By — Shyamal Sinha
  A Young Seeker’s Big Question About SuccessDearest Parmarth family,We have a rule in our daily satsang: kids first! Recently, an 8-year-old girl raised her hand in satsang and asked me the question that every parent must dread: “Do we really need to study in school to be successful?” In a world where kids watch YouTubers make millions playing video games, where influencers become millionaires overnight — frequently doing things that require no skill or education at all — how to answer that? How do we inspire young minds to value learning when instant gratification is just a swipe away? Her question inspired two thoughts in me: 1) What IS the actual definition of success that we’re training our kids to believe in? 2) If the non-traditional ways of making a living – and even a great living – are increasing each day, how to honestly convince kids of the importance of school? This little girl’s innocent question cut straight to the core of the crisis we’re facing. Our youth are drowning in distractions, convinced that if you can make money without studying, why bother? They see success as money, learning as outdated, and focus as optional. But what if everything we’ve been taught about success is backwards? What if the real purpose of struggling through math when you hate it isn’t about math at all, but about what learning it does to your brain? What if learning to focus, to sit still, to delay gratification creates something in you that no amount of social media fame can give you? There’s a secret about true success that takes most people decades to discover, and there’s a deeper practice hiding beneath all of education — one that no school teaches but everyone desperately needs to master. In this powerful clip from our satsang, I share with her (and with all of us….) what real success actually means, why your brain needs training just like your body, and the most important lesson our distracted generation needs to hear. First, of course, I invited her to come sit with me on my couch, as I always do with children. It’s so much more effective to talk to them close up! So you can also see the courageous girl who asked this important question in a hall packed with adults. This will help you convince your kids to go to school AND it will likely change how you think about your own life’s goals and success! Watch what I told the 8-year-old that everyone needs to hear! Click here to watch! With love and peace from the holy banks of Mother Ganga, In Sacred Service,  Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati |
