Redefining Adulthood | A Teen's Powerful Message to Every Parent & Young Adult

Have you ever noticed that the 99% of the Gen Zs and Gen Alphas have many negative remarks about adulthood? They think about it as scary, stressful, tiring, lack of vulnerability, lack of quality time do you get to spend with your family.

I'm about to introduce someone whose biggest achievement, from being quiet and reserved, of becoming a life coach. She's also a Carnatic singer and a quick learner. Now help me give the warmest standing ovation to Kritika Sainikar!

I would like to start with a personal story of mine, how I almost quit something. When I was on the joining call of NEXT, Sid sir was explaining the format. I felt intimidated But the number of responsibilities I had to take, such as being regular in the Nextagram, completing each and every quest, being regular in the WhatsApp group, the 7-day monthly challenges, attending every Sunday call, completing the goals, and whatnot. I told my mom and dad, like, no, this is way too impossible for me. Some people do experience stress and anxiety. Some people do feel depressed. What about them? So then I attended the first call and then everything was simplified. Then I told, maybe this is for me. I joined the calls, I started removing my shyness, I became more vulnerable with my peers and parents, and I have changed a lot, as you have seen.

Now let's move forward. I'm about to introduce someone whose biggest achievement cannot be held in just a trophy. She has been a part of NEXT since April 2025, and her transformation it has been deeply personal. From being quiet and reserved to being more vulnerable, expressive, and open, she has truly grown from within. She dreams of becoming a life coach, someone who listens with empathy and supports others through their struggles. She's also a Carnatic singer and a quick learner. constantly evolving into her best self. Now help me give the warmest standing ovation to Krishna Senagar!

Thank you. Thank you, everyone. A very good morning to everyone over here. I am so glad to be on this stage today. Now, have you ever felt that vague feeling of stress and anxiety and ever wanted to change it? Show me with a raise of your hands, please. Thank you for honesty. Now, have you also ever wondered about what your teens thought about adulthood? Show me with a raise of hands, please. Thank you very much. Once more, a very good morning to everyone over here. I am Krisha Shekhar, one of the nexters in this family, and I wouldn't be standing here today If it weren't for Sid sir and Vani ma'am and Apurva ma'am. Huge, deep thanks to them for the way they have changed me and held this space for me. Today, I will be speaking about redefining adulthood, what growing up means to us teens today, and here is why.

It matters.

Have you ever noticed that 99% of the Gen Zs and Gen Alphas have many negative remarks about adulthood as a child? They think about it as scary, stressful, tiring, lack of vulnerability, and also something like a negative change. Lack of quality time do you get to spend with your family? Now, these kids, they mirrored what their parents thought. So, how many parents in the room? Show me with a raise of hands. Hello everyone. You need to be careful about what beliefs you imprint on your child because from the time of your growth, You teach your child, and the child learns, right? So they follow what you teach. But haven't you almost noticed that these negative remarks are true with some people? Some people do experience stress and anxiety. Some people do feel depressed. What about them? Well, I would like to start with a personal story of mine on how I almost quit something that would be beneficial, but then I did it because of encouragement. Yes. When I was on the joining call of NEXT, Sid sir was explaining the format, and I felt intimidated by the number of responsibilities I had to take, such as being regular in the NEXTagram, completing each and every quest, Being regular in the WhatsApp group, the 7-day monthly challenges, attending every Sunday call, completing the goals, and whatnot. Whatnot, yes. I told my mom and dad, like, no, this is way too impossible for me. How am I supposed to be regular in everything in just one week? But then, if it weren't for the perseverance in the first place, I wouldn't be standing on this platform today. They told, beta, maybe try once and then decide. How would you know if you haven't even tried? So then I attended the first call and then everything was simplified. They told, maybe this is for me. I joined the calls. I started removing my shyness. I became more vulnerable with my peers and parents. And I have changed a lot, as you have seen. I have started participating in competitions and doing many performances like this one today. Yes, thank you so much. Thank you so much. And once more, a gratitude, huge deep gratitude to Sid sir, Vani ma'am, Apurva ma'am, and my parents.

Thank you.

Now, the lessons I imbibed was to never judge a book by its cover, which I did first by the number of responsibilities I had to take once more. But what I should have done was to go along with the flow from the very start, which I did later on. And so I am really happy to be on this stage today. But you as parents and adults, just don't quit something just because something looks hard. Or even if it were hard, let's take it that way. Do you think that you should quit something that is as beneficial as your goals? Do you really think about the hard things instead of the achievements you're going to have later on? Well, It's time you thought about the outcome and pushed towards it. Yes. Now I would like to speak something that most don't know, but that very few people do. What I will be speaking now is not what just I think, but it is all what all of us Nexters think in a collective. Remember those 2 questions I asked you earlier, in the very start? Well, here are the answers. This vague feeling of stress, anxiety, burnout, depression— yes, it doesn't just leave a scar in your emotional self, but also does it affect your physical self in the form of lack of appetite, an unpredictable and negative mindset, and diseases. Diseases are psychosomatic at times. So, your thoughts shape your feelings, your feelings shape your actions, and so does your physical body change. And if you don't fix these things in your adults, just believe or just imagine, what belief will you imprint on your child as parents? And because of that belief, your child will just be scared to even face adulthood. Well, we as Nexters are aware of this imprint. We talk with each other and our parents, we get it fixed, and we grow the way we are supposed to. Well, we want to be different.

How?

Through creativity, freedom, and alignment. Yes, we are aligned with our talents, and because of that, our creativity and freedom Life just flows off its limits.

Okay.

Now, I have shared with you these golden nuggets of people's thoughts. Haven't I left you thinking that maybe you should have left your teen to voice out? Maybe you should actually make them grow more mature than they are supposed to? Oh well, let's play a game now. How many of you are ready for a game? Oh come on, where's the energy? Let's go! Now this game is called the opportunistic solve. This over here is a Rubik's Cube, right? Yes, this Rubik's Cube Think of it as a giraffe, a kid. This upper layer, this kid is very skilled in academics, sports, and arts. Relatives call him the perfect child. But this lower layer over here, you see, this lower layer, it shows that they are bottling up his emotions. He is bottling up his emotions. His parents are working all the time, and he has no one to share it to. That's the reason he gives so many tantrums and becomes a seemingly bad child at home. Well, this game is called the Opportunistic Solve for a reason. I'll be calling on only 2 people in the interest of time. So take the opportunity to raise your hands and tell me under 10 seconds how to change this kid's life. Okay, this is the only clause. Under 10 seconds, 2 people. Who's ready? Who's ready? Come on. Okay, how about you in the front?

Well, thank you very much for this question.

Welcome.

Opportunity to express my viewpoint. Well, we have to understand that the child is very, very talented, but is is mounting up the emotion.

Uncle, take the mic. The mic is right there.

Yes, sir. The child is talented, but is mounting the emotions. So for management of the emotions, we have to see to it. That the emotions are brought out. So in the form of, you can say, journaling, she can write, one can talk to that child. So talking, talking, and talking, and having friendship with the child will drain the emotions and the negativity will decrease, will be— and then there will be a positive change in that child. So we have to remove that negative emotions and bring in positivity, including a practice for yoga, etc.? Thank you.

Thank you very much for your answer. Okay, who is next? Okay, how about you over there? What would you like to say?

My name is Ashwarya Panchal. I am a Mindful Childhood Coach. I teach children on their root.

Let's give her a round of applause.

I help my mother teach children on their roots, like the roots structure, and make them wake up early at 5:50.

So how do you change this Gen Alpha's life according to your perspective?

Like the Gen Alpha, they—

What should she or he do?

I think like the Gen Alpha are very tacky these days. So I think they like to do like— that's why they're always on their mother's phone or— but they are using in the wrong way. So, I, like, me and my mother are helping to, like, before the age of 15, build— we build a community and, like, we build a community of what we like. So, for example, a community for, like, creating apps, and second for, um, Um, second for, I think, gaming.

Okay.

So I'm also a gymnast.

So what you are saying is that this child has to join your community to change?

No, no, they—

it's I just say what you want.

They can change the habits from the beginning. Okay.

Once more. Now, thank you both for your answers. This child did not change himself. He just kept doing the same thing over and over again. What did he receive? The same results. He kept on bottling his emotions, and he kept on bringing on tantrums. But later on, he realized that he should maybe try to share his emotions with someone. He did, and guess what? He is aligned! He starts now sharing with his parents his emotions, Yes. Now, maybe you parents were not able to voice out your opinions as children to your parents, but your teen does being vulnerable to you. That does not mean that you have to carry your pain as well as your teen's pains your whole life. उसका मतलब वही है ही नहीं। It's time you also voiced out with someone, right? You have your teen, you have your spouse, you have friends, you have your community. At least share it with someone and just see how your life would change completely.

Yes. Okay.

Now, I would like to say one last thing. Try new things in order to succeed different ways, because insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and experiencing and expecting different results. Expecting different results. So this means that in order to get different, you need to do different. Believe, do, and have. Change. Yes. Now, change happens when the pain of staying in the game is greater than the pain of change. You want to change? Maybe the pain of change should be lesser.

Yes.

Now, a summary of everything that you may want to understand. Place your family first, then place your work priorities, because you can be replaced at work, and you will find a new job, but you will never be able to find the same family ever and ever again once they are gone.

Yes.

So now I would like to share, your teen is on the verge of growing. So make sure that they receive the right beliefs and the best of learnings at this age. They are learning, they'll implement it later, and this is the foundation of their life. For their adulthood, your beliefs and your teachings matter. Yes. Now I would like to say one last thing. Thank you very much. A huge namaste to everyone over here, and enjoy your next years ahead. All right guys, let's give another big round of applause for Krishna!

Thank you.