How to handle peer pressure

 Question - Gurudev, can you please talk about peer pressure and how to deal with it?

Gurudev Sri Sri - Sometimes, young people should learn to walk alone. Then you will be more centered and you will know how to be by yourself and not be bogged down by peer pressure. Take a long 5 kms walk all by yourself, or run by yourself. That will solidify your personality. If you are surrounded by friends all the time, you will feel you cannot exist without friends. But if you are trained to take longs walks and runs, then you know that you can walk by yourself. The poet Rabindranath Tagore has written a song called 'Ekla Chalo Re' (walk alone) and that song inspired so many people during the freedom struggle. Even if nobody comes, you walk by yourself, be a leader. If you get bogged down by peer pressure you can only be a follower, not a leader. Why do you want company of your friends? It is because you want attention from them, and attention gives energy. And if you are not a leader, nobody is going to pay you attention especially in schools and colleges. So to overcome peer pressure what do you do? Stand up and walk alone.