Awareness is true power. Use it properly and it will give you everything you need to succeed in life. Why is awareness so powerful? Because your mind has surrounded you like a maze.

Mani shankar

I am still writing a reply to that nameless teenage boy who, in a moment of giddy emotion, said something stupid to a girl on a dance date, which made her push him and walk away. It was a crazy moment of infatuation, a moment where a creative pause would have been really useful. Finding the creative pause — that’s the point. How on earth can you gain control of a moment of insanity, where everything and everyone is going crazy?

Mani shankar

Dear nameless teen friend,
Ok, so in short this is what happened. At a dance in a party, a girl was in your arms for one mad moment and the next mad moment you said something smart, something that would let her know what a cat you were — and she pushed you and walked away, leaving you shamefaced before the whole world.
What do you want me to say?

Mani shankar

Sounds stupid and redundant to ask, but why is everyone always staring at their cellphones? Doesn’t the real world exist? What’s so fascinating with that little plastic screen? – Vidya, a mom of two teenage kids.

I inspire myself with myself. Not with hollow words or empty gazes into vacant spaces but with the silent energy of my vital being. I am my only true friend and companion.

We lose out on the good things in life not because of the changing winds of fate but because a part of us cannot handle it anymore. Love, wealth, success — these rarely last, usually because we tend to throw it away ourselves. Success can go to your head, intoxicate you, make you feel invulnerable, and that arrogance can lead to errors that spell disaster.

As a lover of romantic films, I find the notion of ‘braveheart’ in the last week’s column very inspiring. Tell me how to become one in real life.”

True love is in short supply.”
— Seher, 18. “Everyone wants to take, no one wants to give”
— Vikram, 16, and oh, so many other loud complaints.

Okay, listen up. There are two kinds of love. The first is Love Ltd. — a dubious fly by night corporation with limited liability offer, subject to terms attached, conditions apply kind of love.

I try to be beautiful outside, I work hard on my looks, my attitude, my style. How do I make myself beautiful inside?” — Aarti, 23 years.
Ramakrishna Paramahamsa once said, “Be as deep as the ocean, as wide as the sky.” Beautiful words, among the best I have ever read, and beautiful is who you will become if you ever strive to put them into practice.

I get bullied at school and can’t say this to anyone. I’m very scared to talk back to them. What do I do? Nervous and confused.” (Name withheld by me). Age 13 years.