Earn Your Award, Don’t Ask For It!

Just a thought 

By Geetha Shankar*

I grew up and earned my trophies, neither the 1^st nor the 2^nd   but more often the 3^rd or the consolation or sometimes a certificate of participation. I still have those. They mean a lot to me, because I worked hard and gave my heart out for them. Nothing was "FREE"!

Oh boy….  What a transition I see in a few years..…. Today, Everyone expects an award just for walking through the door, or an award just for showing up and even waking up at 6 AM!.  People crave for awards without doing anything to even demand an award.

How many of us would say “I did not do anything to win the award and I don’t deserve it. Let someone who deserves get it”.

The concept of ‘work extra hard’ and excel at something to get an award or special recognition is diminishing.  

One should demonstrate that one has really done something great to deserve an award.

Everybody deserves some recognition, but not everybody can get  the same recognition.

This  " I-deserve- an-award" approach  sounds very, very selfish and it reflects absence of self-esteem.

On  the contrary, I for one very strongly feel that  there should be  emphasis right from an early age by parents, teachers, peers To build that element of self-esteem.  There has to be a paradigm shift from the material perspective of awards to earning respect, dignity and just having someone say they are proud of you.

I think we have a lesson or two to learn from the selfless voluntary work that has poured in during the recent Chennai calamity. That is the level of selfless work that I am talking about. These are the people who actually deserve awards. Can Award givers raise the bar?  

It’s for all of us to think – think positively.

I am nowhere trying to belittle anyone nor am I trying to hurt anyone.

Just a thought!  That’s all, folks! 

(*The author is National Chairperson of YCC and Director – Governing Council, PRCI)

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