Thinking for oneself - Nishan Karki

Thinking for oneself

"Its starting point has always been a willingness to think for oneself, a feeling of respect and concern for our fellow creatures, and a refusal to be complicit in abuse, and people of such conviction come from everywhere." —Matthew Scully

 

Thinking for oneself is one of the most important parts of life. It plays a crucial role in one's life. One should also think about his own motives instead of those of others. Well, it is also important to think for others, but before that, thinking for oneself is more crucial.

 

Arthur Schopenhauer, a German philosopher, said that:

 

A library may be very large, but if it is in disorder, it is less useful than one that is small but well-arranged. In the same way, a man may have a great mass of knowledge, but if he has yet to work it up by thinking it over for himself, it has much less value than a far smaller amount that he has thoroughly pondered.

So, one may have a great deal of knowledge, but if he does not use it wisely and in a fruitful manner by thinking it over for himself, his knowledge is worthless. He should utilize his knowledge to do good for himself and, thus, for others. He should not let it go to waste and always try to gain from it. If only he gains from his knowledge by thinking it over for himself, his knowledge will be valuable.

Nishan Karki

Class 10

Pestalozzi Children's Village Society

Image Courtesy- wikiHow

Learning Forward with Dr Niti Rana

Coming Soon Learning Forward Podcast

with Dr Niti Rana, in conversation with Anvesha and Rishona

Dr Niti Rana is the founder of Rakshya Nepal, an organisation established in 2008 to address the issue of school bullying. Through her work, Dr Rana has significantly contributed to raising awareness about and combating school bullying in Nepal. Her organisation, Rakshya Nepal, works towards creating safe and inclusive learning environments for students by implementing anti-bullying programs and providing support to victims of bullying. Dr. Niti Rana's dedication and efforts have positively impacted the lives of many students in Nepal.

Read more in the book School Bullying: Peer Victimisation and How to Deal with It.

The Tree - Sakshi Singh

 

In the forest deep, A tree stands tall. Dancing free is a sight to see. With every breeze they seem to play, birds find a place safe from storms and the world's alarms.

 

"O kind soul, please spare me. Even I am part of nature's life. I breathe for the earth and dance with the sky. From the wood that builds your shelter to the papers you write, I serve in countless ways, from morning until night."

 

Let's cherish and protect them; they are vital to every living being. The blessings they bring, for together, we find harmony in this living thing.

 

Sakshi Singh
Gyanshree School
Image Courtesy- https://pin.it/5qQ3OIp

How to find happiness in everything I do- TENZIN JAMBEY

Many of my friends say that hard work is the key to success, but I believe that hard work without happiness, peace of mind, love, and knowledge doesn't bring you success.

 

Happiness is the state of mind when we feel relief and are free from all the worries, and at that moment we feel satisfied. Human activities are never-ending, and they have no end point. Under this human desire is something that is unlimited and endless. The more you have, the more you want. Some people don't achieve what they want. How sad it is that in this short life we won't get what we want so desperately. Life becomes a burden if we do things we don't like; therefore, it is very important to find where our heart lies. Many people on this earth want to achieve everything, but we must understand that we can never achieve everything; we can only achieve the things where our hearts lie.

We will be able to achieve only those things that have a connection with your life and that you love. Therefore, we need to find a way, a medium, a sphere, or an environment where all the activities are to your liking. We would never find happiness in all the things we do.

Just an example of myself I never loved doing math, nor did I get happiness after solving any questions. In this case, how can one find happiness in things in which he has no interest? When I took environmental studies as my subject, I loved it, and I got both happiness and interest from learning it. Now, when I connect my life with this subject, I get happiness, as my life revolves only around the things that make me feel happy, not sad.

 

As our lives are so short, we should not waste our time doing things we dislike. We should always work hard, keeping in mind that we are putting hard work into things that give us happiness and satisfaction.

TENZIN JAMBEY

Pestalozzi Children's Village Society

Image Courtesy- Canva

Purpose to live - Pasang Sherpa

Like precious metals, gold and silver have a purpose, which is to satisfy people's desire for luxury. Our lives too have a purpose, but it is hidden. We can find it only if we have a hobby. Having a hobby means that we are one step ahead of finding our purpose in life. And if we are very much into our hobby, then that is the time when we change our hobby into a passion. Passion acts as a medium to sustain life; without it, our lives are futile.

Pasang Sherpa

Pestalozzi Children's Village Society

Image Courtesy- @syifatemplate

Purpose to live - Nishan Karki

"The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experiences." Ralph Waldo Emerson

One should have a purpose in life. Purpose makes our lives better and more reasonable. It helps us to focus on our goals.

A boy loved to climb trees. He often used to climb trees. He climbed trees for fun and also cut grass for his cattle. Whenever he climbed trees just for fun, something happened to him. When he climbed trees to cut grass for his cattle, nothing happened to him. He could not understand what was happening to him. Gradually, he came to know that when he climbed trees purposelessly and just for fun, he got harmed. He could not be satisfied with his work. But when he climbed trees to cut grass for his cattle, i.e., with some purpose, he was able to fulfil his work. Nothing happened to him. He did his work with ease.

 

From this story, we can conclude that life without a purpose is meaningless. We should have a purpose in life and live to fulfill it. In fact, the purpose of life is to live a life of purpose, as correctly said by a great thinker.

Nishan Karki 

Class X

Pestalozzi Children’s Village Society

Image Courtesy- Tiny Buddha

Purpose To Live - Arfa Khan

We all have a purpose. Our purpose gives us a reason to wake up each day. Without a purpose, our lives feel meaningless. Our lives become equivalent to wandering on a crooked path with no destination. In a world where money, power, and status are chased, we often forget what truly matters: a meaningful life. These pursuits don’t fulfill our existential emptiness; after all, there is always a question of why we ‘need’ power or status. To boast about it? Is that our purpose? Of course not! Our purpose plays a role here too; just chasing after material wealth won't solve the lack of meaning. Without awareness of the motive, our lives would be stuck in an endless cycle, waking up without a goal and then working a regular job to support a meaningless life financially. To find a reason to work, to live, and to keep going, we must find our purpose, but how?

Imagine you are held at gunpoint. While you’re begging to be set free to live, the criminal says, “Give me just one reason why I should let you live”. What would be your answer? That’s your purpose. A soldier’s purpose is to protect his nation’s land; an artist’s purpose is to amuse everyone’s eyes with their art; a doctor’s purpose is to save lives; an activist’s purpose is to fight for equality; and a mother’s purpose is to care for her child.

Finding our purpose takes time and requires a lot of pondering. Maybe it resides in one’s passions—to care for a loved one or to fight for justice and freedom. It gives us a reason to keep pushing forward—something to live for and die for. Each person has their own purpose, and you can find yours.

Arfa Khan

8-A  

Ahlcon Public School

Image courtesy: https://in.pinterest.com/pin/603975000052552263/