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Growing up in Shivpuri, Madhya Pradesh, LN Shrivastava didn’t wake up one day and decide to join the Armed Forces. The idea had been quietly settling into his life for years—through conversations at home, stories from elders, and examples set by people he looked up to. Shrivastava’s family is deeply rooted in education. His parents, uncles, nanaji, and dadaji are all teachers. Reading wasn’t a hobby in his home; it was a way of life. His dadaji, especially fond of religious texts, often shared verses that stayed with him long after childhood. One shlok, in particular, shaped his thinking deeply: “Janani Janmabhoomischa Swargadapi Gariyasi”
(Mother and motherland are greater than heaven itself) That sense of respect—for values, for service, for the nation—quietly became part of Shrivastava’s worldview. He studied in Jhansi for classes 9 and 10, completed his schooling in Madhya Pradesh, and later pursued BSc in Computer Science followed by B.Ed. in Gwalior. Academically inclined, grounded, and reflective—yet somewhere along the way, another influence grew stronger. Seniors from his school who joined the Armed Forces became living proof that the dream was achievable. Their journeys didn’t just inspire him; they normalized the idea of wearing the uniform.
23-12-2025
“Values shape you long before the uniform does.”
The Confusion Before Clarity
Like most SSB aspirants today, Shrivastava turned to YouTube when he began preparing. Videos were plenty. Opinions even more so. Everyone seemed confident, yet everyone said something different.
Psych needs speed.
No, psych needs honesty.
Write more stories.
No, write fewer but better ones.
The more he consumed, the more confused he felt. What he lacked wasn’t motivation or hard work, it was clarity. Nobody seemed to explain why things were done a certain way or how SSB actually evaluates a candidate.
That’s when friends suggested R2R.
The very first class at R2R set the tone.
Shashank Sir asked the batch to do something uncomfortable: erase everything they thought they knew about SSB and start fresh.
For Shrivastava, that was a turning point.
Instead of templates and tricks, the focus shifted to understanding oneself. During personal guidance sessions, he realized a critical mistake : his stories had events, but no actions. They had structure, but lacked emotion. He wasn’t wrong; he just wasn’t complete.
He learned why emotions matter in stories, how actions reflect personality, and why assessors look beyond words.
For SRTs, the approach changed entirely, quality over quantity. For the interview, the advice was simple yet powerful: look at your life from the right perspective, then present it honestly.
Slowly, the noise faded. His basics became crystal clear.
Psych was the most challenging part for Shrivastava and also the most transformative.
Instead of forcing ideas, he was guided toward deep self-introspection. Not surface-level thinking, but real reflection. Experiences from his own life became themes. His thoughts stopped sounding borrowed and started sounding authentic.
That process : quiet, uncomfortable, but honest, changed everything.
When Shrivastava appeared for his fresher SSB attempt, he wasn’t trying to impress. He was simply being himself: clear, aware, and prepared.
He got recommended with flying colours in AFCAT 2 2025 from 4 AFSB Varanasi.
Shrivastava believes hard work is non-negotiable, but also insufficient on its own.
“Everyone at SSB is working hard. What differentiates you is knowing who you are and how to present it correctly. For that, you need direction from the right mentor.”
His journey is a reminder that SSB is not about becoming someone new, it’s about understanding yourself deeply and expressing that truth confidently.
And sometimes, clarity doesn’t come from watching more videos : it comes from unlearning, introspecting, and being guided the right way.
Prachi Parmar
Sharing Stories, R2R