to get rid of stress. Be a player and not the pawn. You have to be the player and empower yourself. Remember life is much more than all that you can achieve and possess.