‘Follow Yourself, Not Society’: IFS Officer On 5 Life Lessons He Learnt From Mother

As the world celebrated Mother’s Day on Sunday, May 12, numerous social media users and prominent figures flooded the internet with their childhood snapshots alongside their mothers. Among all the posts, Indian Forest Service (IFS) Officer Himanshu Tyagi’s X (Formerly Twitter) post touched many hearts. Taking to his official handle, Tyagi honoured his mother for being his primary source of motivation. According to the IFS officer, his mother got married at the age of 16 after completing 8th grade and took responsibilities of the family. Despite facing societal challenges, she survived patriarchy and made numerous sacrifices throughout her life. On the special occasion, Tyagi also shared five valuable lessons he learned from his mother’s remarkable journey.

The officer wrote, “Educated only till 8th grade, married at 16. Took on family responsibilities early, survived patriarchy. An ardent Krishna devotee. Life of sacrifices. She is my biggest inspiration. 5 lessons from the life of my mother. 1. Never give up: Try your best. It’s okay if the situation fails you, but you should not give up from your side. 2. Live a life of good character: Chase goodness, good values, and spirituality. Look beyond external pleasures.”

“3. Wait for time to change: During your bad times, don’t give up because nothing is constant in the world. One day, your bad times will end and your good times will start. Survive till that day. 4. Don’t waste time arguing: Don’t try to prove yourself with your words. Learn to ignore. Work on yourself. 5. Follow yourself, not society: Do what seems appropriate to you. Even if it is against societal traditions. Believe in God,” Himanshu Tyagi concluded the post.

Soon after Himanshu Tyagi shared a special Mother’s Day post on X, it quickly captured the internet’s attention and garnered over 19,000 views. Social media users flooded the comments section with appreciation responses. A user wrote, “Very impressive Sir,” while another, praising his observation skills, called him “very inspiring.” An individual shared, “Valuable thoughts,” one more added, “Inspirational sir.”

Mother’s Day is celebrated to honour mothers, which typically falls on the second Sunday in May. The origin goes back to ancient Greece and Rome, where the festival admired mother goddesses like Rhea and Cybele. In the US, Anna Jarvis is considered the force behind Mother’s Day celebration. After her mother’s death in 1905, Jarvis organised a memorial in West Virginia three years later, to honour her mother’s memory and pay tribute to all mothers. During the service, she filled the venue with 500 white carnations flowers and also held a separate memorial in Philadelphia. This event, on May 10, 1908, became the first official Mother’s Day celebration.