What is peer pressure, and how can we deal with it? - Shambhavi Nautiyal

Reading Chapter 43, Sunday the 26th of March 2023

Peer pressure is the direct or indirect influence of our peers which tells us that we need to act in a certain way like the people surrounding us. It is often observed in teenage but continues as an existing matter throughout our lives regardless of age. It is a trap which makes people victims of many addicting and harmful practices. It could be wrong personality traits such as people pleasing and sometimes ruinous activities like smoking and drugs. 

It starts with compellingly curious intentions of just wanting to fit in, make friends and enjoy company, but later on, it becomes a habit. For instance, something often seen in the present youth is the following of the perpetually changing Instagram trends by young school-going teenagers to feel accepted and admired. 

We see kids going out of their way to follow social media trends and become famous because of peer pressure and the fact that this is seen as the definition of likeable and "cool". In school, too, we see popular girls and students liked by most of our peers or teachers, and we try to become like them. We observe that because of some of their habits, many people appreciate and admire them. To gain that popularity, we try to procure their idolized external features, skills or behaviours. In light of this fact, in this process, we lose ourselves. We lose our own identities. 

We never learn to love ourselves since we are compared to others by ourselves or our parents to our peers. We become even lonelier because of masking ourselves and never focusing on nurturing ourselves. We are left with no friends of our own, not even ourselves. Even when we stop trying to be like others, we still take that habit of people pleasing with us, in which we let people cross our boundaries and put them before ourselves, creating a frail sense of self-worth. However, we can fight it, come out of it and fix this whole scenario. 

As for me, I had been in some influencing company, and over time, I noticed that I had become a people pleaser and that I had been neglecting myself for my peers. I was listening more to them rather than my piece of mind. So, to fix those habits, I had to release that person from my life and start instilling healthier relationship patterns in my attitude. I had to change my outlook by changing my behaviour and thoughts. I had to make it clear to myself that it was okay for me to put myself and think about myself first before taking any decision instead of following my friends blindly and speculating about their behaviours, meaning how they treat me. I had to fix my sense of self-worth. 

So it is salient to love ourselves so that we don't compare ourselves to others and don't let others' judgements affect us, which calls out for having a deep sense of self-worth. We should practice self-compassion and not let ourselves get trapped in the vicious trap of peer pressure cause each one of us deserves to be loved, adored and treated like the queens and kings we are. So before judging yourself after seeing someone else, remind yourself of and be grateful for how confounding, worthy and attractive you are.

Always keep that in mind before wandering to search for love outside; look inside, and you will find the person who has always been and shall always be ready to love you.

Shambhavi Nautiyal Ahlcon Public School

The Lure Of Being Secure - Rishona Chopra

I think something we all feel is insecurity. At some point, we start rethinking our decisions and doubting ourselves.  Insecurity is simply a negative feeling which is really a disguise to fit in. It can be caused due to jealousy, and a lack of self-determination and optimism. Before raising our hand in class, do we feel a slight doubt about asking a particular question? We might feel what will other students think? Will they think that we don't know the answer to such a simple question. 

It is usually the thought "What will others think" that bothers us and affects us. No matter how much people say that we shouldn't care about what others say. Deep down, at some point, we do care, or at least I do. When someone says something about me in a negative way, it affects me if the person saying so is close to me as a friend or family. 

Whenever we feel something like that, we can always talk to ourselves. When I feel jealous of someone I tell myself that I am turning green with envy and that I have to turn normal again. It makes you feel better and makes a good laugh. 

Sometimes, we stop being ourselves and put on a personae of insecurity just to fit in. But, why fit in when you can stand out?

Rishona Chopra
Grade VII
Gyanshree School

Thoughts and Actions - Rishona Chopra

Karma as in what we do comes back to us. Whatever good we put out in the world, comes back to us. But is it only our actions that matter or is it also our thoughts? I can easily help somebody but it matters what I am thinking while doing so.

Karma should not be our idea of helping someone. Kindness should come from within. We might think we are fooling someone by pretending to hide our thoughts but we can't hide anything from ourselves. It is about the thoughts we have and our mind's consciousness that matters. Actions that come from the heart shine apart. 

If the thought is true the action comes out itself. If actions speak louder than words, thoughts speak louder than actions. 

Rishona Chopra
Grade VII
Gyanshree School

Opening our Wings - Rishona Chopra

Sometimes in life, things don't go your way, 
You feel disheartened and tend to go away. 
 But changes are constant, 
If you don't embrace them, you feel distant. 
The wind's direction changes, 
The sea's waves change,
Day and night change, 
With each passing day, there is a change. 
I rather go along with it than against it,
It's for our own benefit. 
I say, dear change,
Is it essential for you to play your game?
It says,
Yes, it's just a little quiz,
Do you go along or want separation?
Change is a wonderful yet a difficult thing,
It simply helps us to open our wings.

Rishona Chopra
Grade VII
Gyanshree School

My Guide - Sunday School 19th March 2023

A good teacher's qualities include communication, listening, collaboration, adaptability, empathy and patience. Other characteristics of effective teaching include an engaging classroom presence, value in real-world learning, exchange of best practices and a lifelong love of learning. A teacher's guidebook suggests different methods and techniques for a teacher while teaching in the classroom. It helps the teacher to manage a classroom, identify new approaches in the learning process, select teaching content sequentially, method suitably, materials and learning process appropriately.

Januka Basnet

In my life, so many people guide me, like my parents, house mother and my friends. Firstly there are my parents who teach me. They tell me not to go down the wrong path and what I should do in my life, and if I do something wrong, they stop me from doing that thing again. After them, my House Mother and friends, my House Mother who always told me to focus on my studies and to work hard and also guided me to stay away from wrong things and then my friends who always scolded me for don't bad things, and I am happy to have them in my life. Before all, we didn't know each other we all were strangers, but now we all stay like a family, and they always guide me for good things. I am lucky to have them in my life. 

😇
Anchal Mehra

For me the people who assist me in doing work and activities are my guide.

When I was born my first guide in this world were my parents and then after a few years I was sent to a school which was completely a nightmare for a few days, and then after I started liking to go to school. Then I met many teachers whose teaching was absolutely great and many of them gave me inspiration and motivated me to move forward now I feel like they were my “supporting stick when I was a growing plant". It's true that every start has an ending but it is also true that every ending has a new beginning, I had to say goodbye to all my old teachers but, now I have many new teachers and seniors who guide me.

Here at Pestalozzi, all the staff who contribute their efforts to make me a better version of myself have become my guide. Even Sandeep sir, Jugjiv sir, Shipika ma'am and the students attending Sunday School are now my guide.

Tenzin Jambey

Positive Attitude In Life - Sulochana Rana

Positive people can maintain a broader perspective and see the big picture, which helps them find solutions.  

We will get the following things if we have a positive attitude in our life:-

• Happiness
• Self-confidence
• Strong Immune System
• More focus

We can get a positive attitude by loving ourselves, giving time to ourselves, practising meditation, Listening to music and looking at the bright side after getting laid off.

Sulochana Rana

sr@learningforward.org.in

Spreading the joy of learning at My Good School.

Image source: https://possibilitiesunlimited.com/how-to-feel-more-positive-and-energized/

Hello from Sulochana!

Hello everyone. 

We hope you are all in the pink of health and mind. Very soon we will meet at The Sunday School. 

School is where we enhance our skills, and our Sunday School is the best place where we share ideas, have our points of view and have a healthy discussion which makes us think differently. I am very excited to meet you all. Together we will be spreading the joy of learning.

On Sunday, the 26th of March 2023, we read the chapter Positivity vs Negativity from The Fabindia School Book.

My dear ones, everyone has their own perspective on handling a situation. It can be positive or negative. You know our universe has the law of attraction. If you think positively, then only that is attractive, and if you start thinking negatively, you will find only wrong things occurring around you, as now our focus is only on flaws. 

Always focus on positivity in your life.

Sulochana Rana

sr@learningforward.org.in

Happy to be at My Good School