Eric Jacob could very well be a teacher in fact, he is one. But he's a teacher of a very different kind. He tries to give people a better life by improving their thoughts, boosting their self esteem and giving them a sense of direction in life.

Yes, it does sound like a page out of books that promise that you can do it and win at the same time and suchlike. But what Eric does probably has far less gimmick and more of substance to it.

There for you

He's a man who's seen life in its various shades spent years heading YMCA, helping young men and women improve their lives by following a path that is positive. After his stint with YMCA was over, Eric decided to do something more drastic and radical. He went around teaching young people to control their mind.

Today, not only is he looked upon as someone who can literally change lives, but as a 'surrogate' parent to many children and sometimes, even adults. Now, he is a certified NLP trainer working as a personalty development consultant, training children in schools and colleges, air hostesses, fashion designers and more.

Game time

But what interested me most about Eric are the two games he's designed for kids (even adults). It looks like your standard snakes and ladders game that we're familiar with as children.

These games are part of his mind power technique where he pushes a person towards positive thinking by self affirmations. These games are not only great to beat stress but can actually help you find a way out when you most need it.

Like the original game, you need a dice to play this one too. And like snakes and ladders, you climb up when you reach a staircase and slide down when at the mouth of a snake. However, each square carries a message the messages are all positive and help you to understand that no matter how many hurdles you face, you are meant to cross them all to reach your final goal!

Making changes

'This game actually helps people to get over negative thoughts, because bad thoughts prevent people from going ahead. The game is simple, yet the impact can be great,' says Eric. 'It's unbelievable, what a simple game like this can do to help someone. I learn something new and different in each of my classes. I've had little girls who were not sure what they wanted out of life making up their minds in one session. There are many people who are located in the remotest corners of our state educated to a certain extent and can definitely find a job. But, they aren't confident enough to venture out in to city to find one. I teach them also through NGOs and development centres. I don't want to sound like I’m boasting but the change that happens is often miraculous.'

By Priyadarshini Nandy

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