Never Give Up - Rishona Chopra

Nature has a lot to teach us; the spider teaches us to be patient and never give up. See how delicately a spider creates its web? Even despite failures, it is dedicated to making a home for itself. It is our habit to give up on the smallest of things. While playing snakes and ladders, we reach the top but finally get bit by a snake at 99, giving up trying again. When we complete the small things, the big stuff gets completed themselves.  

Have you told someone, or has someone told you – “You have made a particular habit since childhood, and you will never change.” Do you believe it is difficult or impossible to change a habit, especially if it is solid and old? First, we must change our pattern of saying, “I cannot change habits.” Absolutely any unhealthy or uncomfortable habit can be changed. Let’s not say “I have such an old habit of coming late… habit of gossiping… habit of being irritable… habit of skipping breakfast…So I cannot change.” 

Anything we repeatedly do becomes our habit. By avoiding or changing a few times, the old habit is finished. We need to constantly work on it even if we failed earlier. If we give up, it becomes more robust and weakens our willpower. Let’s confront our uncomfortable habits and ask ourselves – “Why should I change this habit? How to change? Do I want to change?” Once our want to change is substantial, changing becomes simple.

Is there anyone we know who has never changed a habit? Pretty sure there can be no one. Each of us has created certain habits and changed them for some reason. The wrong belief that we cannot change habits strengthens negative habits and blocks our transformation. Sit back and check how you control your habits and that your habits no longer hold you. As you check repeatedly and create thoughts of what you want your reality to be your willpower increases. You let go of uncomfortable habits, dependencies and addictions. You will easily be able to choose what stays on your mind. There will be no habit that you cannot change. You can get over deeper addictions, not just small habits like drinking too much tea or coffee or watching TV while eating. You will eventually become who you wish to be.

Rishona Chopra
Grade VI
Gyanshree School

Ignorance - Rishona Chopra

Ignorance is when we ignore the law of nature.

When we think life will never end and we are immortal and will live forever is ignorance. When we forget that things change, we and ignorant.

 If you think you have come out of the world of ignorance and have achieved something great, and now you are more extraordinary, this thought simply displays that you are in the world of ignorance.

Ignorance is thinking that you are greater or your success will never end. Once you achieve something big and instead of being greedy for more, you cherish it: being free from ignorance. When the thought does not come to your mind that your success will never end, you are free.

The most prominent example is Lord Buddha. Did he ever show off his success and strength? No, because he was free from ignorance. And as he rightly said, desire is the cause of pain. This doesn't mean we shouldn't have ambitions and dreams. There is a simple difference between the desire of want and need. If you desire to be selfless and humble, then be it but then don't be too proud over that because once you link want and greed with need, all the pain begins.

Ignorance leads to ego, and ego leads to anger and greed. To stop this connection, we need to be humble.

Rishona Chopra 
Grade VI 
Gyanshree School

Ignorance, Evolution and the Avatar - Anvesha Rana

It is uncanny that we sometimes just need a short story or a mishappening to make us realize our position in this circle of life. We all are human, yet we stand at different steps of the same staircase. Our mindset defines the place we idealize, but there are many positions to choose from: 

Realization of Ignorance is the first stage of development. It is the state where we think we are superior to our fellow beings, but in reality, we are just the same. Ignorance makes us turn a blind eye to the tiny creatures; it fills us with a sense of pride and destroys the humility within us. When the worms discovered the ray of light, they felt that it was meant for them to find and that they were special, but if the worms had been a little wiser, they would have decided to share this finding with the entire the worm population for everyone's wellbeing. Ignorance makes us immature, and after some time, it will cause us to rot. There is no development in ignorance; when we blindfold new learning opportunities and avert our eyes from new people when we disregard new things, that would stop our learning. Ignorance stops us, but observance adds a boost to our life. 

The second stage of development would be Evolution. Evolution is simply letting go of all sad things, destructive grudges, negative emotions and guilty practices; it transforms yourself and then rises above others. Evolution is perhaps the final and supreme stage of development for all humans; it is exploring and experiencing such a level of spiritual consciousness that no pleasure can be more significant. It is simply breaking free of all the chains that hold you back and then unfurling your wings to fly in a free and limitless sky, only to discover the real deception of life. We can live genuinely only when we have evolved, grown, learnt and understood, for Evolution is the true joy. 

The third stage of development would be The Avatar. The Avatar is the truest, pure, divine form one can pursue. It is a reconciliation with the almighty to develop the utmost level of emotional, mental, spiritual and physical being. The Avatar is definitely hard to reach and even more challenging to maintain. The Avatar is not god, but it can be us if we attain the final enlightenment possible. Buddha and Mahavir were ordinary people, but the course of their actions was so holy that they acquired the form of The Avatar. The path is not hard, but it is filled with thorns and pricks until the rose. 

The development that I hope for is Evolution. Some day I do expect that I can be the worm who could spread its wings, cross the horizons and truly realize life.

Anvesha Rana, 

Grade 10-B, 

Gyanshree School

Be the change - Yashraj Sharma

People always want change. They say, “I wish I could change this”, or “I wish I could change that, etc. To be honest, even I do think that sometimes. Many great personalities took the first step toward a significant change.

Let me tell you about one of my experiences-

A few years ago, I used to play online games and eventually became quite addicted to them. My society friends started calling me to play with them. Those games distracted me from my studies to quite an extent. When I got some idle time, I used to start playing games. 

But after some time, I started noticing that my younger sister also started playing some other games and got addicted to them. I told her to stop playing or at least reduce the time she used to play. She told me that even if I play for hours, why should she stop playing. I felt terrible for her and myself. So, I decided to reduce my gaming time and only play on weekends. I started doing that, and my sister followed too! That day I imbibed two life lessons “Youngsters do indeed learn from elders” and “To be the change I want to see in others.” 

In conclusion, as they say, “Charity begins at home”, so we need to take the first step towards making a change…

Yashraj Sharma

Grade: VII

Gyanshree School

Be The Change - Arav Agarwal

Reflection on the chapter Be the Change from the book Is Your Child Ready to Face the World? by Dr Anupam Sibal.

"We must remind ourselves that one child, teacher, text, and pen can change the world when in doubt. By being the change, we can make this world a better place". - Arav Agarwal, Grade: 5C, Billabong High International School, Thane

Be the Change- Aanya Kumar

‘Be the change’ are three inspiring but straightforward words. A simple explanation for this can be demonstrated with the help of an example. Imagine you see two people fighting. You immediately want to stop them. But then you take a step back and think, “Who am I to stop them when I fight?”

On the other hand, if we take the example of Mahatma Gandhi. One day, a lady and his son went to meet Bapu. After meeting him, she stated the problem was that her son ate too much jaggery and did not understand that it was harmful to his health. Gandhi Ji told both of them to revisit him after a few days. When they returned, he told the boy to stop eating jaggery as it could be dangerous to his health. The mother asked why Bapu couldn’t say that the first day they came. Bapu’s reply was that he had to stop eating jaggery himself before stopping the boy from doing the same. So before changing anyone, we first need to change ourselves. Practising before preaching could change the entire world into a peaceful living space.

Aanya Kumar

Gyanshree School

Grade 5

Be the change - Pravar Kasma

 

"Change your thoughts, and you change the world."

                                         - Norman Vincent Peale

What is this chapter about? What do we need to do to make someone change?

This chapter is about change. We all need to change in some or the other thing. Sometimes we need a shift in home appliances, furniture, behaviour, etc. Let me tell you a story of Mahatma Gandhi, which I read in 6th grade. It was based on Mahatma Gandhi's Ashram. The people staying there needed to do chores across the ashram, but no one was doing that, so Gandhi Ji thought of a fantastic idea to change them; Mahatma Gandhi did the tasks they needed to do. He led by example. A true leader always leads through an example. He did the chores even though he suffered from any health issues. The other people saw him do the tasks, and they started to change and do their duties.

From this chapter, I learn that we need to change ourselves before changing someone else. It is a fantastic chapter written by the author.

Pravar Kasma

Grade VII D

Gyanshree School

Be the change - Rishona Chopra

Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.

- Rumi

Rumi has rightly said that we have to be the world's change we want to see. As people say, ' walk the talk' as in what we talk, we should too. If I say that we should cherish our life and not get angry at the small things, I need to first think about whether I love my life. If I do. Then only it will be something worth saying. Only that way you can be exemplary. 

Once a lady came up to Mahatma Gandhi & said that his son overate jaggery and was worried it would damage his health. Gandhi said to bring her son back a  few days later. After a few days, Gandhi said, you shouldn't eat a lot of jaggery when they returned. It could be harmful. The lady asked why he said this after a few days. Gandhi replied, ' I needed a few days to give up eating jaggery so I could counsel your son with conviction.'

This example also states that we first need to work on ourselves to change someone. They don't need to change, but they might want to see you change.

What I want to change is Ego. I want to banish ego. Ego leads to greed, selfishness and all that leads to all the bad acts in the world. To banish ego, all of us need to listen to our inner voice and to the right thing.

The measure of intelligence is the ability to change 

- Albert Einstien

Rishona Chopra
Grade V
Gyanshree School

I am who I am - Linisha Agarwal

A person’s character should not be judged by their marks or the amount of wealth he or she has or by their looks. The deeds and personalities are what makes a person good.  I won’t be talking about where I come from, who my parents are, which school I study in or what class am I in or what my age is. Because these are things that just represent me but not define me. 

My character is what defines me.

Why do you want to be like others?

I me

I am who I am

I do what makes me happy.

I live for myself, not you.

U may not agree with me…

But I am not seeking your approval.

I am happy with all that I am!

Don’t let anyone decide what you will do?

You do what you want to do!!!

Just be yourself, don’t think how others will think. Be what you are. Why change? Why look like others or be others or copy others?

Can’t you be real you, we are much more beautiful than actresses, they look beautiful because they are in a mask, a mask of makeup. In reality, some of them are or might be really horrible. And if you think wow they are so thin then don’t imagine yourself to be like them because they do hours of exercise and their diet is way too less. So don’t imagine yourself like them, just live your own beautiful life.

If you say, I am so fat, see she is so slim. Then ask yourself, “why am I thinking about her body? I am cute this way but if I think I am too fat then exercise”. Why judge your body while seeing others?

Can you imagine if everyone in the world looks the same! Can you recognize each other? If not, then why be like others. Would you like it if there were two Jimin in South Korea… I would hate it!

Be you and stay you!

- Linisha Agarwal
Class 6, The Doon Girls' School Dehradun