How to Understand the UPSC Exam Pattern? A Stage-by-Stage Breakdown.

 The lesson you taught me, Rose 

Which is the prettier of these roses?

At first glance, it may seem like a stupid question. Both of them are roses. The same type of flower. Why compare, then?

However, there is a subtle truth—one that nature has been implying all along—in that straightforward query. Simply put, we haven't been paying attention.

We are constantly in awe of the beauty of nature. The sounds, the colours, and the scents. We take pictures of flowers, sunsets, and seas. We share them, get likes, and organise vacations to amazing locations. However, how frequently do we pause to consider whether nature is attempting to teach us something?

Every artist has a purpose when they create. Each brushstroke has a purpose. Why, then, would God, the greatest artist, produce anything without a purpose? What exactly is beauty, then? Is it flawless? Is it aesthetically pleasing? Or is there more to it?

One evening, while I was sitting outside my home, I noticed a light-coloured rose in my mother's garden. I had seen roses before, but this one felt a little different. Somehow more lovely. Attracted by something I couldn't quite put my finger on, I approached.

I was about to turn around when I spotted another rose close by. It was a deep, dark red. I paused once more. identical flower. same soil. But each was beautiful in its own way. Each was unique.

Something clicked at that point.

I recalled a discussion I had with a friend. She stated:

They do that, you know, so why can't we?"

She was discussing contrasting our program, our ideas, and our work with those of others. And I was really struck by that sentence.

Why do we constantly evaluate ourselves against others?

Why do we attempt to replicate someone else's actions simply because they appear to be effective?

We try to fit into the same mould, but why?

The true meaning of the roses then became evident: We don't have to take the same route as others.

To succeed, we don't have to follow the same procedures.

We're not supposed to be replicas. We are supposed to be unique.

Comparisons are common in today's world. People use other people's standards to gauge their own worth, success, and beauty. However, take a look at the garden. Are all flowers the same? No. That's what makes it lovely.

We weren't designed to fit in. We were designed to be unique.

The world would be lifeless and boring if everyone created the same things, walked the same path, and used the same model. However, we all have our own unique beauty, voice, and purpose, just like the two roses that grow from the same soil but shine in different colours.

Let this serve as a reminder that you don't have to emulate them.

You don't have to contrast their timeline, ideas, or dreams with your own.

You're simply on your own path; you're not behind. We learn from nature that variety is a feature, not a defect.

Perhaps we should examine ourselves and recognise that we were never intended to be like others rather than focusing on other people and feeling "not enough."

We were intended to be completely, fearlessly, and distinctively ourselves.