Questioner: I was fully prepared for the exams, yet I could not solve the paper and forgot everything.
Pujyashri: You have to keep patience for that. If the sun gets hidden behind clouds, do we sit down and cry? Do we hide under the bedsheet crying: “It has become dark.”? Do we say that the sun has swallowed the clouds? Is it possible? Just wait and keep patience for some time. Clouds will disburse again and there will be light!
Questioner: I waited for quite long.
Pujyashri: We should chant “Hey Dada Bhagwan, give me strength enough to write a lot.” Else, try to attempt those questions which are easy. Begin from the one where you know the answers. Generally, what happens is when we get stuck with difficult ones, we start worrying as to what will happen if we don’t get to the solution? This makes us emotional and cause obstacles in our awareness. We tend to get more emotional and spoil whatever chances are left for the revival of memory. One has to work patiently. If we don’t know now, we will know it a bit later. Let’s solve what is probable leaving aside the unknown ones. Those can be attempted later. At least start with whatever little answer you know.
Questioner: Answer writing gets started well, but still it does not end correctly.
Pujyashri: Yes. But we get puzzled while writing. Our intellect breeds emotions and creates more tension. All kinds of worries start arising in the mind. “What will happen if I don’t get the right answer? I will get less percentage like the last time! I was hoping for 95% whereas I got 80%! What will the people say?” We start visualizing such things and in the process we forget what to write for an answer and lose our valuable time.
Questioner: Exactly this used to happen!
Pujyashri: Then all this has to be stopped at once.
Questioner: I took a pause for few minutes and chanted ‘Dada Bhagwan’ and then started to write again. I wrote as much as I could and then left the examination hall with half the paper incomplete.
Pujyashri: No problems. Wasn’t it a mid-term exam only?
Questioner: I feel upset, even knowing the answers, I was unable to attempt them.
Pujyashri: It happens. There is no need to feel sad. Rather you should develop strong determination. What do we do in such cases? We slide into depression, an off-shoot of negativity. The feeling that ‘I could not attempt anything’ hangs over for long time. What’s the point? Now that the exam is over and result is out, there is no need to prolong the misery. Now it is better to improve and make preparations for the next exams. Pray to Dadashri and ask for strength so that you can write better next time. Be normal and study your lessons with ease. Then won’t you be able to solve problems one by one? If you are tense while studying, you will not remember properly. You have to deal patiently. Develop right understanding. Talk with yourself. “If you remain in tension then stop reading! If you want to read, stop being tense. Flush out tension and try to study as much as possible peacefully, knowing the fact that there are only few days left.”
Questioner: How do I come out of this problem?
Pujyashri: Just firm determination is required, the reason for bad result is being emotional. Rather ask for strength from DADA to be able to read with concentration and peace. Ask for as many times and don’t deviate from your goal. Be firm, that I want to study patiently and calmly. You will find that it is possible. Don’t get upset as it spoils our efforts.
Questioner: Is pain resulting due to our emotional nature?
Pujyashri: Yes. It’s often called madness. Why should we allow such emotional feelings to influence us? We should be true and sincere in our efforts. There is no reason to panic. We get upset by people’s remarks and then intellect takes over and constantly goes on nagging, not allowing us to settle down. Finally, our result is affected.
Questioner: Yes. Exactly that’s what happens.
Pujyashri: So decide finally. Tell yourself to study peacefully. You will succeed.