Appreciation - Rishona Chopra

Appreciation is to appreciate, as in to be grateful and thankful for something. 

Most of us have so much to appreciate, but we still take time to find mistakes and need to remember to embrace all the privileges we have and don't appreciate. There shall always be greed for more, but it's on us to know how to control it, appreciates what we have, avoids finding what we don't have and stop this greed for more.

Finding out mistakes is easier and more catchy to talk about. I faced this problem myself! Although I have a lot to appreciate, I used to find what I didn't have. I have worked on that mistake and have stopped complaining and enjoying what I have. It's a little tricky, but when you think about your home, good clothes, and education, most people might not even have you feeling happy and grateful for what you have. 

Apart from appreciating the little things in our life, appreciating someone can fill a heart with joy. It can motivate someone to work harder and strive for more. 

Just clapping for someone, giving them a thumbs up, or even smiling at their work can bring a smile to someone's face. 

Appreciation is also a vital quality. Appreciating the little efforts done by our peers and students is essential. We each have something special about us, and instead of thinking just about ourselves, we should take the time to appreciate others. Who understands that better than our teachers? Teachers take particular time enjoying, helping, and thinking about their students. And I am sure we all can appreciate our teachers for the time they took to think about us.

At the same time, Appreciation for others shows your modesty and humbleness. Instead of thinking about ourselves, we appreciate other person's efforts. Humility and Appreciation build a good relationship between peers, two base values of a healthy classroom. Values like cooperation and respect come in when we have the base of humility ready.

Rishona Chopra Grade VII Gyanshree School

Social Media - Aria Gupta

Wait! Don’t just ignore this article! I know that you’re thinking, Ugh, this is going to be so predictable; it’s going to be about addiction, fake news, mental health, and blah blah blah, but this article is not like that. Trust me, this will be interesting, so just read it. 

I recently watched a documentary called The Social Dilemma. It was about what social media actually does to us. You might think, "Social Media makes us addicted," but another problem is invisible to most people. It’s based on this saying: "If you’re not paying for the product, then you are the product".

We all know that social media platforms (what we think are products), such as  Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube, are free.

I was baffled, too, when I heard this saying. But social media is  actually just selling our attention to advertisers since advertisers are the ones who 

actually, pay.

These platforms’ algorithms can do anything to grab our attention. They know you like you’re their best friend. They know if you are sad, lonely, happy, angry, excited, or scared; they know exactly what you want when feeling any of those emotions. If you want private guitar lessons, they know you want them. If they don’t know, they learn. They will recommend all sorts of content they think you’ll like, and you’ll pick one. The problem with this system is that they’ll recommend content that might be incorrect or controversial, and you might pick one of them. This has huge effects, as it can divide societies. This might turn India from unity in diversity to a separate nation. The algorithm doesn’t care about what is true or false; it just wants more attention from people to sell to advertisers. They can manipulate us into believing anything; they can control entire elections. We’re just lab rats who are being experimented on.

After reading this, you might think, "Oh my god, social media is so bad, I’ll never use it again". This is not against social media completely; this article is just spreading awareness amongst them and you so they don’t accidentally destroy the world.

We can spread more awareness about this by telling more people about it and being mindful about it. We can demand change so that the world doesn’t collapse. Something terrible might happen if we keep ignoring this issue.

But Aria? How do you become the product if you’re not paying for it? I’m baffled.

Fine, Aria, we are the product. So what?

Aria Gupta
Grade VI
Gyanshree school

Love To Serve - Rishona Chopra

It is said that what we do comes back to us. Karma, as some of us would call it. A good act of kindness comes back to us. It may be true and correct, but it should not be our cause to do something good. We shouldn't give, help, care or be kind, just believing that we will do good so good will come to us.

The law of karma isn't something that can be fooled. It is just a power of the universe. It looks at the thought behind it and not just the action. 

When we give something, do we expect something in return? Well, I did, and I realised that when you give someone something - not an item but even an act of kindness and care, not many return the same to you, and we have to live with it. The only way to yet be happy is to first accept it and then know that your deed of kindness has helped somebody. 

When God blesses you financially, don't raise your standard of living. Raise your standard of giving. - Mark Batterson

It is true what Mark Batterson has said, we should give not only when we are rich in our everyday lives, we should raise our standard of giving, it may not be just giving money, even giving a toy to a person who needs it or a book is an act of giving too! 

A small act of giving could mean everything to a person. Giving not only makes the other person happy but also makes us happy. As said,' make others happy, and you will be satisfied the same way give and give, and you will feel better.

                                                                       ***
Do we have this life entirely for ourselves? Are we given this life just so we can enjoy and live happily? Well, we are absolutely nothing alone. One cannot be anything alone at all. Mahatma Gandhi alone did not defeat the British. Mother Teresa alone did not help the people. No one has ever accomplished anything alone because it is simply not possible. As brave and fascinating as doing something alone sounds, it isn't. We are all connected; we are all one. We say Unity in Diversity, but do we mean it from our hearts?

We may differ in colour, race, background, education, age, and height, but we are still the same. We are just one soul. 

So why do we believe that all our actions must be for ourselves? Can't it be for others? Will that do us any harm? 
To check, let us just list out what could happen. 

DEED: LOSS
I gave a child my pencil: I had another one
I helped someone tie their laces: No loss
I donated money to charity: I earned some more
Meeting my sick friend: No loss
Gave food to a homeless: Spent little money
Helped someone study: No loss
Complimenting someone and appreciating them: No loss
Sat with someone and listened to them: No loss

These are a few examples of deeds of giving. I may have lost money, pencils and a few more little things, but all these deeds made me happier and were defiantly worth it. These deeds may have taken out some of my time, but they all make me happier. 

What we do for ourselves dies with us, but what we do for others lives on forever. 

Rishona Chopra

Grade VII

Gyanshree School

Being Human - Veda Varshita Marrivada

Being human is something which everyone cannot do. It depends on whether an individual is human, but what is being human? It means being a very generous human being. It is also a part of Humanity. Being human can also reflect on the character of a person. Donations, Charities, Adoptions, etc., come under the category of being human. A person requires a pure and kind heart to be human. Being human gives a feeling of satisfaction and happiness and teaches us to be good human beings.

The reality of the world hides in a mask where most people claim the good deeds and blame the bad deeds, but rare people are good humans from the inside. People show off their acts for the sake of status but not with good intentions. Humanity is becoming extinct, and many people hate each other. The percentage of cruelty in the world is at a high intensity.

Everyone should be treated fairly and equally. ALAS! I am still a child, but once I grow up, I shall donate money to old age homes and orphanages, give money to the poor and help anyone I see in trouble without hesitation. Also, I shall try my best to be a good human being as an honourable citizen of India, but my parents currently arrange food banks at orphanages and old age homes on our birthdays. Helping them gives us a feeling of happiness and joy. My parents always help others, inspiring and motivating me to do the same.

Helping others makes everyone happy. Humanity is an essential virtue which we should follow for a better world. Being human also applies to animals. Treating them fairly is necessary too. Many people torture animals such as horses, elephants, lions and other animals for entertainment.

In conclusion, everyone should do their best to be a good human being.

Veda Varishta Marrivada
Grade 5 Hyderabad Public School Begumpet

Listen to my reflection

A Cause That Is Dear To Me - Keyura Rao Cheeti

Reflection from reading the book.

Everyone is connected and moved by what is happening around them. They must decide if they need to take up a cause and bring about change. They are reasons for action to be taken or action to happen. For something good to happen, the cause needs to be good too. It gives us a reason to live. I have thought about this since a very young age. My heart aches to see poor people begging on the road. Older people are beggars too. They have a right to live happily, too. I would like to set up a charity for them when I get older. In the charity, people will donate money, clothes, food etc. We will provide them with good education and ensure they get a job to live independently. We will set a small goal first, and if we achieve that, we move on to completing something bigger, thereby trying and making sure that they have a good life. They need to live as peacefully as we do. We must take care of them as our responsibility as good citizens. We can educate others on how to help them.

Keyura Rao Cheeti

Class VI

The Hyderabad Public School

Begumpet

Advice From An Owl - Rishona Chopra

Hello, my dear friends! I am an owl. Through all these years, I have been sitting right outside your window, looking and observing you. My family is out there, hearing each of your foolish conversations and looking out for those creative inventions of yours. Speaking of inventions, I must say, your inventions clearly show your witty evil brain. First, it was those nets and then it was those obnoxious guns. Why, do you have nothing better to do than to kill us?

Moving on, as I told you I have noticed you and I believe it's time I give you some inputs. First off, you humans speak too much. It is much better to listen trust me. Wherever you go, you keep talking; half of it is absolute nonsense. And even if you talk, you forget to hear. Many of you just hear the other person and don't really listen. You just stay quiet waiting for your turn to talk and running through your mind what you're going to say. My! That is quite disrespectful, isn't it! 

Second of all, you have made your life quite difficult. All you do is practically sleep all day. Nothing like what we do! You have robots doing your work, the autocorrect correcting your spellings and online dictionaries to tell you the meaning. And don't even get me started on your means of entertainment. Our owl community presents an entire dance for entertainment and all you do is just turn on your television and watch some overly dramatic shows on it. How many of you, go to watch classical dances for entertainment or have a cosy family night playing charades and cards? 

Television is quite fascinating, I must say. I also watch it from your balcony when the curtains are open but it's important to spend time with your family doing something fun together. 

Last but not least, you should always be prepared. Most of you are not prepared for change. Here's one owl rule you must know - Always be alert for your predator. And your predator is almighty change. It is something some of you never adapt to but remember change in constant and if there is no change life would be rather dull and boring!

Rishona Chopra
Grade VII
Gyanshree School

Our broken relationship with Nature - Rishona Chopra

Nature is all around us. The magnificent trees, the lush green forests, the animals and the birds. And in fact, we humans are nature. We are not a part of it, but we are nature. 

Nature heals us. By this, I don't mean just the trees and forests that heal us. Our loved ones, friends and parents care for and support us, standing selflessly as our backbone. 

Human's greatest enemy is ego. Is it the fuel for anger, jealousy, greed and whatnot? For desire, we fight wars. Why? For a mere piece of land. That very land belongs to none of us. Countries fight for the mountain areas that come into our country. But, in reality, that land is neither ours nor theirs. It is nature which has no possession. We don't have the owners we belong to, and neither does the land. 

Without realizing it, we hurt nature for a silly reason. Amid these wars, aren't oceans and mountains being affected? 

We greedily fight for possession, but do we take that possession with us when we die? One day, it all has to be lost. 

Plants, humans, animals and birds are all nature. We are one and are meant to live in harmony. But we have all broken ourselves into different categories. We are told to live in peace and harmony, yet we have created a broken relationship with one another. 

The beauty of our world lies not in our planet's biodiversity but in the harmony that we create with one another. 

Due to the broken relationship, neither are satisfied; neither are we nor are the plants and animals. 

It is high time we fix this relationship by realizing that ego is our greatest enemy and has ruined so much for us. 

We must cure the wounds we have caused and prevent more from being created. 

Listen to my podcast.

Rishona Chopra
Grade VII
Gyanshree School

A memorable moment - Rishona Chopra

 

Sometimes, all we need is just to talk to someone, all alone, telling them about everyone and everything. And I need that time every day. I absolutely love it when I have interesting long conversations with my mother. It is when I can reflect and listen to how my mother's day went. 

With no doubt, my favourite time of the day is when I have a long talk with my mother. We discuss many things, from how the day went to the people who irritated us. Often we find ourselves fighting with each other and then, the next minute, laughing and enjoying ourselves. 

I absolutely love and cherish this time; there is so much to say and tell that you just can't stop. While on some rare days, there is nothing to say, but sitting together makes me so happy. No matter where we are, we always have this time with each other, whether before sleeping or during the day during our morning walk. This is definitely the best time of the day for me. 

We had a long deep conversation a few days ago. We both sat on the floor with support from the bed. We talked about how people irritate us and complained about our personal issues. It was something so enriching for me and yet so enjoyable. I genuinely wished that time would never end. 

There are a few lines from a song that I would like to quote:

"For all the places I have been, I'm no place without you
 If I could fly, then I would know
 What life looks like from up above and down below."

This song is written by a father to his daughter; the song means to say that the little moments are the big ones. The father has been to many places, but what matters is where our family is. 

These moments I have with my mother are priceless and hold quite a meaning in my heart. 

Rishona Chopra
Grade VII
Gyanshree School

The Wheels Of Learning Never Stop Turning! - Rishona Chopra

Yes, it is rightly said that the wheels of learning never stop turning!

Participating in the My Guide Inside program has enriched my thinking and perspective on several things. 

"Mind + Consciousness + Thought = Reality" is the base of this book.

Universal Mind is the source of all intelligence, and Universal Consciousness, allows us to be aware of our existence. And Universal Thought, which guides us through the world.

There are several learnings I took with me from the MGI Pilot Program. I think we can all agree on how each session had its own beauty and importance.I am going to be sharing a few of the key points I think are quite vital to understand and know about.

I learnt how we all are just lost thinkers. Our imagination is limited to what we know. Our thoughts and actions are based on the knowledge we know. It is vital to break that boundary and think beyond it. To add perspective to every situation. In any case, we think only from our perspective and stick to what we know. If we consider ourselves lost thinkers, looking at each view and reflecting on the day correctly, we might find peace and happiness with everyone. 

We all have our own separate reality, our own thoughts and our own world. All of us face differences of opinion at some point or another other, but it is vital to understand another person's perspective. Just like, we think what we know is correct, the other person feels the same. Instead, if we believe, "My thoughts are just a perspective, they aren't the best, and perhaps I should listen to others' thoughts and then evaluate." Things would get a lot better. 

I personally loved the line "Life Is Like A Piano". When I started playing the piano, I wanted to learn to play my favourite song, but it is essential to be patient and take a few steps back, learn and then strive to play the music to its best. Similarly, in life, we have to be patient and learn from others and listen to their thoughts and wait instead of directly jumping on the result. In this way, we can do a task to its full potential. 

Learning is something that never stops at each point in life, we learn something new and exciting, and at My Guide Inside, I learnt quite a lot and will continue to discover more!

Rishona Chopra
Grade VII
Gyanshree School

The Elephants’ Hope! - Rishona Chopra

Comic strip by Rishona

We have made the animals' life so tough. They should feel safe and happy in this world too! Hope is perhaps the only thing that helps them get by. 

Rishona Chopra
Grade VII
Gyanshree School

Flawsome and Fun - Our True Identity - Rishona Chopra

http://www.inyouth.in

Often we find faults in ourselves. In whatever we do, we consider ourselves to be the worst and keep finding spots in our own work; not only that, but we also start judging the work of others and keep finding flaws in it. It is never good to criticize ourselves or anyone, but knowing our mistakes and learning from them is good.

Instead of finding faults and criticizing ourselves, we should look at it with a positive attitude thinking that we shall not make this mistake again. We all make mistakes and learn from them. We must not have a delusion about ourselves. Therefore we are flawsome - have flaws but are yet so awesome!

Sometimes, we try to change ourselves for someone else, we tend to show off and change our look, personality and style just to make friends but that does nothing. It simply pressurizes us. Therefore we should have an open character and know we are flawsome yet fun.

On the other hand, criticizing the work of others is clearly wrong because we need empathy and fairness towards others. We must understand the feelings of others. If we spot any mistake in their work, we mustn't show it to them rudely. But politely point it out with the intention of looking out for them only if they ask for our opinion. We shouldn't misguide them. 

None of us is perfect with no mistakes, but our imperfections make us so perfect!

Rishona Chopra
Grade VII
Gyanshree School

What is peer pressure and how can we deal with it? - Rishona Chopra

Peer pressure is the pressure we face from our peers to do something. It indirectly or directly affects us. Often we find ourselves pretending to fit in the crowd, so we start doing things and becoming people we are not. We lose our own identity just to make 'friends'. But friends who force you to do something or friends who you cannot be yourself around aren't really friends, are they?

Each of us has our own identity, which we are given for a reason because we all are unique, we put on a different persona, and it affects no one but us.  

Being with the right company matters a lot. One ripe apple kept with ten other rotten apples will soon rot too. It is better to be alone than with bad friends. 

Dealing with peer pressure, though, is quite a challenge. Often people try to bully us by telling us that we are 'not cool' and 'boring'. But we must remember that the right path is often alone, but being alone doesn't mean we must be lonely. Ignoring people like that is the best way. We need to have a calm and composed mind that knows what is right and wrong. We do what we do, and pressuring someone needs to be corrected. 

When we start ignoring all of this, people start bothering us because peer pressure that makes you do bad things is just to trouble you or force you towards the wrong path. 

While dealing with peer pressure, we might think, "everyone is doing this", or "what could be wrong with this?" but something correct is not what the majority does. People around us may TRY to have a strong influence on us but we have to be that one person who stands on the right path, whether alone or not. Their TRY must be a left a try only and be in vain. 

Because of peer pressure, we start feeling insecure about our own selves and doubting ourselves. All our choices and decisions seem to be made by others and their opinions, but it is OUR life, OUR choices, and they cannot be changed. People may give us good advice that we should always lend an ear to, but then again, there has to be a straight line between right and wrong, people you trust and don't. 

We may need friends at this age, even if that means pretending to do things they don't. It feels terrible when you have no one to sit with you, talk to you and a person you can share your thoughts with, but it's hard to find someone like that, with who you can be yourself ( apart from your parents, of course)!

Sometimes, I am in the impact of my peers. I know what they might be doing is wrong, but I just pretend to do what they do just so I can get along with them, but then you have to remember that you have higher goals in life. You have higher aspirations than pretending or changing yourself to make friends. 

Instead of finding company outside, we can be our own friends! No one knows us better than we do, and no one ever can! 

Rishona Chopra
Grade VII
Gyanshree School

The beauty of bookshops - Rishona Chopra

                                                              When I enter a bookshop,

I see stories clinging onto shelves nonstop.

I want to look at every shelf,

Even the fantasy stories of an elf.

The environment makes me feel as if I should never leave,

Just sit down and read.

The cosy chairs,

Sad stories that shed tears.

Then I think,

I could have ordered books in a blink.

But it won't be as fun,

In the beautiful world of stories that has just begun!

"We are celebrating  years of the Bookstore and have set up a social space above the Bookstore. The Learning Forward India Foundation works to support schools and schooling with reading, writing, speaking and learning. #MyGoodSchool" - Sandeep Dutt at The English Book Depot.

Rishona Chopra
Grade VI
Gyanshree School 

"I was foolish when..." - Reflections from The Sunday School 23rd Jan 2023

"Before sharing my experience, I would like to apologise to all the readers who might or can feel wrong about this statement. 

I am a big fan of k-pop and would explain to my family about each member from different Bands and entertainment. I used to feel very bad when someone I was close with fought with me about all this. My family would tell me that no matter how much I watched their videos, they would not know me. I didn't realise how badly it affected my studies until I did horribly in my exams. After I showed the result to my grandparents, they worried about me being inspired by the k-pop idols after I had sincerely thought about myself on the roof. I wondered why my family would tell me not to see the things I like unless and until that would make me enter the world of fantasy instead of where I belong. I also wondered, Why am I not like the old mini-me, the real me. The extroverted and funny part of me was all I missed. That was the last time I promised my family that I would listen to k-pop songs, but a little less, I mean a lot lesser than before & to score well in my academics the way I did back then.

PS: I would like to apologise if anyone in the readers felt terrible about it. After all, it is my life experience..."

Tenzing Dhekyong N

"There is a saying that no one, no one in this world, is perfect. Counting from rich to poor, young to old, and from man to man, no one is perfect. Everyone makes mistakes but,
There are also some foolish mistakes which you make. I have made countless mistakes in my life from my childhood till now. But those were the mistakes which I made unintentionally. I made a foolish mistake; childhood was fun, and I  liked playing. I often used to go to play without informing my parents. My mother would tell me to inform her before going anywhere. Even after I knew I had to seek permission before going anywhere, I never did that. Once, I got a nice beating from mom for being like this. I don't know whether I should say it was my foolish mistake or my young mind." 

Tenzin Jambey

"Mostly, I didn't study every day. I used to look at the last moment when the examination is almost started. When I told myself to study, I always told myself that I had enough time to sleep and play, and I always felt lazy to study. It was my loss, I knew, but I always told myself I would start studying tomorrow, but I never did that. Tomorrow never came, so when the examination came, I could not complete my syllabus and even once got fewer Marks in history. After that, I finally realised that I was marking a fool of myself only. Now I do study whenever I got the free time. I feel energised to study". - Nirusha Limbu  

"I make a fool of myself by trusting someone who is not trustable, believes them and tells me all secrets and also shares my personal things without knowing it is right to trust them or not, and without thinking, if the person is trustable or I should share that person my secrets or not..." - Soniya Mishra. 

"Foolish means I think it is showing a lack of good sense. I think we can be fooled by anyone, so in my option, we shouldn't trust everyone very fast. We should take time to know that person, his or her habit, nature, and personality. Only then should we trust them. I think foolishness can be both negative and positive; for example, some people fool their friends or relatives as a joke or to see the reaction of the person being a fool. This is positive. But negatively, foolish is kind of brainless, senseless, rash, dumb etc., like, e.g., "She is foolish," shows like that person is insulting another person. 

I have also been fooled by my friends and brother so many times, but that day I still remember when I was fooled by my brother. During summer vacation, we all were together and having lunch. Then my brother started talking about me and making fun of me by saying that yesterday night when I was sleeping, I kicked off the blanket, and it fell. Then I woke up in a deep sleep; after that, I picked up the blanket and again fell back to sleep. He told me I did the same thing more than 5 times, and then my parents started laughing at me and making fun of me, and even I laughed at myself. I felt embarrassed. And I got angry, but after a few minutes, he said he was just making me foolish to see my reaction. But it was funny and also a kind of amusement. I was stupid to believe him".  - Smriti Rai.

"Hiding a mistake from someone older than us, even after knowing about it,  is bigger than it is. Once when I was about 5 to 6 years old, I went on a morning walk with my youngest brother, who was about 2 years old, and some friends. I was so busy with my friends that I forgot about my brother. When I went back home, my mother asked me about my brother. I was so scared that I lied to my mother and never took him out with me. That was my foolish mistake because anything would have happened to my brother, and I would be guilty and sad about my life." - Monika Singh Pundir. 

“The only thing we can do is better…no one is perfect. We all come with mistakes and have done foolish things, and it makes for a better story too. Be humbled by your past and learn to be better from there on”. - Januka Basnet. 

"It is rightly said that "No one in this world is perfect except for the Almighty." We all have made many mistakes and will continue to make many more. Mistakes not only allow us to improve but also help in making a version better of ourselves. We try to overcome them, learn from them and move on with our lives. Many of the mistakes we make in our daily life are neither intentional nor deliberate. It happens naturally or accidentally since we all are imperfect, and it is human nature to make mistakes. I have conducted plenty of mistakes, most of them rather too silly. Therefore, it is tough for me to think of a fault which was not at all foolish or brainless. 

In the end, I would like to quote a line from an unknown author who said, "Once you realise there is life after mistakes. You gain self-confidence that never goes away." With this, I come to the end of my piece of work. Hope you enjoyed it?" - Tenzin Norsang.

"Like everyone makes mistakes, I have also made many many which were foolish in my life. Those mistakes taught me many things, and I learned from them. Those mistakes also include my childhood memories.

I would like to share one of the incidents from my childhood. When I was 6 to 7 years old. My parents always told me not to touch the lighter that was kept in the kitchen. I was inquisitive about using it because whenever my parents used to light the fire, I found it fascinating. One day when my parents were busy with work, I took the lighter from the kitchen and tried to use it on the dry hay kept near our house. I was so happy that I could also light a fire with the lighter. I didn't realise that the fire grew big as it was dry hay. Somehow my father saw smoke and came running. He hurriedly put water from the tap which was nearby. He was furious. I got terrified. He scolded me, and I started crying. I never tried to disobey my parents from that day." - Shristi Khulal.

"For me, foolish means to believe whatever other people tell me. Back then, I was so silly that I always thought of them. Once upon a time, when I was young, my friends and I played in our school. We played a game named hide and seek, which we used to play every day. But once it was my turn to search for them, they all went towards a very dense forest, and I went to search for them there, but they were not there because they all were hiding in a big tree and I could not find them.

Once, they fooled me into thinking that there was a ghost who eats human beings. I was searching for them, but suddenly I remembered what they had told me; I started running from there and they made terrifying voices simultaneously. Later on, when I was unable to run, I started crying, and then they all came out and took me from there and later told me that they all made me a fool. There was no ghost at all. Later, I laughed while writing this." -  Manisha Rana.

Pestalozzi Children's Village India

Wabi Sabi: The art of imperfection - Rishona Chopra

Nature is imperfect, people are imperfect, and you and I are imperfect, which is why we are beautiful and unique. 

Many of us aim to be perfect and flawless. We fail to understand that our flaws make us unique. Our mistakes give us more experience and learning. As said by Genard Way, "Being happy doesn't mean that everything is perfect. It means you have decided to look beyond imperfections." There is beauty in imperfection. Trees shed their leaves, flowers rot, animals die, and seasons change, which is the beauty of nature. If trees didn't shed their leaves, they would grow huge and cover up the buildings and roads. Many people's income is on cleaning the fallen dry leaves. They would, too, lose their job. 

To talk practically, many young people start during facial surgeries at a young age to look "perfect", unable to realise they were born simply perfectly. Why do we long to change yourselves for others? Hardly anyone changes for themselves; we all change for others. So that people like us, they become our friends, but when we do that, we lose our true joy and beauty. 

We all are beautiful and pretty, and no one can change that!

Rishona Chopra
Grade VI
Gyanshree School

Light the candle - Rishona Chopra

We all aim for change, but why do we always look and aim for the sky? Why don't we look around and notice the changes needed around us?

Many have progressed towards changes, massive changes whose impact is left noticed. Have we cleared the ground before aiming for the sky? We make changes that are called "a benefit", but those changes affect the ground effect of Mother Earth. We all think of infrastructural changes but have we noticed that Mother Earth is the one that needs the change? We don't need the changes that worsen the state of mother Earth. 

Can we light the candle to save something we depend on more than anything and everything? When Mother Earth did nothing but give, can we at least put effort into a thank you? If everyone lights one candle, the entire Earth will shine. 
 
Rishona Chopra
Grade VI
Gyanshree School

The hardest step - Aria Gupta

We all must have this habit called procrastination at some point in our lives. What is procrastination? Procrastination is when you delay work until the last minute, and then you panic because you don’t have more time now than before to finish it.

This habit will be in all of us at some point. Maybe you don’t have it now, but you will have it afterwards. Unfortunately, making sure you never procrastinate is only delaying the inevitable. But if we have faced procrastination before, we can ensure it never happens again. The more you procrastinate, the less responsible you are. But why do we develop this habit in the first place? We seem like ladybugs in front of a seemingly giant monster.

The reality is that the task is nothing but a small, cute puppy. Even if your task really is a big giant, then
break it into pieces of tasks that will last less than 2 minutes. For example - You get a task to practise yoga. Use a hammer called the brain to break this task into smaller parts, such as laying the mat, doing some quick warm-ups, holding this pose for 10 seconds, holding the next pose for 10 seconds, etc. I hope you understand what procrastination is, its effects and how to deal with it. 

Grade V
Gyanshree School

Dear Life - Rishona Chopra

 
Dear Life,

Is your path too difficult to drive?

Does it hold happiness?

Or sadness?

Is it full of bundles of joy?

Is it fun, like a playing toy?

Does it hold success for me?

Or will it be full of glee?

I ask these questions to dear Life,

I hope it helps me decide.

It answers,

You could suffer from Cancer.

You could be successful,

You could be distressful.

You may find a lot of joy,

The path may be destroyed.

Neither do I, Neither do you,

Know if you might fall through.

It is in your hands, she says,

It depends on the way I sway.

Rishona Chopra

Grade VI

Gyanshree School

Reflections on how am I getting ready to face the world?

"Preparation is an essential thing to face the world. Everybody is preparing for their future. Without preparation, no one gets success in their life. We all need courage, confidence and calm when problems arise to face them. I am building my confidence, interacting with many people, being brave, exploring new things and having new experiences. I am also trying my best to be calm and understanding which is very important." -  Shristi Khulal.

"Every person in the world needs to face something until their death, whether it is easy or hard for them to face through life. I'm getting ready to face the world by targeting my weakness and studying to improve them, but if I need to face something, I am willing to face it. I'm scared about the future, but I will try my best to overcome this and focus on my studies. After completing my study and I will search for a job, or I will find a way to make money. After earning money, I will full fill my parent's dream even though I want to help orphan people." - Mankumari Rai.

"We all live in a selfish world in which everyone needs to prepare to face difficulties in life. As for me,  I am still unsure about the world outside there because I am living in a well-protected environment where I have no difficulty. Here all the necessary facilities have been provided to me. And I am very grateful for it. I have been trying to be brave, so I cannot be beaten by anyone in the future. How to be strong enough to face the difficulties which will come up in the future? I am trying to learn it from my seniors and staff, who have already been through many life difficulties. From there, I can not make any mistakes; I have to face challenges." - Monika Singh Pundir.

"Everything changes with time, so we also need to change ourselves to be able to face the world. I am also getting ready to face the world by managing my time correctly, being polite and humble with others and, most importantly, being self-confident enough to speak for myself." - Jeni Sherpa.

"I am still not ready to face the world as I have not been that confident in front of many people. But if I am ready to face the world, I will have to become brave, stronger and confident to speak in front of the world. It will become easy for me if I am not shy or become an open person. I can face the world easily."- Manisha Rana

How are you going to change the world? - Tenzing Dhekyong N

We can change the world by avoiding being judgemental when we judge other people; we can sometimes shift the blame off to ourselves and may not be tackling the real issues. 

Try to view life from the other person's point of view so that we can better understand where they're coming from. As long as we stay open-minded, we'll be able to make a lot more changes for the better. 

We can even look for volunteering opportunities.  Volunteering is a great way to find people who care about the exact causes you do & give back to your community.

Tenzing Dhekyong N

Pestalozzi Children’s Village India