Suddenly, a cockroach flew from somewhere and sat on her. She started screaming out of fear. With a panic stricken face and a trembling voice, she started jumping, up and down, both her hands desperately trying to get rid of the cockroach. Her reaction was contagious, as everyone in her group quickly got cranky in reaction to the situation. The lady finally managed to push the cockroach off her to another lady in the group.

Now, it was the turn of the other lady in the group to continue the drama. The waiter then rushed forward to their rescue. In the relay of throwing, the cockroach next fell upon the waiter. The waiter stood firm, composed himself and observed the behavior of the cockroach on his shirt. When he was confident enough, he grabbed and threw it out with his fingers.

Sipping my coffee and watching the show, I began pondering. Was the cockroach responsible for their melodramatic behavior? If so, then why was the Waiter not disturbed? He handled it brilliantly, without any ruckus. It was not the cockroach, was it? It was the inability of the ladies to handle the anxiety caused by the cockroach that led to all the jumping and screaming.

The ways we react to certain situations in life aren’t too dissimilar. Be it a tough day at work or a fight with the wife, it is the inability to understand and diagnose the underlying issues that lead to chaos, misunderstandings and fights. It is here that we need to learn to respond to situations of crisis and not react to them. Follow the age old adage, “Think twice before you leap.” A response involves a thought out action to a problem/situation. A reaction is simply an animalistic gut response.

Do not be addled by the confusion around you. As you prepare for the examinations, do so with your entire focus. Do not be swayed by rumors or what others are or are not doing. Stick to the path you have chosen and learn to place faith in yourself, your abilities and in your preparation.