Pursue dreams for the right reasons

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When I was in school, I wanted to play in the Indian cricket team. But now things have changed, I couldn’t pursue that dream for very long. However, I want to join the film industry and become an actor now. I have a dream to become famous like Sachin Tendulkar, Amitabh Bachchan and you. Please guide me how to go about it. Right now, I am pursuing my MCA degree.
Vishwanathan

A. I suggest you study acting. Just like medicine, engineering, etc, the first step to becoming an artist is to train, study, learn. There are various avenues. I just want you to remember that the hard work exists everywhere. There are talented people in every field. But honesty, hard work, passion can take anyone very far. Also, try changing your approach. Opt for acting because you love it or develop a passion for it. But chasing fame can be exhausting. It could get you work but could also leave you lost. Go about it systematically. Pursue things and do things for the right reasons. Find happiness in the process. That’s important. All the best.

I am a 50-year-old man with two daughters and a son. I suffer from hypertension and asthma. I go for regular tests. Most of the test results are normal, still I am scared to go out of the house even to the nearby areas since 2000. I don’t even attend family functions. My family is highly upset because of this behaviour. They feel bad. I don’t know how to overcome this fear. My doctor says I am fine and reports too are well. Please advise me on how I can overcome this fear and lead a normal life.
D. Manoj Kumar

A. I am so sorry about your fears. Well, when our fears don’t allow us to enjoy day to day life, we could seek medical advice. There are people who understand human nature better than us and are able to guide us and our families through our issues. As ordinary individuals, sometimes our families do not understand what we go through.
I recently did a film, Silver Linings Playbook, where my director has showcased the life of a group of people who have fears or insecurities. He made this film for his son who has bipolar disorder to show him that he is not alone and people care. I want your family to read this very carefully. It’s important that your children love and respect you and are by your side the way they would if you were a billionaire, or treat you the way you did when they were little and had fears of their own. That’s what family means. That we stick together, love, respect and understand what the others are going through. I’m not saying they should stop leading their lives but they need to make you feel okay.