Peer Pressure: What's Its Future? - Oshi Singh

Picture Courtesy: https://images.app.goo.gl/MuaNBWFQoBKXUt5b7

Thinking about how the human race started has always intrigued me but do you know something that intrigued me even more? 

It's thinking about the future. Will there be flying cars? Will there ever be robot teachers? Will we ever live in an AI-dominated world? Well of course these are all questions that I often think about but how awesome would it be if all of this turned into reality? 

However, this would only be possible if today’s youth or may I say ‘Gen-Z’ is ready to face the future. When I say face, I mean they are in a healthy condition, mentally as well as physically. We were all teenagers once. 

Teenage is the period where a child builds his/her character and it is also the period when everything hits us all at once. We experience a lot of changes. During this time it can be hard to keep up with stuff now be it academically or in any other field. That is when we hear phrases like, ‘You only live once’, ‘You have one life, live it.’ or ‘It’s now or never.’ Phrases like these are what make us want to try something new every day. 

We follow these phrases with blindfolded lyrics and they become our mantras. Not to mention the constant fear of being left out if we don’t do ‘exactly’ what others are doing. Forget if it’s good or bad we have to do it because if we don't we’ll be left out. I believe it is safe for me to say that teenagers undergo a lot of pressure. Doing well under academic pressure, thinking about future pressure, doing co-curricular activity pressure and all this adds up to the pressure of fitting in. 

At this very moment, we get introduced to all kinds of bad stuff. Alcohol, drugs and whatnot! “Try a little bit”, “A little won’t harm you.” Well, trust me that little bit is what harms every single time. Peer pressure has become a growing concern in today’s generation. The day-to-day reduction of “Self-Control” in youngsters is often what takes them on a trip to heaven. 

I strongly believe that a lack of knowledge is like a crossroads with no signal and once learned it is very hard to unlearn. Many youngsters start drinking to become what they think is cool only to realize later in life that they have become addicted. Which in turn takes them on the road of cancer and mental instability. 

The family environment & communication play a considerable amount of role in a child's future. Imagine the life of a child born into a very respectable family. He/She will automatically learn good virtues and how to present himself/herself in public. Although, living in a world with about 8 billion people you can’t guarantee on behalf of everyone but we ‘can’ guarantee for ourselves. 

What if we become a good influence in someone’s life? Their temporary conscience. After all, it is always the little acts of kindness that make a difference. 

So let us all step up and help each other rise. I am sure if we do this we will be living in a developed world instead of a developing one very soon. 

Oshi Singh
IX-C || Gyanshree School 

Abraham Lincoln - Nishan Karki

Picture Courtesy: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Abraham_Lincoln_head_on_shoulders_photo_portrait.jpg

Abraham Lincoln was an American lawyer, politician and statesman, who served as the 16th president of the United States of America from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. He was born near Hodgenville, Kentucky on February 12, 1809. His family moved to Indiana when he was seven and he grew up on the edge of the frontier. He had very little formal education but read voraciously when not working on his father’s farm. 

Lincoln’s legacy is based on his momentous achievements: he successfully waged a political struggle and civil war that preserved the Union, ended slavery, and created the possibility of civil and social freedom for African Americans. 

Abraham Lincoln was also a good thinker and orator. Lincoln's emergence as a great orator dates from 1854 when he made a memorable speech in Peoria, on October 6, of that year. This was his first major attack on the position of Senator Douglas who was the leader of the Illinois Democrats. 

"His manner is neither fanciful nor rhetorical, but logical.

His thoughts are strong and are strongly joined together. 

He is a close reasoner, and has the faculty of making himself clearly understood." 

-Galena (Illinois) North-Western Gazette, 

July 1856. 

Abraham Lincoln has given many famous quotes which are known worldwide. 

Some of them are as follows:-

●“Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.” 

● “No man has a good enough memory to be a successful liar.” 

● “If you would win a man to your cause, first convince him that you are his sincere friend.” 

● “Perhaps a man’s character is like a tree, and his reputation like its shadow; The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing.” 

● “I am not concerned that you have fallen; I am concerned that you arise.

Nishan Karki

Pestalozzi Children's Village, India.

Value of the month Caring, celebrate with us!

Listen to the podcast on your favourite app.

My Good School Show Season 9, Episode 18, where passion meets education. This beautiful conversation where Anvesha delves into the value of caring and Rishona and Divisha share their take on Caring.

Rishona: Caring definitely does help others. When someone cares for you, you feel like someone out in the world believes that you matter. It is a feeling of joy and happiness for that person. Caring is shown out of friendship, compassion and selflessness. A caring classroom is where students feel positively connected to others. That simple act can give them a sense of optimism and help solve their little problems. And what is in it for us? How does it help and benefit us? Well, seeing one smile puts a thousand smiles on my face. The fact that I have helped someone out or just given them the joy they needed and filled in the gap in their life makes me happy. As said, never believe that a few caring people can't change the world; indeed, that's all who ever have.

Anvesha: Absolutely. Just as self-love is one of the most essential kinds of love, self-care is as vital as caring for others. If you cannot care for yourself, you will not be capable enough to care for others. Everything starts with you. When you decide to help yourself, you will also end up helping others. So, caring for oneself is as essential as caring for others.

Anvesha: Divisha, whom do you care for the most?

Divisha: I care for my family and friends the most, but yeah, I care about my friends a little bit more because in my family, it's just me, my parents and grandparents. Since they are elders, they can take care of themselves. But my friends are the people whom I have to take care of. It's been 7 years since our friendship. Many things change but one thing never changes: Them having problems, and I have solutions. The fact that I'm the youngest among them still I Am more mature.

Anvesha: And with that, we come to the end of our podcast. Comment below and let us know if you liked our podcast. If you want to be a part of similar podcasts, join us. We hope to meet you again when we return with a podcast on Caring next month. That's all for us today!

Anvesha Rana - Host from Gyanshree School

Rishona Chopra - Guest from Gyanshree School

Divisha Rawat - Guest from Ahlcon Public School

Be true to yourself - Tulsi Karki

Picture Courtesy: https://www.consciouslifestylemag.com/true-self-finding-your-spiritual/

Being true to yourself means thinking and acting in ways that align with your values and feelings rather than the values of others. 

If you are living true to yourself, you feel confident in your identity and you are pursuing goals that you know will lead to your happiness. 

It is really important to be true to yourself it will be your guide to living a life for yourself. A life that is fulfilling and filled with all of the things that make you joyful and allow you to live a life of purpose, whatever that looks like for you. 

Hence, the only way to live your life happily is to be who you are, not caring what other people might think or say about it. 

People are going to judge you anyway, so you might as well forget society and be like others. But keep one thing in mind you have to be true to yourself at every moment of your life. 

Tulsi Karki

Pestalozzi Children's Village, India.

Is social media distracting us? - Sakshi Singh

Picture Courtesy: https://www.minddevelopmentanddesign.com/blog/gaining-higher-exposure-on-social-media/

Social media, a double-edged sword,
It connects us all, yet ties us to strings. 
In virtual worlds, our thoughts are muddled. 
In screens we're lost, our focus blurred.

Pings and constant calls

Distracting us from life's moments, big and small.
Scrolling boundlessly, time slips away.

Likes and comments, we crave them so.
But are they worth the time we hold?
In this online crowd, reflect and find a harmony where you truly belong.

Sakshi Singh 
Class- IX C || Gyanshree School 

There are many dimensions to every person - Tenzin Jambey

Picture Courtesy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_Dimension

"We people don't look at the things how they are but we look at them how we think". An object or a thing stays how they are! But people look at them from a different perspective. 

Once, a teacher asked two students while showing a picture of a mountain - "What do you see?" The first one said, "It's just a mountain." The other one said, "It's not only a mountain but also a home for the birds that sing and the animals that spend their time playing around." The teacher was surprised to hear about the two different thoughts. 

We humans have the same physical attributes. We all have two hands, two legs, one heart, etc. But the brain, being one, has a different way of functioning. And everyone on this earth has a different mentality. The good thing is that everyone has special knowledge, which will make the future a better place. 

If we look from a positive side, we will see that having diverse dimensions in every person has resulted in the working of our society. Neither every person wants to become a doctor, nor every person wants to become a pilot. 

Therefore, our dimensions have led to the development of our economy and society. Our different thoughts and views are different from each other but not separate. They are inter-connected with each other. 

Finally, it is always a great experience to listen to the other people. And it also helps us to understand the working system differently. We all get different knowledge from different fields of science, art, music, politics, etc.. Interacting with the new people with new thoughts is always a wonderful experience.

Tenzin Jambey

Pestalozzi Children's Village, India.

There are Many Dimensions to Every Person - Anvesha Rana

Picture Courtesy: https://brightideaspace.com/the-importance-of-living-life-to-the-fullest-why-giving-your-100-matters/

When we meet a man or a woman

Or it might be a child,

We jump to see what we can

And assume their lives in a way very mild

We don’t think before we speak

For answers that are bleak.

We draw vague conclusions 

And later create fine lines.

We bombard the space

Without knocking on the door.

And then create a false world

Of our own.

We have to be quick and smart.

But where does the subtle man go?

Does he hide in forever, 

Or wait for us to leave?

Well it is not the man held wrong

But our fault till long.

For it was we who did not see his inner beauty,

And decided to name him ugly.

We did not get it then, 

But maybe we do now.

There are multiple dimensions to every person,

Just wait and read 'how'.

Anvesha Rana
Grade 11 || Gyanshree School