Kids need to be taught risk-taking since childhood: Anand

Nagpur: Actor, yoga expert and art consultant Bijay J Anand challenged conventional parenting norms by advocating a shift in how we teach our children about success. Speaking at the Knowledge Series of the Orange City Literature Festival supported by Raisoni Foundation on Friday, Anand said that rather than shielding them from uncertainty, the key to a fulfilling life lies in building the ‘heart' to embrace strategic risk-taking.Addressing the gathering, Anand said his philosophy centres on ‘responsible risk-taking', a mindset he believes is the cornerstone of success in business, entrepreneurship and life. He drew a sharp distinction between reckless speculation and calculated decision-making, understanding what you invest, what you stand to gain and what you can afford to lose."Before you open a shop, a clinic or a hospital, are you sure? Have you done the math? Have you calculated the odds?," he asked, stressing that most people fail not because of bad ideas, but because fear paralyses them before they even begin. Why do so many people stall in their professional and personal lives? "Because they are scared," Anand asserted. Anand said that smart investing begins with emotional resilience. He added that he taught his daughter to read situations and how to lose without falling apart."Every door you knock on will not open," he said, adding, "Sometimes you will knock and it won't even move. But you need the heart to keep going. If not this, then another, until one opens."Advising parents, he said, "Raise children who are bold enough to back their convictions, sharp enough to calculate their risks and strong enough to absorb their losses, because that is the real curriculum of success."