Do it for yourself - Rishona Chopra

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Often, we find ourselves doing things to please someone else. To get appreciation. We all are like that, even I. It makes me feel happy when one appreciates me. But there is one more thing to the appreciation - the pressure. 

When one appreciates you, you feel burdened to always do well, be an achiever and keep striving but when you fall in that cycle, you lose the joy of doing the task in the very first place. You now don't do it for self-pleasure but to please someone else.

When we do that, the task eventually becomes a burden and all happiness is replaced by fear and nervousness. Whatever we do, we should be doing it just for ourselves. Not for seeking prestige and glory. 

Why are we here in this world? What is our purpose? To do our part in the world and be kind. That is our purpose. And the key to fulfilling that purpose is to be happy and content with ourselves. To do all our tasks for mere joy and happiness.

I write because it gives me joy. I read because it takes me to another world. I play the piano because it makes my heart soar with happiness. If I did all these things for someone else then it wouldn't give me the same joy that it gave me before.

There are two meanings that come out when we say “ Do it for yourself”. One is that we do something because it gives us happiness. Because we love that task. The second is to help out someone else yet enjoy the task and not lose the joy in doing it.

Helping out someone is fantastic but everything we must do must be done with passion and happiness. If no joy, the beauty of the work itself disappears.

When you eat the food at a restaurant and when you eat something homemade, there is a humongous difference! The food at home is made with love and you can feel that while eating the food.  The joy and passion in work are shown similarly no matter how it may look or be.

When we say "Joy of learning" the keyword isn't "Learning", it is "Joy". We learn for our own joy and happiness. 

As said, live your life for you, not for anyone else.

Rishona Chopra

Grade VII

Gyanshree School

Allegory - A Tapestry of Guru Nanak’s Travels

Guru Nanak, an embodiment of Oneness, is a revolutionary spiritual teacher. Born in 1469, he traversed vast geographies for over two decades to visit congregational sites of diverse faiths with a noble interest in seeking and imparting universal fellowship.

“Allegory - A Tapestry of Guru Nanak’s Travels”, a 24-episode docuseries, sequentially explores Guru Nanak’s life events to unfurl the deep imports of his messages.

Filmed at over 150 multifaith sites in 9 countries, the docuseries is available in English, Punjabi (Gurmukhi), Hindi, Urdu and Punjabi (Shahmukhi).

Opening on Sunday, the 7th of January 2024, we will screen one documentary every fortnight at My Good School. Join us as a student/teacher of a GSA Members School or even as an individual. You can sign up from www.SchoolEducation.com.

My Takeaway from the session with Amardeep Singh at Sunday School - Arfa Khan

Photo from Lost Heritage Productions website

We had a lovely meet and greet with Mr Amardeep Singh in the session on December 24. It was very informative, and we learned a lot from him. Following are my takeaways:

• Listen to articulate; listening first lets you organise your thoughts and speak fluently.
• If your dreams will be easy, walk away from them. Dreams are meant to have challenges, and we must endeavour to achieve them.
• Prepare yourself before chasing your dream; take the first step, and the energy will automatically shape the next ten.
• Ensure you are so good at your work that you’re too hard to ignore.
• Don’t follow your passion; create it.
• Don’t chase recognition; if you pursue recognition, you exercise self-gratification. If your work is good, recognition will automatically follow.
• There’s no true friendship other than you and yourself; you will accompany yourself through your most challenging times.

It was an extraordinary session with so much to take back. Thank you, Sir, for giving us your time!

Arfa Khan 8-A

Ahlcon Public school

Importance of Taking Risk ! And many more - Sunbeam School Lahartara

Reflections from the Sunday School

Importance Of Taking Risks

Taking risks is important because it builds our knowledge. Taking risks is something that we all have to do in our lives. Sometimes, taking risks is essential; it builds our confidence and makes us better than if we never took them. Because it brings a good change and helps us learn. Taking risks is a core element of human life. Failure and mistakes are common when taking risks. We should not be afraid because we will realise instead and become successful men eventually.

"Great Success Always Comes at the Risk of Enormous Failure". Winston Churchill

Divyanshu Agarwal- IX D

Experiential Insights from the point of view of Guru Nanak Dev Ji

Practice self-service to humanity and treat everyone equally. Incorporate daily meditation and prayer into our routine, as Guru Nanak did.

"SEWA" engages in voluntary services to help those in need. For the past several decades, societies worldwide have examined the concept of equality, debating bias in the workplace, social arenas at home, and religion. According to Guru Nanak, life's purpose is to become a truthful being and enlighten others.

"Dwell in peace of the house of your own being, and the message of death will not be able to touch you."  

Shubhangi Kashyap - VIII B

Tata'sTata Stories

My good school is a place to learn good things and morals. For me, it is always exciting to attend the sessions of good schools. Tata Stories inspire me to do something unique in life. It gives me the passion to carry forward any work with sustainability and longevity. Like Sandeep sir said, age is just a number, and we should dream big and achieve big.

Samriddhi Banerjee- IVB

A dream is not something you see when you sleep; a dream doesn't let you sleep. Dreams, the nocturnal symphony of the mind, transport us to realms unknown. As we surrender to the embrace of sleep, the subconscious weaves tapestries of imagination and emotion. In this ethereal dance, the boundaries of reality blur, and the mind becomes a canvas for the surreal and fantastical. Dreams are the silent storytellers, narrating tales that defy logic and gravity, where the mundane transforms into the extraordinary. Each night, we embark on odysseys of the mind, encountering phantoms of the past and visions of the future.

Aryan Kumar - VII A

What Is Age! And many more - Sunbeam School & Hostel Lahartara

Image from the RoundSquare.Org website 

WHAT IS AGE!
My life is still valuable even if I cannot help others. I can explore new hobbies, enjoy moments with family, and learn exciting things. Being kind to myself matters. I can find joy in little things and create happiness within and for others. My worth isn't just about helping others but embracing who I am.
- Anmol Kashyap VIII B 

Oneness In Diversity

1. Age is just a number. If you dare to do work, which means that even if you are 80 years old and sitting at home, which makes you feel bored and want to do something, then age does not matter.

2. "What is my life if I am no longer useful to others?". This means we should always help others if we can do that and relieve our lives in others with compassion.

3. Anyone who stops learning is old, while one who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in your life is to keep your mind young.

- Mridul Maheshwari IX-D

In the 21st century, religion is not just a path to follow; it is an agenda to cause trouble for the world. In the 15th century, Guru Nanak Ji travelled half of Asia and gave his own philosophy of oneness in diversity. He talked to Muslims, Christians and every religion, and still, after the gap of six centuries, the Muslims of Afghanistan remember and respect his ideology.  

- Shaurya Chaturvedi VIII-B

To maintain a tricky balance.

Money is not bigger than life, and it's an opportunity to create has no money; it's an opportunity to make meaning. The worst invention is money.

The barter system was the best as it exchanged love.

So we should maintain a balance between our work life and our personal life.

Power should not be a thing to curse but to cure others.

Keep trying many things as we don't know the emergence of anything in life.

Because our exceptions have no bounds.

-By Animesh Kashyap Class VIII-B

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Listening comes before speaking.

By listening to others, we gain a deeper understanding of their perspective and discover the best way to deliver the message we need our audience to hear. Guru Nanak says that deep listening opens sensitivity and gives us knowledge. Doing this will allow us to consciously shape our destiny, a fundamental human capacity. It is not a small thing. It is a state in which we exist in a creative polarity with our own infinite self and God.

-  Pranvi Chandra - IX D

PURVEYORS OF HOPE

A WHOLE STACK OF MEMORIES NEVER EQUALS LITTLE HOPE.

HOPE ENDS FEAR IN YOUR HEART, AND WHEN WE DO THE BAD THINGS, THEY SOMETIMES BECOME UNBEARABLE UNTIL HOPE MAKES THEM DISAPPEAR IT IS THE ONE THING THAT KEEPS US GOING WHEN TIMES GET TOUGH AND ROUGH. IT IS SOMETHING WE NEED TO FOCUS ON, AND WHEN WE DO BAD THINGS, THEY SOMETIMES BECOME UNBEARABLE. HOPE MAKES THEM DISAPPEAR, AND WHEN WE DO BAD THINGS, THEY SOMETIMES BECOME UNBEARABLE UNTIL HOPE MAKES THEM DISAPPEAR.

A GOOD TEACHER CAN INSPIRE HOPE, IGNITE THE IMAGINATION, AND STILL A HOPE OF LEARNING.
VAIBHAV JAISWAL (9D) 

Reflections for today's meeting - Tenzin Chonzom

Sunday School 24th December 2024

We watched a video of an American woman who is 92 years old and an advocator of social justice, an incredible woman who encouraged me and taught me that it's never too late to start something.

•⁠  ⁠Having an extraordinary meeting with Amardeep sir was the most significant opportunity I had; with the help of his advice, a lot of things struct my mind

The following are:

 1.⁠ ⁠Not to follow a passion; create your passion.

 2.⁠ ⁠Never chase recognition (you'll not achieve anything). Create your content.

 3.⁠ ⁠Keep trying many things because we don't know the emergence.

 4.⁠ ⁠Everything in life is a means to an end, and there will be a chance to excel.

 5.⁠ ⁠Religion is a subset of legacy.

 6.⁠ ⁠Dreams are supposed to be filled with challenges and obstacles.

 7.⁠ ⁠Learning is feet for every individual.

Amardeep sir, In his documentary, The Tapestry of Guru Nanak:

I highly appreciate his hard work of 30 years and self-discovery. His interest in going to every risky area shows his passion and bravery.

My takeaway from this meeting is that he motivated me through all situations 🙏.

Tenzin Chonzom (Girl) from 9th grade 
Pestalozzi Children's Village India

The Sour Truth - Tenzin Jambey

We live in a world where the mistake of a man is punished, and a woman's mistake is forgiven. We live in a world where a girl is judged as a good person if she hits a man, and when a boy raises his hands on a girl, the whole society turns against him without even knowing the truth. 

Thinking about life, sometimes my eyes fill up with tears. Why can't society accept the people who have done one wrong? Why do we forget all the good things that he has done? Why does one action of a person have to be judged to know whether he is good or bad? How blind we people have become that we cannot see things beyond what they look.

 

Life has become so busy that people don't have time to breathe. Why is there so much competition among the human race? Terms like job, money, marksheet, and wealth have taken over humans. A person cannot live his life the way he wants to because everyone—the parents, teachers, and society—is trying to shape the child in the way they want. Why aren't we allowed to create our own future? Why is there so much of a burden regarding studies? Why do parents and teachers expect children to always do good and improve when they know that life doesn't go according to how we want?

 

Does forcing a child to study more and more make him more intelligent and more talented? Why do the parents and teachers compare the students? We want to be praised for our efforts and hard work, not compared. The school system should be adequately understood. The school is a sphere where we can learn languages and seek knowledge without getting burdened. The things we know from school are supposed to be connected with our surroundings. How can one say he is not intelligent if the child doesn't attend school? There is always a difference between education and literature. If we talk about learning, so many things fly around us that we must catch and analyse them. School teaches us how to answer satisfactorily to older and high-standard people. We work on our skills to fit among the rich and forget the place from which we started our journey. You never look back on the problems you faced, nor do you try to help the people suffering; it's just you and your company in a safe zone. In school, we are made to write essays and stories, not of our choice but of the choices of our teachers. We are given marks for how well we follow our teachers' instructions. We are made to make good points on topics on which we disagree. How will the child say good things about things if he feels they're not good?

 

In my heart, school is building us to be good workers and good employees who will work diligently without question. We, students, must raise our voices and look for teachers like Sandeep sir and Jugjiv sir who are working on and trying to help us become what we want to be. Even when the teachers in the school compare the students, I wonder why they don't praise us for our efforts and hard work; it's not like we are not working on ourselves.

Tenzin Jambey
Pestalozzi Children's Village, India