THE IMPORTANCE OF KINDNESS

 

One hug, one pat, one smile, one word of advice, one loving gesture, are all acts of kindness which can change a person’s life. We have the power to change the world by the way we treat each other. I have always wanted to leave the world better than I found it. So, I was thinking of ways in which an act of kindness from me could turn around somebody’s life, create happy memories, cherished moments, blissful experiences, for someone known or unknown to me. All that mattered was, did I make a difference.

I would like to share a few of my precious experiences to reiterate or validate the power of kindness. A girl from an underprivileged family, who was meritorious in academics, was unable to pursue her higher education, in spite of her credentials, as she was not receiving any monetary help from her parents, who were daily wage earners. Even three meals a day was not guaranteed.  We decided to help her and she did her graduation in a renowned engineering college and qualified herself. She was recruited by a top IT company and today she is married and settled in life with a five figured salary. This timely act of kindness changed a girl’s life forever.

 Tiny drops of water make a mighty ocean. In our school, every year the staff and students raise funds and contribute towards a noble cause. We have built more than hundred toilets under the Prime Minister’s Swachh Bharat Project, as the women and girls in the families of the underprivileged had to answer nature’s call before sunrise or after sunset. They had tears of joy when we offered to build toilets for them. We built washrooms even in government and aided schools where children and teachers had no such facilities, sanatoriums, where nurses and patients were deprived of this basic amenity, to the tune of so many lakhs. Once, we decided to take children who have been orphaned, to spend a day at a theme park. Gifts & goodies were packed for them and they were ushered into the park. The joy on each child’s face was inexplicable as they had never had such an experience before.

 I can share innumerable such stories of personal experiences, where an act of kindness brought sunshine into the life of a deprived or battered soul. It just takes a kind heart to brighten up the world and establish their faith in humanity. Take the first step TODAY.

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HOW TO MANAGE THE UNMANAGEABLE

Life is all about this and that and not this or that. You realize this when you cannot  execute a choice. Life does not care for your emotions. Life simply tells you to go through it. These are the times life introduces you to you. Growth is never achieved from the comfort zone, maturity is never gained without a validation, your capabilities are never identified in ordinary mundane situations. In fact, it needed a pandemic to actually make you realize your potential and to showcase your resourcefulness. It is only when nothing is in your favor that the best comes out of you, and there is no debate about it. All those who made it big did not make it big because of, but in spite of.

A technology driven class was a challenge, the tools and features therein was unfamiliar, managing a class virtually, with an open to all classroom, with judgements passed mercilessly, was a nightmare, your home becoming your workplace was a strain, the demands on your time from family and work pulled you apart, achieving a work life balance was a struggle, health took a toll, you had to endure the loss of your near and dear ones to the virus, financial stability was shaken up, tomorrow was a question mark, the road ahead looked so uncertain and scary and each day was lived in hope. Yet you managed it all. Sometimes you felt alone, and realized that in moments of despair, the only hands you could hold on to were that of the unseen, the unfathomed, the omnipresent, the omniscient, and that was your only solace.

In the midst of all this some of you decided to run the race which looked so daunting right from the starting point, whereas some decided to call it quits. Life always favors the brave, the courageous, the relentless, the resourceful  and the unstoppable.  It mercilessly stamps out the rest. Develop a powerful mind and a strong desire. Believe in yourself. Even if the world says that you cannot, you gotta believe that you can. What you believe, you achieve. You go through an uncomfortable transition, trying to manage the unmanageable, but instead of complaining about life’s cruel ways, just ask yourself, “What is the solution? ”It is indeed a tightrope walk. The question is, “Are you ready?” The new comfort zone is always more promising, but you need to go through the heat to discover your strength.

 

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HOW TO OVERCOME ANGER IN A CHILD

  “The child is the father of man.” Growing up years leave their imprints on the adult life of a child. A spark overlooked can become a forest fire.  What we don’t correct at a very young age could destroy the child’s life when he becomes an adult. Almost all habits are formed when we are young. It is very difficult to unlearn old habits. It is said that old habits die hard. Man is a product of his habits, formed in his childhood. Habits, good or bad, become ingrained in a person with time. We should not be a slave to our habits, rather, we must become the master of our habits.

How do we help a child overcome anger? There is nothing called one size fits all, or one diet works for all, or one solution can be provided for all. To each his own. Children go through different emotions in their growing up years. There could be several reasons for exhibiting negative emotions. Anger being a dominant human emotion.  It is a destructive emotion and has to be channelized when they are very young. Else it will control their life. They will be castigated by society and may also stand to lose their relationships in life. However brilliant they may be, they will be unable to work as a team.  In short, if we do not help them to overcome anger very early in life, we may have to live a life of regret as parents.  

Anger is used as a tool by some children, whereas some use it to seek attention, while some are easily provoked to anger. There could be many more reasons. As parents we should understand that a behavior recognized and rewarded will be repeated. One way to tackle anger is to acknowledge the child’s right behavior and appreciate it, so that it is repeated. And we need to do it consistently. Love is not love that pampers and makes the child fall in life. Love should be love that creates the child. Every parent dotes on their child. But be clear about one thing. A no is a no and will not become a yes to please the child. Quality time should be invested in the upbringing of the child. Establish ground rules at home and do not compromise. The child should be told clearly, what is acceptable and what is unacceptable behavior. Do not react when rules are broken. Stay patient. It will sometimes take time to bring them onto the right track. But we need to persist. Do not give up on your child, or brand him. He will come around sooner or later. Till then, keep trying!

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THE MOST IMPORTANT VALUE A CHILD MUST HAVE

Waking up in the morning and starting the day by instantly bowing down in gratitude has become a way of life for me from the time I began my spiritual journey. It has given me immense peace and happiness. The mind always processes in terms of what I can give the world and not what I can receive. Your entire perspective changes. You begin to count on your blessings and never your troubles. Life is a lot happier thus. You feel complete unto yourself. Hold a positive mental icon of all relationships, no matter how they are towards you. If we can see the beautiful side of every person, we can rejoice. Peace and happiness are something that we need to gift ourselves. The magic word that makes all this possible is, GRATITUDE. If our heart is constantly filled with gratitude, there will be no disturbance in our life.

This is one value which every child must have. Then there will be no room for complaints, dissatisfaction, unhappiness and bitterness in their life. Children cannot see beyond themselves. They are the most important person in their life. Selfishness itself can be overcome only when you put others ahead of you. If we do not work on getting this right in children, there is an imminent danger of creating a selfish society. There will be no love in any relationships. There will be only discontent and anger.

Gratitude is the mother of all virtues. If we can fill their hearts with gratitude, they will learn to be thankful. There will be peace and harmony in the world. From childhood we should inculcate this habit of expressing gratitude on special occasions, may be by preparing a personalized thank you card for their parents on their birthday, to the grandparents, siblings, to the domestic help, friends and so on. They can be initiated into writing a gratitude journal in which they will write every day. They can also have a gratitude jar in which all the family members can drop a gratitude chit every day. On their birthday they can be asked to write a thank you note to eleven people who played an important role in their life. There are many ways to inculcate the attitude of gratitude in children. Gratitude is one value that will help children to value everything and everyone in life.

                                                                    

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