DEYAN SLAVCHEV: Thank you for this opportunity; it is a great opportunity for Bulgaria to be a part of this global event. My question is more specific. Gurudev, imagine if I am a 12 yr old kid, and I am at school, and I am fat, and my school mates make fun of me because I am fat. Why do they act like this, and how should I react to protect myself? Thank you.
GURUDEV SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR: Oh! You know I have a program for kids called the YES (Youth Empowerment Seminar) program. You know what I say in that? That if someone criticizes you, take it as fun. If people call you fat, laugh with that. If they laugh, then you also laugh with them. Some children have this ability to take on criticism; when you can get yourself immune to criticism like that, nothing can go deep and hurt you, and touch you. So we need to educate our children to make one new friend every day, and when someone insults you, take it with a smile. It is just an attitude; an insult can be countered with a sense of humor. If you don’t have a sense of humor, that is when we get hurt by it. So instill some sense of humor; in-fact, fat, big bellied children have a lot of humor, I tell you.
Pump in self esteem in them, and also I would like to put them through some physical exercises. Tell them eat less, and do more exercise. Get on the shape.