The Influences... 27

Influences in every individual make or break one's life. Influences from the childhood are the keys which sets the future course of life. Every child from the birth has potential to live great life. It is based how the child got exposed to the environment and surroundings. External environments play key role in determining the limitation of people's thinking. Parents have to set great examples. The influence of grandparents, other family members and relatives are also impacting the behaviour of an individual. Then friends and acquaintances, peers are setting the standards in the future living. Most of the decisions are made by observing consciously or unconsciously how peers and friends are thinking and deciding. Children in the school age have influence of teachers and classmates. Actually characters are built in this age. 

Responsibilities of teachers ought to be great role model to the children. Children are emulating the teachers' behaviour and conducts. Moulding the characters of children to become independent thinkers and developing the skills of the children to become best citizens are important responsibilities of the teachers. An individual becomes a pilot due to the influences and a person becomes criminal due to the bad influences. The impacts of cinema and internet cannot be under estimated in one's thinking and behaviour. 

A person can become best and can have wonderful life by having right influences of good friends and peers whose few minutes talking will increase self estimation, confidence, positive attitude, motivation. But due to the bad acquaintances' influence, a person can have decreased self estimation, nil confidence, negative attitude, and no motivation at all. So beware of bad acquaintances and bad influences. So, identify and try your best to avoid the persons of bad influences.

Influences of groups and cults

A person is joining in a group or in a cult group because he/she wants some advantages and empowerment. Before joining in a group he/she might be a mean person. But after joining his/her sense of worth and well being become improved. This sense of strength is obtained at the cost of exposing the minds to groups' way of thinking and acting. That means he/she is controlled by the influence of the group. Before joining in any group, much thought is necessary.   The group can be a political party, religious group by different names, or a social service group. Those groups could influence us to get our time, attention, and money. Decision for giving our precious time, attention and money should be based on noble cause. 

Influence of news, rumours and freebies also play key roles in our thoughts and decision making. We have to make our intention to finding the facts and knowing the truth. People live in cities have different lifestyles and tastes in food, cloths, things they use, due to the influences of similar people and modern trends. But if we observe the people living in villages their life styles are as per the village surroundings.

A student chooses a career path due to the influences of fellow classmates or relatives. A person chooses a profession by the influence of his family business or by the influences of parents' or relatives' wishes.

Simply we can say that individuals are becoming and behaving the way they are because of various influences they are surrounded by.

Various influences

• Influences of TV serial and cinema
• Influences of technologies and fashion
• Influences of virtual internet world
• Influences of arts, music and books
• Influences of local cultures and traditions
• Influences of religions and religion based politics
• Influences of politics and various groups
• Influences of businesses and marketing world

Empowering oneself with self awareness and habit of truth finding and deliberately exposing to positive influences are the keys to great life.

May God almighty protect us from evils of bad influences and guide us to the right path.

B. Ahamed Ameen