Showing posts with label pestalozzi. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pestalozzi. Show all posts

Saturday 2 September 2023

Abraham Lincoln - Nishan Karki

Picture Courtesy: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Abraham_Lincoln_head_on_shoulders_photo_portrait.jpg

Abraham Lincoln was an American lawyer, politician and statesman, who served as the 16th president of the United States of America from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. He was born near Hodgenville, Kentucky on February 12, 1809. His family moved to Indiana when he was seven and he grew up on the edge of the frontier. He had very little formal education but read voraciously when not working on his father’s farm. 

Lincoln’s legacy is based on his momentous achievements: he successfully waged a political struggle and civil war that preserved the Union, ended slavery, and created the possibility of civil and social freedom for African Americans. 

Abraham Lincoln was also a good thinker and orator. Lincoln's emergence as a great orator dates from 1854 when he made a memorable speech in Peoria, on October 6, of that year. This was his first major attack on the position of Senator Douglas who was the leader of the Illinois Democrats. 

"His manner is neither fanciful nor rhetorical, but logical.
His thoughts are strong and are strongly joined together. 
He is a close reasoner, and has the faculty of making himself clearly understood." 
-Galena (Illinois) North-Western Gazette, 
July 1856. 

Abraham Lincoln has given many famous quotes which are known worldwide. 
Some of them are as follows:-

●“Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.” 

● “No man has a good enough memory to be a successful liar.” 

● “If you would win a man to your cause, first convince him that you are his sincere friend.” 

● “Perhaps a man’s character is like a tree, and his reputation like its shadow; The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing.” 

● “I am not concerned that you have fallen; I am concerned that you arise.

Nishan Karki
Pestalozzi Children's Village, India.

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.

Saturday 26 August 2023

There are many dimensions to every person - Tenzin Jambey

Picture Courtesy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_Dimension

"We people don't look at the things how they are but we look at them how we think". An object or a thing stays how they are! But people look at them from a different perspective. 

Once, a teacher asked two students while showing a picture of a mountain - "What do you see?" The first one said, "It's just a mountain." The other one said, "It's not only a mountain but also a home for the birds that sing and the animals that spend their time playing around." The teacher was surprised to hear about the two different thoughts. 

We humans have the same physical attributes. We all have two hands, two legs, one heart, etc. But the brain, being one, has a different way of functioning. And everyone on this earth has a different mentality. The good thing is that everyone has special knowledge, which will make the future a better place. 

If we look from a positive side, we will see that having diverse dimensions in every person has resulted in the working of our society. Neither every person wants to become a doctor, nor every person wants to become a pilot. 

Therefore, our dimensions have led to the development of our economy and society. Our different thoughts and views are different from each other but not separate. They are inter-connected with each other. 

Finally, it is always a great experience to listen to the other people. And it also helps us to understand the working system differently. We all get different knowledge from different fields of science, art, music, politics, etc.. Interacting with the new people with new thoughts is always a wonderful experience.

Tenzin Jambey
Pestalozzi Children's Village, India.

There are many dimensions to every person - Tulsi Karki

Picture Courtesy: https://www.researchgate.net/figure/A-human-being-exists-in-three-dimensions-and-all-of-them-must-be-in-their-natural_fig1_8893032

There are different dimensions - to a physicist, it simply means direction or, to be very precise, a pair of opposite directions at right angles to another dimension, as stated in Phys.org reports. 

Likewise, cultural dimensions summarize the extent to which cultural groups are found empirically to differ in terms of psychological attributes such as values, beliefs, self-construals, personality, and behaviour. 

The cultural dimensions are constructed to track value shifts across generations when society goes through modernization and post-modernization - as a result of interaction between cultures, political entities and economies. If we talk about dimension for a person, it means - he has to reach his goal. 

Everyone has a dream. And we need to work hard and achieve many things to make those dreams real. 

And thus, we have to face many difficulties to get our dimensions right. 

Tulsi Karki
Pestalozzi Children's Village, India.

Friday 25 August 2023

There are many dimensions to every person - Nishan Karki

Picture Courtesy: https://www.researchgate.net/figure/A-human-being-exists-in-three-dimensions-and-all-of-them-must-be-in-their-natural_fig1_8893032

"Life has its dimensions in the mysterious." 
-Jesse Jackson

There are many dimensions to every person. People possess their qualities and abilities. These qualities are not singular but numerous. Here, dimensions refer to the inner and outer capacities of a person. 

Everyone has their unique qualities and experiences. Engaging with new things adds to a person's extent. It helps them gain knowledge and learn new things. The more experience a person has, the more dimensions they possess. 

A person's dimensions determine their value. Each individual has their way of doing things and interpreting situations. They all have different perspectives and views. It is about their approach to tasks. 

Some people take the world very seriously, remaining sad and bleak. They do not attempt to emerge from their sorrowful nature. They conceal their thoughts and feelings. They do not endeavour to explore their outer dimensions, instead becoming absorbed in their inner dimensions. Thus, people should strive to think outside the box and not remain confined to their inner thoughts.

On the other hand, there are people of an open and joyous nature. They share almost all moments and experiences with others. They consistently think outside the box, learning and experiencing new things. Others enjoy the company of such individuals.

However, there are exceptional people as well. For instance, some remain quiet but think outside the box. And explore their outer dimensions and potential. In contrast, some people are very talkative and joyful by nature. Yet, they do not think outside the box and explore their outer dimensions and potential. 

In concluding these observations, we understand that a person's definition is not solely shaped by their external nature and behaviour. It also encompasses their inner nature, thinking process, and communication skills. Each approaches things differently. Hence, every person has various dimensions that make them unique. 

Nishan Karki
Pestalozzi Children's Village, India.

Success is Good but Significance is Better - Tenzin Norsang

Picture Courtesy: https://sunshine-parenting.com/halftime-moving-from-success-to-significance/

An unknown author said it so well, “Success is good, but significance is better.” 

People of today’s world have come to think that money is everything to gain happiness in one’s life. 

Well, there is no doubt that you need it to lead a beautiful life, but it provides us bliss only to some extent. It can buy us the most luxurious and fancy things in this world. But still, it cannot buy us internal peace, true love and happiness. 

We seek all these only when we give ourselves to others that we find true merriness. 

A wise man once said, “Selfless service is the rent that one should pay to live on this planet.” Through selfless service, we make others jubilant and content. It also soothes our hearts with pleasure. It fills our minds with positivity and everlasting memories. 

Helping others leads you to the path of finding your purpose in life. It also assists you in discovering inner peace.  Wealth can only define a person's financial status. It cannot express their humility. 

If someone wants to be successful, earning money should be one of his priorities. However, it shouldn't become their highest priority. The highest priority in one’s life should be helping others achieve success. 

As a wise man once said, and I quote, “The one who holds the purse, holds the power”, which is a universal truth. An affluent person is bestowed with two powers and must choose between them. They can either lend a helping hand to the weaker sections of society, alleviating their suffering, or they can exploit them to the fullest, misuse their power, and instil fear in their hearts. 

It is rightly said that a wealthy person’s humility is defined by how they spend their money. Leaving a positive impact on society is achievable by extending a helping hand to those in need.

In summary, money is something that provides temporary satisfaction and happiness. Accumulating wealth can grant power and high status in life, but it will not grant happiness. One can achieve the greatest happiness by giving oneself to others and adding value to their lives. What matters most in life is not just personal success, but also significance.

Tenzin Norsang
Pestalozzi Children's Village. India.

Thursday 24 August 2023

Does believing help escape the person out of negativism? - Tenzin Jambey

Picture Courtesy: https://www.calmsage.com/how-to-control-negative-thoughts/

Believing in one has both positive and negative impacts. 

In this writing, I'm sharing two incidents that happened because of believing in others:-

The good impact(s):-
We 'people' don't have any proof of whether ghosts and spirits exist. But still, we have been told from a young age about ghost stories, myths and legends. We have developed thoughts upon that, and when we go into the dark or walk alone in a quiet place, we feel scared. 

We sometimes feel like someone's there other than a human being watching over us. I turn my head here and there when I walk alone because people have made a habit of spreading negative beliefs, which has impacted me. And that can further lead to disasters. 

Sometimes, some people see unusual things and images that we can't see due to psychological reasons or due to a lack of courage and also due to the feeling of fear. They think that ghosts and spirits are roaming around them, and to overcome this problem, they visit temples and take the blessings of gods and spiritual leaders, which makes them feel better and consolidated. 

After offering worship to their deities, people believe the ghosts or spirits have left them. Many psychological problems develop in our minds due to believing in unreal and unseen things and images. Making people do activities like visiting the temple and doing some mental activities helps one to overcome these things, but believing is the most important thing. 

So, 'believing' has both negative and positive results. 

The negative impacts which arise due to believing:-
In this case, I want to share an incident. The incident took place near my Village in Arunachal Pradesh. There are many tribal people in Arunachal, and most of them are really into religious beliefs and rituals. 

I am a Buddhist by religion, and the incident is from the Buddhist committee. In our villages and nearby villages, we have a monk in each who can see the past life of a newborn child by performing rituals. 

One such thing happened when a lady gave birth to a child. The child had two grown teeth, which seemed very strange and even scary to people. When the monk was called upon to look into this matter, he clearly stated that a ghost had been born in human form. And that it was a sign of bad luck. With that statement, the poor lady with her child and husband was sentenced to a lifetime exile. 

How can people believe some spiritual leaders so blindly that they are even ready to agree and declare a newborn child a ghost or monster just because of some disabilities and natural teeth? Whereas science says that it's nothing but just a rare case and the mother who gave birth to the child must be proud and happy that her child is rare.

She really should be happy with herself rather than listening to the stupid shitty things of people who called her child a ghost or a monster just because they had never seen this thing before.

Therefore, I would conclude my writing by saying that we must look beyond the things that appear. We people don't look at things how they are but look at them how we think about them. That's why education is a necessity. 

Moreover, acquiring knowledge and looking for a positive outcome in a strangely difficult situation is most important.

Tenzin Jambey
Pestalozzi Children's Village, India.

Does believing help escape the person out of negativism? - Tenzin Norsang

Picture Courtesy: https://coralspringscounselingcenter.com/stop-negative-thinking/

A wise man once said, and he said it so well - 
“Believing in one’s self is the essential key and necessity if one wants to achieve and acquire higher and greater goals in one’s life.”

The person who believes in himself has the ability and the capability to conquer anything. Robin Sharma said, and I quote - 
“Your mind is a good servant but a tyrannical leader.” 

A person who has faith in himself is one who has mastered the art of controlling his mind. He who believes in himself - has been bestowed with the power that has the intensity to change the world.

What are negative thoughts?
Negative thoughts are thoughts which are pessimistic and demotivating in nature. Such thoughts create a feeling of unrest and doubt in oneself. 

When do such thoughts pop up in our minds?
Such thoughts cloud our minds during the disturbing and dark times in our lives. During such a phase in our life, we doubt our abilities, skills and capabilities, but most of all, we mistrust ourselves, which creates a hindrance that obstructs and blocks our way from achieving our goals. 

In this life course, if someone wants to overcome such thoughts, he should have faith and believe in himself. Many people in today's world are facing and going through tough times. 

When someone's life is shadowed by darkness, he has two choices. Either he could be the one who curses the darkness. Or he could be the one who lights a candle amidst the darkness. Here, 'lighting the candle amidst the dark' - is symbolic of self-belief and driving out all your negative thoughts and emotions from your mind and body. 

Thus, Believing in oneself means self-assurance and motivating oneself throughout difficult times. 

Self-belief transforms a person into being willing, pressure-resilient, confident, peaceful, and the master of one’s mind. He demonstrates the “Never give up” attitude till the end, whatever the unfolded result is. 

Believing in oneself automatically leads to the expulsion of negative thoughts and assists him in escaping out of it.

Tenzin Norsang
Pestalozzi Children's Village, India.

Tuesday 22 August 2023

Leadership - Tulsi Karki

Picture Courtesy: https://www.thebalancemoney.com/leadership-definition-2948275

If you have worked in any successful groups, whether you have led them or participated in them, you have experience as a leader. You contribute to the team, ensure you have met the deadlines, and build strong teamwork and communication skills. 

Being a prefect, I had the opportunity to show that I am responsible, reliable, and capable of taking on leadership roles. I have gained confidence in fulfilling the role successfully. I have realised that I could make contributions to my school. It demonstrated that I can be a role model to others. 

Gain achievement points for completing duties and maintaining discipline. I have learned that we had to be cooperative, helpful, well-mannered, trustworthy and responsible. 

Be respectful towards teachers, peers, and the school environment. Display leadership qualities: confidence, initiative, and problem-solving skills.

Tulsi Karki
Pestalozzi Chldren's Village, India.

Does believing help escape the person out of negativism? - Tenzin Nyesel

Picture Courtesy: https://devpost.com/software/escaping-the-negativity

Does believing in one help escape the person out of their negative thoughts?

I believe that. 

Sometimes trusting or having faith in one helps to come out of that difficult situation in our mind. It might even free your mind when you have someone beside you to give you that positive vibe. 

I have been through this situation many times - where you feel that you don't have self-love, self-confidence and self-respect towards yourself. 

But having someone with whom you can share all your innermost fears and ideas can heal those negative thoughts. It frees you from thoughts which have been bugging you in daily life. 

Tenzin Nyesel
Pestalozzi Children's Village, India.

Monday 21 August 2023

Thoughts on Independence Day - Smarika Karki

Picture Courtesy: https://in.pinterest.com/pin/847310117411723826/

Being independent is the state or quality of being free from the control, influence, support, or the like of
others. 

Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru guided India's eventual independence in 1947 by resisting non-violently to British rule. The large-scale communal violence took before and after the subcontinent partition into two separate states - India and Pakistan. India celebrated its 77th independence day on Tuesday, August 15th, 2023. 

We should celebrate Independence Day every year because it glorifies the day when the Indian Independence Act came into effect. The Act established India and Pakistan as separate countries, no longer under British imperialist rule.

Smarika Karki
Pestalozzi Children's Village, India.

Friday 18 August 2023

One kind word can warm three winter months - Nishan Karki

Picture Courtesy: https://emilysquotes.com/one-kind-word-can-warm-three-winter-months/

Being kind may not be your cup of tea, but it might be worth trying for the warmth it gives everyone. 

Snow melts with the warmth of a word of kindness. As such, one kind word can warm three winter months. It means even a small kind word can change someone's life. In other words, a kind word proves to be life-changing. Kind words refer to the good things we say, compliments or appreciation.

Three winter months mean a period which is harsh, bitter and cold. If we say a kind word or smile at someone suffering from a problem, it may help the person. Earlier, we wrote a reflection on the topic 'small things are big things'. We can make out that - it is not the size of things that matters; it is the value of things that matters. So even a small word can prove to be life-changing.
The power of kindness is widespread. It is the quality that all human beings possess. But it is shown only by some humans. Consider kindness to be salt and sprinkle it over some food and consider the food to be a person who needs help and a little kind word. Kindness is an activity we perform to bring some good to others and seek nothing in return. 

As mentioned earlier, one kind word can warm three winter months, and kindness is one of the most important values. Being kind and helping people will provide happiness and peace to both sides. The person who shows kindness and helps others gets a life of joy, happiness and peace. Likewise, The person whom we help gets to be happy too.

Kindness is not only a word. It is a human value making a human a valuable living being. It is hard to find the value of kindness in other creatures. Humans are born with kindness as a quality. We should make good use of it in a way that proves to be an influential and life-changing act.

At last, I would like to conclude my view with a quote.

"No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted."
~Aesop

Nishan Karki
Pestalozzi Children's Village, India

Monday 14 August 2023

One kind word can warm three winter months - Tenzin Jambey

Picture Courtesy: https://pepperdine-graphic.com/opinion-give-kindness-more-often/

The proverb- 'One kind word can warm three winter months' means that one kind word can make people feel good in their sufferings. In other words, our kind words and works have had a good effect on people for a very long time.

Doing kind work is neither easy nor difficult. It's just a simple act everyone must practice to promote peace among the living beings on earth. All people have their definition of the word - 'kindness', and therefore I have my definition of it too.

According to me, 'Kindness doesn't mean donating and helping poor and needy people'. If this act was to be called an act of kindness, then some people do these things to win the vote during the election. And after being elected, their words, kind work and promises to vanish into the air like the air itself. 

I also want to bring up the act of some rich people who donate money to charity unwillingly to reduce the tax from the government. Therefore, I believe that the act of kindness must come, and it must come from deep within your heart by forgetting about your wealth and asset.

I remember a line in the poem, 'The Heart Of Tree', where it tells that a kind man plants a tree to serve future generations. He knows that he won't be able to enjoy the fruits of that tree, but still, he will have the satisfaction - that someday this tree will be helping people improve fresh air to breathe.

Many people speak about peace and kindness, but a few follow it. And I agree that only speaking is not enough. We must act upon our saying as we all know that - 'Action speaks louder than words'.

Some people don't understand the words of love to whom we refer as 'Rod is the only logic of fools'. If all the people were to follow the saying, there would have been no jail or prison. It indicates that saying alone is not stable enough to bring up a change. 

It's the truth, which I will highlight since now we remember the people who speak well about us and praise us only for a few days. But the people who show their kindness and help us to make our life better and more peaceful are remembered for years and years. It's so true that the praise and lovely, heartful words vanish into the air like changing seasons, but the kind act shows its effect for a very long time, like the climate.

Most people forget kind words, but kind work can last for years. And people remember you for your contribution like we remember Mahatma Gandhi for his act of promoting peace. We Pestalozzians remember Sir Johan Henrich Pestalozzi every year for his kindness and loving act that he practised till his last breath.

'A kind word can warm three winter months, but an act of kindness can give warmth for centuries'.

Tenzin Jambey
Pestalozzi Children's Village, India.

Saturday 12 August 2023

Fall to a new life - Aati Pema Tseagon

Picture Courtesy: https://in.pinterest.com/pin/AauyxzXZpvdywUpwLlxqKvXBDcUltP2AVoiEG2mXDCRrU0Fqif6MyM8/

As I sank, my consciousness was brought by the most suffocating sensation I had ever felt. In a sudden rush to breathe, I took a big gulp of water. My body racked with a cough, but I forced my mouth shut. When I noticed my hands and legs were tied, a surge of fear took over my body. I limped myself to stand upright. My whole body was in torturous pain. My lungs felt as if they were about to implode. 

At that time, a single thought came to me to jump. That was more of an instinct. I gathered all the strength I had and threw myself upwards.

For a moment, my head splashed out. And I noticed the light, but as soon as I was exposed, I lost control over my cough. And now I came raging, not letting me breathe. My many attempts only brought more panic and water. Both of which I did not want. 

I felt that I was sinking, unable to thrust my tied appendages. As a last-ditch effort, I held my breath and laid still. That was all I knew, which thankfully made me afloat and alive. My heart was racing. My lungs were exhausted from holding my breath. I carefully let out my breath and inhaled one in. And finally, I felt some relief. 

I saw that the light I had seen was coming from a wide-open crack which was only a few ways too far from where I was. My hands and legs tired and tied were of no use. But the little movements which I could do were enough to propel myself. The light helped me to see as it reflected against the cement walls of this place.

I noticed a few sticks floating around. Most of them were new and seemed sturdy. I saw one right next to my hand but was unable to grab it. I thought of an idea. And with a bit of insecurity in my plan, I rolled. Sinking my face in the water, I began fumbling with my hand to locate the stick. In a few attempts, I got the wooden stick. I pricked my palm when I did get a good grip, but it was good to feel that it had some edges. 

I began breaking the bonds, string by string. I made progress and finally cut enough to break through the rest. 

As my hands got free, I began breaking the ropes tied to my ankles at once while trying to stay afloat when I remembered that I was not alone. When I lost consciousness, I was with my cousin!...(to be continued...)

Aati Pema Tseagon
Pestalozzi Children's Village, India.

Thursday 5 January 2023

Reflection on what I fear the most... - Shristi Khulal

Someone has rightly said that when fear strikes, there are only two ways to face it or run away from it. The best way is to face it and overcome it.

I fear being in the spotlight or the centre of attraction and public speaking the most. I get very nervous, and I overthink others' opinions about me. My body starts shaking, and my heart starts pounding.

I would like to overcome this fear and speak confidently, as it is essential in our lives. For this, I should be more confident about myself and interact with many people.

Pestalozzi is also helping us to become more optimistic by organising workshops, for which I am very thankful. I should also stop being an overthinker.

Shristi Khulal
Pestalozzi Children's Village Society

Saturday 17 December 2022

Reflection on what makes you feel who you are - Shristi Khulal

Even though I am not exceptionally talented, the support, love, help and care I receive daily from people around me makes me feel who I am. 

The knowledge, education, encouragement and motivation I get from those who help me endlessly in my life are my parents, teachers, friends and Pestalozzi; all have helped me become a better person. 

The challenges and even problems that came into my life made me stronger and braver. 

Thus, these are the things that make me who I am.

Sunday 2 October 2022