Hello my fellow youngsters in Manipur and outside Manipur….. It is really one of my happiest moments in my life that I am able to share some of my experience and thought through this article. I have been sending mails from time to time to e-pao team and I am very thankful to them for giving a warm welcome to all my mails. The deteriorating scenarios and pace of change in socio-economic-political conditions let me write this article. We the youngsters need to take a major role in not just shaping our career; but also with our head held high, say proudly to our mom & dad that "Mom-Dad! I am here!"

We all have dreams and have hopes to achieve something in life. We are not that much underdeveloped as we all got the chance to go to good schools and study from an early age. Yes, whatever I am going to share may or may not be fully feasible to all, but would be applicable to most families in Manipur. And I am assuming that our moms and dads have made us to study till the end of college. It may have been in Manipur or out of the state (this view is from the fact that there are many Manipuris studying outside all over India).

This article of mine concentrates on sharing my idea of shaping the youngsters to have faith in themselves/ourselves and try the maximum effort to achieve success in our career. Thus not only will it make our dreams come true but, make our mom and dad feel proud to say "This is my Son!" or "That is my Daughter!"

Our Manipur state is deteriorating on many fronts as all can see. Let's take most thinking in the positive side by asking ourselves - How instead of Why? Now, I felt it is not the time to complain to our Mom and Dad about everything. We are the fresh stock of the 21st Century. We need to carve a way out for us, taking minimum help from Mom and Dads. I am sure there are no Moms and Dads who won't like to see their own kids succeed and smile with satisfaction with our careers. So, the focus is on what we need to develop and how we need to shape our personality and mentality to pull ourselves forward towards the positive side of our thinking.

I remember the living standard and situations while I was in school back in Manipur. Now I am in working in Bangalore but visit Manipur occasionally. Comparing the times of before and present in Manipur, I feel really sorry about many conditions and even make me feel pity inside. I miss many things of Manipur that used to be there. Roads are worse more than they were before. Water-Supply Tap waters were there which we used to get earlier. Hospitals seem to have changed to a mere first Aid centers. Schools & Colleges are now more or less similar to LKG and some goods storage centers. No electricity supply at most times which was there earlier. Heightened sense of insecurity and Fear of living even at your own home seem all too prevailing. There are many such complaints and it will go on like this. So, it makes sense "we Youngsters" change our attitude from 'Demanding way of thinking' to 'Exploring a new way of thinking'. Somehow or other, there is a need to bring change in the development of our own localities and ourselves and our thinking i.e. in the level of our own living standards.

Well, our career making starts right from Standard (IX) in schools. From these days onward, one needs to develop a sense of liking or orientation of mind to a chosen career. "Thinking is something which makes people different; Great from Commoners…" Once our mind is made up with a good approach to our careers in lives, it's like 75% of the work is done. There is always a way out and a better career out for everything we have studied. So, dear youngsters who are in schools and higher secondary schools right now, there is nothing called 'Quotas' in life for success in any exam or any job. One needs to find a way out, instead of complaining that we don't have guides or information about the exams, careers after 12th/college, etc. It is not the time to put the load on others, as it won't last long. It is going to re-bounce back into your life only it's going to be worst in the re-bound and will hurt at the long run. Choice is the only thing that is going to pull one forward or backward in one's career. So, make proper and sound choice to lead yourselves to the final goal. Well, Dear youngsters in high schools and higher secondary schools stay tuned to yourselves, to success stories and learning about professions of people anywhere, develop your own personality and thinking. This is possible within your capacity. "It is simply a waste to dream beyond your ability but it is a sin to think below your own capacity."

Once we are out in some field of a Professional career, we need to keep on our enthusiasm; having fun in learning and taking major assignment with our own careers. The learning instinct will pull our life towards making our life more fruitful and that in turn will help creating a well-respected image in the society. Having a well-respected image in society is helpful when for we all live within a society. Just take our own time and be focus to win something that will not just fulfill our own dreams but also will make our Mom and Dad proud.

Take my example. Being software professional doesn't mean the limit of my goal. I dream further to come up to the stage of a Managing director of a company thereby not just earning my medal in the career but to be a proud Manipuri at the top position. We can think of having our own Multi-national software firms that will bring up the status of Manipuri People in the home state too.

Doctor's profession is a respectable profession. But, just being with the degree of MBBS/BDS or MD/MS/MDS, is it sufficient? … Do we already have satisfaction in our career? It's time we change our attitude to keep on dreaming freshly and make our professional lives more interesting and challenging. Researching in a new field or setting up hospitals, research centers, etc can bring up the moral of other youngsters and will inspire them to become like 'we' doctors.

Lawyers contribute in the makings of better governance of a society. Not satisfied with the daily activities in courts, a lawyer can start thinking like - 'we lawyers too can make a lot of changes in the social reforms to uplift the living standard of the society… Oh! we can be among the first lawyers to get recognition all over India for bringing a law to enlighten the social status of many levels of people…"

Teacher - the profession, which earns the highest respect from people all over the world. So, are we satisfied with the job we have at schools, colleges and universities? There can be thinking like… let me be first to find out the way to apply the knowledge in my field of study to our own Manipur society and bring out a book or article and published in a reputed international journal to gain my fame and also a due recognition to Manipur. History teachers can focus on impact of past in present Manipur, things to preserve for getting better recognition in all over the world. Comparing between other civilizations and Manipuri civilizations with the aim to put the Manipuri civilization on the map of the 21st century. Geography teachers can dream of charting out various parts of Manipur so as to start suitable type of industry or to better the roadways, compiling a statistics about different communities of Manipur and many more. English teachers can develop students and common people to not just blindly dream with the stories of Romeo & Juliet, but to help imbibe the art of talking fluently and writing in English. There are various openings in many companies all over India who will grab you for your fluent speaking of English. Better speaking & writing skill will put anyone's career forward. Teachers of subjects like Botany… Zoology… Agriculturist … and other life science related teachers. Are our scopes just ended with the teaching profession? There are many more things in nature special to Manipur. Finding them will be fun and writing a thesis will be interesting and getting awards from International institutions will be lovely in our careers. Right? What about Sociology… Political Science, Psychology, Social science teachers? Should our learning be ended with the exams that we pass to become teachers? Won't it be fun to point the flaws in the current Governing style and working structure of Government in Manipur. The different stages of changes in Manipur politics… and comparing with other states of India and even other developed international countries to bring about positive developments. Better planning committees, analysis of the government and other bodies, recommendation to have better Rules and acts, bringing social issues to picture and suggesting our views and ways to solve. Won't it be fun and adventurous to find a flaw and suggest the best option to solve thereby making our career successful with recognitions? Won't it be fun to prove to our youngsters that our profession is not bad at all? And it is still honored and can, in addition to feeding for our daily needs sufficiently, could earn us social respect and recognitions. Everyone in Manipur…. Need not be just those working in government firms…. We can make a better way out of our business in what we do if we apply the studies we had in our school days and college days. Why do we just simply make those moments in our lives go blank? As if we have not come across them at all. Maybe we have studied Physics or Chemistry or History or Geography or Mathematics and so on. We can apply them in our daily lives. It is what science would call "Simulation". Maybe we are now in some business. Being a shopkeeper… being an auto-driver… being a jeweler… being a farmer… everyone & all. This is something… I would like to call this as the scientific way of thinking and the reward of holding a degree like B.A/ B.Sc/ B.Com or M.A/ M.Sc/ M.Com…

None stops us to keep on dreaming and thinking. Every profession has a way out... nothing is bad or of low standard… we ourselves made it look like that and we are responsible for our own status in the society. For a society and for a nation to develop, every profession is required and there is always a taste in everything if we really know how to get not just the fruit of the profession but plucking the fruit, which is just meant, for us in our profession…. I am not suggesting something, which is outside our business, or something away from our career, but something we can make our professions more interesting and adventurous.

Lastly there are many and great opportunities around us. Why do we need to plunge ourselves into anything unlawful. Or indulge ourselves in drugs and other injurious habits thereby giving life itself. This only harms the human society apart from harming us. Our forefathers don't get the chance like us… why do we need to feel jealous about the success of our friends and neighbors like our ill-learned parents and relatives… we claim ourselves to be the pillars of 21st century… but are we really having the attitudes and personalities of being the candidate of 21st century…. Fashions… money…. Vehicles… are lovely things to possess…. But do we really have the class and status to possess them…. Are we not boasting more than what we have and we can…. Ask a non-Manipuri if they know Manipur? We go to teach them that Manipur is famous in arts & culture… sports… this and that… and they will ask at the last moment of your speech - 'Is it a country, Manipur?' there, everything is over & what we can do is simply keep mum. What is the use to feel proud of the past if we don't hold any for the present & future…? Who talks about USSR now… people align to US now? Who talks of the death of great scholars… actors… leaders… what matters is what is happening now… Well... lets change ourselves dear youngsters… in our thinking and approach… for intellectual power is the only thing we have that will win in the long run in any field of life. In my experience … I do feel proud that our brain works better than others… if we have info and knowledge same as others… Trust me.

Dear youngsters… At least Give it a try before judging my article and experience the Happiness and Joy of success in the careers once you have reached the height of your hard-work and will-power…