Education is…
“What remains after one has forgotten everything
That he learned in his school.”
- Albert Einstein
What is my qualification to write the book "SECRETS OF SUCCESS - What parents don't know, teachers never tell"?. Only one. I failed my fifth class once and sixth again. I was my grandfather’s pampered child. When he expired, I went to live with my father. I was in my sixth class (second year). He started teaching me for an hour every day. Next year in my seventh standard, I scored cent percent marks in mathematics and never looked back. I have broken fifty years record of my high school at Hyderabad in final exam. This is the reason why I started believing that an average boy (like me) can be trained to success.
Instead of creating fascinating interest towards education, parents unknowingly thrust it upon their children by constantly telling them to ‘work hard’, I strongly believe that if a Student has interest in his studies, it is enough if he studies two hours a day at home. I told the same perception to my son who is a State Ranker in his intermediate but joined as an industrial trainee at Nagarjuna Power Project for a stipend of 1500 per month. That’s how he simultaneously completed his B.Com (Honors) studying part time in the evening college and completed C.A., then worked for two years in World Bank and went to France to do his M.B.A. He is now a Business Executive with a salary of rupees four million per year at the age of Twenty-seven. Appears to be self-audacity but by intention is to inspire the students “the pleasure of studying” and enjoying the success. The happiness is surely better than watching an idiot box or thinking twenty-four hours about cricket.
As an executive of a Bank, though good at spoken English, I was poor in writing better English in spite of my writing abilities in Telugu as a novelist. The THE HINDU city editor Sri Srinivasa Reddy asked me to write a column for his daily, I was thrilled but hesitant also. THE HINDU is famous for its unblemished literary quality. He encouraged me and I practiced. The letters from the readers for past two years progressively gave me the confidence that by practice one can achieve something that he feels impossible at one stage.
With these intentions I started writing this book. This book is meant for students who are willing to work smart, practice the principles and come out as ‘Bests’. I don’t believe that all those who read this book would become an Einstein or Newton. But I am sure, if you practice at least fifty percent of these techniques and apply the underlying philosophy, you would be one among the top five rankers of your institution.
There is every reason for you to have a doubt. ‘Is it necessary to know everything so scientifically? People of previous generations, were they not living in high spirits without learning all these motivation techniques and psychoanalysis? Then where is the need?
Here is the answer.
Earlier the farmers grew their crops without any fertilizer support. As there was no farming research, they could only sell whatever was left after the pests masticated. Now we spend so much time and money on exploration of scientific knowledge pertaining to fertilizers and pesticides. The research is for a more rewarding harvest and to meet the increasing demands.
Imagine that your balcony was various kinds of potted plants. Some should be kept in bright sunshine and some others in a shade. Some plants require less water and vice versa. You know the plant physiology through the experience of your elders. You add your scientific insight to it and transfer it to your subsequent generation. When the perception continues from one generation to next, it becomes ‘science’, philosophy’ and logic. And that is called wisdom.
The formula applies to education, intelligence and memory techniques also. With more complicated lives, phobias, frustrations and syndromes, students are more prone to various problems and require a methodical counseling. That is the reason for these type of books. My intention of writing this book is to mould you different from other students. Initially you find it tough. But note that Abdul Kalam to Amitab Bachan underwent through the same phase. Yes, I want you to grow to a stage on par with them. The contents of this book are helpful not only for your studies, but in all fields of life including your games, sports, painting, music etc.,
Certain techniques and modus operandi suggested in this book may not be acceptable to some people and subject to their criticism. I am not here to morals like, ‘study six hours a day, concentrate more, be a jewel for your country etc and gain appreciation from all. I have written what I practiced. If I write that I hardly went to barbershop since past twenty years. It is because I enjoy trimming my hair and above it I started believing that people see what is ‘in’ my head rather than outside. If I declare that you, particularly boys, need not apply coconut oil to your hair and it is enough if you wash it once in three days, it is true that I have been practicing the same since thirty years without getting any headache or my head becoming bald. In the same fashion, my advice to drink lots of water and juices, suggestions like ‘One – day two Dawn Theory’ and Developing Concentration through motivating the Five Sensory Organs’ are all practiced by me. I am thoroughly benefited by them and hence advocating the same to you. Discard what you don’t like in this book and follow the other techniques.
Knowledge is what you gain that is necessary and wisdom is what you leave that is unnecessary.
Taken from Preface to the Book "Secrets of Sucess" (What Parents Don't know, Teachers never Tell)
