Lessons from Animals and Life - Sunbeam Suncity School

Sunday School by My Good School turned out to be an enlightening session. Today, we explored the inner life of animals, realising that just like humans, animals too need care and compassion to survive. They are not naturally harmful; rather, it is often our mistreatment that makes them appear dangerous. We also learned about the behavioural patterns of animals and how these connect with human behaviour in many ways.

—Atharv Singh Chauhan

Animals, like wild boars crossing rivers to escape hunters, show how fear can drive intelligent behaviour for survival. Similarly, in human life, fear can act as both a warning signal and a motivator to adapt wisely to challenges.

—Yuvraj Singh

Today's discussion on goals, skills, passion, discipline, and perseverance highlights that success is never accidental—it is the result of clear direction, consistent effort, and the right mindset. Just like animals rely on instinct and practice, humans thrive when preparation meets persistence.

—Rishi Agrawal

Today, we learnt about the importance of addressing individuals correctly, along with the evolving nature of titles, reminding us that respect and acknowledgement shape relationships. Just as behaviour defines animals and humans alike, our words and manners define how we are perceived in society.

—Rishabh Singh

Animals often mirror their surroundings—gentle when nurtured, hostile when threatened. Humans, too, react to their environment; a supportive setting brings out positivity, while a toxic one can create negativity. This highlights the deep link between behaviour and environment.

—Shishir Verma

Lessons of Compassion and Purpose - Neha Srivastava

As part of the regular Sunday Reading Session, I had the privilege of listening to two inspiring readings—The Inner Life of Animals and Lakshya—presented by Ms Brinda Ghosh and Ms. Manisha Khanna, with enriching insights shared by Mr. Jugjiv Singh. The first reading beautifully highlighted the emotions and silent language of animals, reminding us to extend compassion not only to human beings but to every living creature. The second, Lakshya, emphasised the importance of motivation and the significance of setting clear goals in life. Mr. Singh’s reflections added depth to the discussion, making it even more relatable and impactful.

As a teacher, I found the session especially meaningful. It reminded me of my responsibility to instil empathy, kindness, and purpose in my students. Such sessions not only touch the heart but also shape the mind, leaving behind lessons that inspire us to live with greater sensitivity and determination.

Ms. Neha Srivastava

Educator

Sunbeam School Ballia

When You Set Your Mind To Something - Reveda Bhatt

“Have you ever wondered why couldn’t you complete that work even when you tried hard?

That’s because maybe you didn’t try hard enough.”

When you ‘truly’ set your mind to something, have you ever noticed how the entire universe works accordingly and how it seems like everything around is favourable to you? The universe, it is a ball of energies, various blessings, vibes etc. 

Every emotion, every mood- it is an energy you send out into the universe. But, internally, when you set your mind to something and work towards achieving it, the universe sends in energies for you to either take in or deflect. 

In that moment, the decision is up to you for the key is in your hand. Analysing, if this is how the universe works, for each person, accordingly, is it that we directly connect to it? Or is it something else in us that does? 

Something like your mind, my mind. Yes! When you set your goal, all the paths towards it unlock for you to move forward. Only if you try hard. Only if you don’t give up. Only if you stay true. Only if you keep moving forward. Our mind has that power, it is something that you control, something that works accordingly for you. Obstacles you’ll face, sure-it’s life that makes you tougher. It’s your mind that makes you stronger. Long way ahead- Keep going. The universe is with you if you do it right.

Reveda Bhatt 

Changing the World - Divyanshu Agarwal

"Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing themselves."

Sometimes, someone wants something changed in the world. Why don't we think to change something in ourselves so that we can improve, grow more and more, and touch the glory of the sky? Changing the world is only in our hands- once or when we improve ourselves. 

But, we can make a change in ourselves. We need to get out of our comfort zones and by doing that, we can grow more and more. We need to do small things. We need to make a list of what we want to improve and start working on it. Set goals; it doesn't matter how big or small your goals are. 

Be concentrated, keep reflecting, and, last but not least, explore new things and learn from different experiences. This will help you to become a good individual.

When you can understand more and more about yourself, your limits and your desires,  you improve. First, make a change in yourself, then in the world.

"Life will only change when you become more committed to your dreams than you're to your comfort zone.                            

Divyanshu Agarwal 
Grade- IX 
Sunbeam School And Hostel Lahartara

Be true to yourself - Tulsi Karki

Picture Courtesy: https://www.consciouslifestylemag.com/true-self-finding-your-spiritual/

Being true to yourself means thinking and acting in ways that align with your values and feelings rather than the values of others. 

If you are living true to yourself, you feel confident in your identity and you are pursuing goals that you know will lead to your happiness. 

It is really important to be true to yourself it will be your guide to living a life for yourself. A life that is fulfilling and filled with all of the things that make you joyful and allow you to live a life of purpose, whatever that looks like for you. 

Hence, the only way to live your life happily is to be who you are, not caring what other people might think or say about it. 

People are going to judge you anyway, so you might as well forget society and be like others. But keep one thing in mind you have to be true to yourself at every moment of your life. 

Tulsi Karki

Pestalozzi Children's Village, India.

How can you build self-control? - Shristi Khulal

When it comes to self-control, I think of controlling one's actions and behaviour between right and wrong about oneself. A person with self-control is a sagacious, disciplined and focused one. To accomplish our dreams and goals is one of the most important things. A successful person always has self-control in himself.

Self-control can be in anything like emotions, habits, and many others which are not suitable or appropriate. There may be different ways for different people to build up self-control. I have many things that I try to control, especially my emotions l get too excited, nervous, excited and angry very quickly. Sometimes, I try to prevent these things by telling myself or my heart about the consequence of doing that thing. Being calm and relaxed helps with self-control in most situations. 

- Shristi Khulal

Reflections from reading
The Art of Focus.

How can we develop self control? - Rishona Chopra

We all have our weaknesses and strengths; the most common fault is falling into the trap of peer pressure. 

We need to develop self-control. We first need to self-reflect on ourselves and know ourselves better. We need to analyze our strengths and weakness, understand our personal temptations, then make a chart and set daily goals on how we plan to avoid doing things that can harm us and tempt us. Setting daily goals soon turns into monthly goals and soon into habits.  

When we start to do this, we might feel lazy and tell ourselves, "Let me start tomorrow." But as said, what has to be done tomorrow must be done today, and what has to be done today must be done now. 

The problem arises when we start doing things due to peer pressure. We don't want to be the outcast and wish to fit in, but isn't it the outcast who shines the brightest?

We should know the adverse effects of whatever we do and the risks we take. People try to tempt us by showing us a few positive results and telling us how fun or cool it is. The definition of 'cool' is different for everyone. Smoking may be cool for someone, drinking may be cool for someone, studying may be cool for someone, and we cannot let our 'cool' be someone else's definition of 'cool'.

Sometimes, we need to trust our instinct and avoid people we believe are bad company. That doesn't mean we have to shut down all means of socialization, but we should do it to an appropriate extent. 

Often it helps to talk to your parent or a close person older than you and let your heart out and hear their opinion, but after all, we are not weak people who start following things just because people tease us. We need to be strong and have self-control over our minds.

Rishona Chopra
Grade VII
Gyanshree School

Goals - Trusha Sarkar

If we want to succeed in life, set a goal that commands our thoughts, liberates our energy and inspires our hopes.

Setting a goal is the first step that helps us turn the invisible into the visible; in other words, it motivates us to realize our dreams. 

Why is it necessary to set goals? My fellow mates' answer to this question is that realistic goals with time boundaries act as road maps that would guide us to show what we can achieve with the skills we possess and our real potential.

I would like to share with my readers - one tiny baby step that I have taken lately is that every morning when I wake up, the first thing that I do is to scribble in my dairy- a 'things-to-do' list. This helps me in prioritizing my tasks for the day. It has definitely helped me act in a little organized manner.

The Japanese believe everyone has an Ikigai- a reason to jump out of bed every morning.

Rightly said, 'A goal is a dream with a deadline.' I firmly believe that we should dream significant and, more importantly, follow it with sincere and consistent efforts. I am confident that we will be more focused and attain our objectives more smoothly with our goals rightly set.

To wrap up, let me expand the acronym GOALS:

G- Grow; O- One-step; A- At a time; L- Little by little, your; S- Steps will add up.

Grade 7

Trisha Sarkar 
The Doon Girls' School

Goals- Aanya Kumar

All successful people had goals in the past for achieving their dreams. We should have goals for leading a productive and meaningful life. If we write goals along with the plan to achieve the same, we are sure to attain success. Let us take the example of El-Erian. He had the aim of spending more time with his 10-year-old daughter. He served as the CEO of a prominent investment funds organization.

Once El-Erian himself quoted that he had great excuses for not spending quality time with his daughter. Still, he realized that his daughter should be his first priority.

Following this, their father-daughter relationship became better than it could ever have been.

Thus, having goals are vital for growing economically, mentally and physically.

Aanya Kumar

Gyanshree School

Grade 5

Goals - Anvesha Rana

                                                            

"If the plan doesn't work, change the plan, not the goal."

When we are young, we tend to be passionate about everything, but our elders constantly ask us what we want to be as we grow. The honest answer is that most of us don't know because deciding one profession out of so many choices can be exhausting. As we grow, our options also keep on changing. For instance, when I was young, I wanted to be a dancer, but later I decided that being a teacher was better, and after a few years, it struck me that being an architect is even more fun. I am not particular about what I want to be, but I will ensure that whatever I become is my own liking and choice. 

Goals needn't always be about a career at a personal level; they may even aim for a social or national cause. Paul Kagame, Lee Kuan Yew and John F. Kennedy are three different people who had the same patriotism for their nations and the same urge to work hard for their countries. Their efforts did not go in vain, and because of them, their motherlands are now at the status they had once wished for. Big Goals need Big Efforts; they did not achieve their goals alone; millions of people helped them accomplish their target. 

Goals can be long term or short term. If we want a particular job, we will work for it till we get it, that's our goal whereas, if we wish for a good grade we will work harder to attain it. You can start today by planning your goal and setting a deadline for it since a goal without a deadline is only a dream. We all have a purpose in life, and it is our responsibility to discover and fulfil it. A life without a purpose is like a boat without a rudder. Consequently, each of us must have the flame of passion and dreams always ignited, for it is the fire that keeps us going. Always rise up to your goals. 

Anvesha Rana, 

Grade 9-B, 

Gyanshree School. 

Goals - Sunita Mehta

My Good School presents Joy Of Reading.

The community reading program helps inspire you by reading and reflecting, sharing examples of where children and adults in real life are using values and is very useful to stimulate discussion and philosophical debate.

Goals Chapter 16, narrated by Sunita Mehta, Headmistress Gyanshree School Noida, India

The Joy Of Reading Program is only one part of our Life Skills Program - Reading, Speaking and Writing. On Sunday mornings at 11.00 AM, you can join us for live reading sessions. Best you attend with a copy of the book and experience the Joy of Reading.  #ReadToLead Post the session; the readers may want to reflect and share real-life experiences.

Our blog www.JoyOfLearningDiaries.com helps them express themselves in writing, audio, video, graphic, poetry, or how they experience the joy of learning.

Dr Anupam Sibal Through his experience as a father, paediatrician and Group Medical Director of Apollo Hospitals Group, Dr Anupam Sibal outlines his approach to effectively getting through to children and mastering the art of parenthood. Focusing on the different values and qualities that make a good person, Dr Sibal has a hands-on approach to instil each in a child. Is Your Child Ready To Face The World? Focusing on the different values and qualities that make a good person, Dr Sibal has a hands-on approach to instil each in a child. Exploring the crux of parenting, this book asks and answers whether your child is ready to face the world.

Abstract by Dr Noella Pereira Dr Anupam Sibal's book titled "Is Your Child Ready To Face The World?" is an inspirational compilation of essential values that we need to teach our children. It instils in us the importance of imbibing these values before introducing them to our children. It emphasizes the need to be humble, compassionate, forgiving, honest, grateful, and, most importantly, the change we would like to see in others. Through his experiences as a paediatrician and father, he masters the art of conveying each virtue to his son. This book teaches us lessons for life—a must-read for all individuals wishing to make a change in today's world.

18 Chapters 1. Humility; 2. Beating The Odds; 3. It's Never Too Late; 4. Courage; 5. Handling Pressure; 6. Making Mistakes Accepting Flaws; 7. Be A Dreamer; 8. Finding Your Calling; 9. Compassion; 10. Making Others Happy; 11, Never Give Up Hope; 12. Determination; 13. Giving; 14. Be The Change; 15. Gratitude; 16. Goals; 17. Honesty; and 18. Forgiveness.

Listen to the read...

Find Your Calling - Arindita

Find Your Calling

Finding your calling is to find your true passion and skill. It can be anything, from dancing to studying etc. To find our calling, one needs to see what makes them happy. We often think certain jobs most likely give us success, which is not true. Forcing yourself to do something you do not like or wish to do will not bring you success. You need to find your calling or find the job that makes you happy, which feels like fun rather than work to you. Your calling can even be your hobby. 

I enjoy doing many things, but my calling is contortion and gymnastics. It did take me time to find my true calling; in fact, I found it only 2 months ago. The topic also relates to "It's Never Too Late" because, at first, I thought that I was too old to start contortion. People who do it usually begin from a young age because our bones tend to be more flexible when we are younger. I wasn't very flexible, and in fact, I was lazy too when I started, but I did not give up. After 2 months of intense stretching, I finally reached a part of my goal. I was amazed at my transformation as there was a big difference from what I used to be to what I am now. But still, it wasn't enough, and there is a lot more I need to work on. I plan to continue this goal till I become an expert at it!

Arindita 
Grade V
Gyanshree School