Editor's Letter: Life Lessons From Teachers

The best teachers are those that make themselves dispensable.

Passing on the knowledge from pages to giving insight from learned experiences to being the guiding light, educators/mentors hold a special place in our hearts and minds for the first quarter of our lives.

With Teachers’ Day ahead on September 5 here are some life lessons I learned from my teachers both in class and at work:

“Sharpen your own pencil.”

I may laugh at it today but at the age of five, spoilt rotten as the only child of overindulgent parents, this statement from my Upper Prep class teacher Mrs Shepherd rings clear even now. Doing my own tough stuff and knowing the details of every single thing, big or small, keeps me grounded.

“What bothers you today will seem insignificant a year down the line.”

I was 13 years old and my teacher Mrs Chhatree saw me bawl at my poor Math grades. She said it was a setback but not something I should lose my sleep over. That it would be a blip a year from now if I worked a tad extra at Math. Helped then, helps now.

“The smallest learning will hold you in good stead.”

At 17, dad insisted I learn typewriting and I threw a tantrum thinking of his secretarial aspirations for me. It was when I turned reporter later in life and went to black-out-infested rural zones, my familiarity with the keyboard allowed me to type on my laptop in the darkness. Big win!

“You need personal victories beyond work too.”

I was an editor by now and a workaholic to boot; my CEO Tarun Rai supported my ambitions for the brand I worked for and taught me how to handle pressure. The fact that he was invested in my personal growth too and always encouraged me to take the right decision spurred me on. Including showing a picture of my infant daughter in my arms at a conference showcasing the target achievements of our company that year.

Those were some of my best learnings from educators/mentors I can never thank enough. Massive gratitude to our teachers as I’m sure you’ve acquired some amazing lessons along the way too. Happy Teachers’ Day to our gurus then!