Praveenkumar Harikrishnan

Earlier, I used to compare myself with others quite often, and it sometimes made me feel inferior. Over time, I realized that it wasn’t really necessary. Everyone has their own strengths and skills, and no one is truly superior or inferior. 

If someone is doing something better, it should be seen as an opportunity to learn from them rather than a reason to feel inferior. Once I stopped comparing myself with others, I felt much more peaceful and began focusing on improving my own abilities.

When I face a difficult situation, my first instinct is to step back for a moment and take a short break. Instead of reacting immediately, I prefer to look at the situation with a clear mind. 

During that time, I ask myself a few questions: what exactly went wrong, what I could have done differently, and whether any external factors played a role. This reflection helps me understand the issue and move forward with more clarity. 

However, if the situation requires immediate attention, I seek the perspective of people with more experience. Listening to their insights often helps me see the problem more clearly and work toward a better solution. 

Earlier, whenever I faced a small health concern, my immediate reaction was to search for answers on Google or watch videos online. I would go through what different people had said and try to understand the issue on my own. This habit probably came from being health-conscious, or perhaps from a bit of fear. 

However, after the pandemic, I realized that this approach was unnecessary. Searching online often creates more confusion or stress rather than providing clear answers. Now, I believe that if something truly affects my health, the right step is to consult a qualified doctor instead of relying on information from the internet. Because of this realization, I’ve stopped looking up health-related issues on Google. 

I enjoy learning and exploring new ideas. Reading books is something I particularly like, and I also spend time listening to podcasts, especially conversations where people discuss a book or a topic in depth. Listening to thoughtful discussions often helps me understand ideas more clearly. 

Apart from that, I spend time on meditation and physical activities such as exercise and walking, which helps me stay balanced.

For me, success is not just about reaching a particular end point. I tend to measure success by what I learned from an experience, what I truly understood from it, and how much it helped me grow in my mindset. 

Over time, our perspective naturally changes. When we look back at decisions or work we did many years ago, we may feel we could have done things differently or better. That change usually comes from the maturity and understanding we gain over time. 

In that sense, every experience—whether in work or personal life—that helps us learn, understand more, and grow as a person is a step toward success.

There are many people I feel grateful to, but if I must thank someone, it would be my teachers. They guided me well and played an important role in shaping who I am today. 

When I think about my teachers now, I feel a strong sense of gratitude and inspiration. The support and guidance they gave me when I was a student left a lasting impact on me. 

In many ways, the efforts I make today to support students come from that inspiration. It is my way of giving back what I once received from my teachers.