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

Swami and Friends - Anvesha Rana

Friendship makes us foresee all difficulties, it enables the world to go blind and our friends to shine bright like a new ray. Swami, Rajam and  Mani had to meet each other at any cost; despite the heat that hit their heads, the tar that burnt their feet and the lone streets that gave shudders, the friends had to come together. 

This stubborn hope for meeting our friends, whether it rains or snows, hails or blows, windy or stormy, sunny or cloudy, is what makes friendship so great. The eagerness to meet our friends with the same smile, vigour and energy, as if meeting them for the first time and listening to their talks, as if they were the most essential thing in the world, is what makes a friend the best. 

Swami, the however kind he may be at heart, is a leisurely mind. His brain dwells on the tale behind the sum when he witnesses math sums rather than quickly solving them. It’s true sometimes it’s simply impossible to concentrate - we just want to have fun, but seeing the complex numbers dance in front of our eyes and not getting the correct answer even after solving the question a million times, can be frustrating - but education is an excellent teacher, it has taught us not to give up on that math sum, not to lose hope in a subject and to be genuinely confident in ourselves.

Do your best, 

And leave the rest

For the Almighty, he is looking at us, 

He is seeing if we are good or making a fuss

Live the way you want it to be, 

Just be happy and be free

Only Remember to enjoy the roadway,

And not devour the fruit halfway.  

Anvesha Rana, 

Grade 10-B, 

Gyanshree School

Gratitude - Oshi Singh

You may know the meaning of this nine-letter word, but do you practice it daily? 

The feeling of Gratitude or thankfulness. Do you recall when we were little children constantly reminded to say thank you? Why was that? The answer seems pretty simple at the moment, to show that we care and appreciate what we have. 

Why, then, does this change when we get older? Why does our habit of expressing gratitude fade away with time? Why do we think whatever is happening & whatever someone is doing for us is bound to happen. Why can't it be out of love and compassion? Gratitude is a valuable life lesson and, if practised, can teach us to have a significant and positive attitude towards life. It changes our overall perspective towards life and helps make us and others around us happier. 

We never thank our mom enough for setting up our rooms. We never thank our dad for teaching us something new every time. We never thank our siblings sufficient for teaching us the art of sharing and caring. We never thank the sun and the fine moon for lightening our days and nights. We never thank God enough for giving us the gift of life. So why don't we promise to cherish all these bundles of joy for the rest of our lives? 

So let's practice these small acts of kindness by saying a simple "thank you", "I appreciate what you do", and "I am grateful to have you in my life". All these small acts of selflessness can later be your contribution to making sure future generations live in a better and positive world. 

Oshi Singh

VIII D

Gyanshree School