WHO IS CREATING THE MESS?

     

When I go for work every day, a particular route that I take, has a traffic bottleneck. A half-an-hour drive takes more than one hour. This is because drivers don’t adhere to lane discipline. They don’t have the patience to wait. They form multiple lanes, and it leads to increased congestion.

 This blocks the vehicles coming on the opposite side. None of us can move forward and remain in the same place for a long time, blaming each other. They keep honking and creating noise pollution.

I keep wondering whether it is so tough to adhere to lane discipline. They just have to form a single lane. We create our own problems and suffer. I am sure many of them reach their destination late.  

Recently the drainage in our street was overflowing and the stench was unbearable. The corporation vehicle that came to clear the blockage found a lot of unwanted stuff that was causing the drainage block.

Will you discard cloth and other household waste into the drainage? Who is suffering the consequences? The ones who created it and the neighbours, for no fault of theirs. Do you create trouble for others through your careless attitude? Such mindless behavior!

Keeping our street clean is our responsibility. Some years back we planted many saplings to beautify our street. One of them uprooted a plant in front of their house, and some were not ready to water the plants. Those of us who took care, have trees in front of our houses.

As a school, we planted 1111 saplings in 2012. Today, they have grown into trees and are lining the streets in our neighbourhood. This is a legacy that we leave behind.

We teach students that “Learning, earning & returning” need not be different phases in life, they can be concurrent. We make social contributions every year by raising funds. Children are told that they can contribute to society in many ways, not just materialistically.

Our students and teachers clean the school campus every Friday, house wise. Each house gets a turn every month. This will teach them to keep their streets clean and thereby the country clean.

Seeing the amount of aggression, perversion, cynicism, apathy, violence, indifference, emotional dysregulation and outbursts, in society, we realize the need for a value-based upbringing. It has become vital to sow the right thoughts and train the minds of the growing children, in the right direction.

Sensitizing them to the needs of others, loving and respecting people, no matter how big or small they are in stature, is so important. Failure to do so will result in a huge mess.

We celebrate the “Bouquet of Thanks” every year when children honour the school support staff.

It is our endeavor to set right what is presently ailing society, through a revolutionary education that we are providing, to get the “being” of the child right, apart from preparing them for the future.

A Movement is slowly and steadily growing and one day the results of such an education will grow in geometric proportion and manifest in a beautiful society, where there is camaraderie, morality, mutual respect, peace and harmony.

Join us in building a world where man does not think against man!

#Thoughtfulthursdays #nsn #nsnschool #mentoring #parenting 

HAPPY DIWALI!!!

I have always looked forward to Diwali, as it is a festival that brings joy to me. The joy of gifting something that brings a smile on my face. One month in advance the search for sarees begins. Even if it is for the support staff, I will not be satisfied easily. The designs and colours have to appeal to me. Then it is instantly selected.

There is so much joy in seeing their happiness while receiving their Diwali clothes.

Sweets are distributed and festival bonus is credited to the staff.

Diwali hampers are curated and sent to relatives and friends.

Diwali is seen as a festival of bringing joy in the lives of people.

I look back at my childhood when my guardian angel, who took care of me, used to buy us our Diwali clothes. My childhood was mostly spent at their place.

There used to be so many relatives and friends on the eve of Diwali. Everybody was given their clothes. Crackers were bought at such a huge cost. They brought light into the lives of so many people.

Everybody was very happy on that one day, forgetting their daily challenges. On their own, probably they would not have been able to afford the luxury of good clothes, delicious food and crackers to burst. The kind-hearted souls made it a memorable day for them. All my Diwali was spent in their house.

Diwali meant, togetherness, good food, delicious sweets, merry-making, sharing, enjoying, and most importantly, there was someone spearheading the celebration, who had the heart to give, and bring joy in the lives of their friends and relatives. Somebody who worked so hard to have more than enough, someone who was willing to share. In my life, it was my Godfather.

Probably, this had a huge impact on my outlook in life, coupled with the approach of my husband, who loves to give.

As a child, bursting crackers gave me thrill. But, as an adult, happiness is derived more from making others happy.

I wonder how life changes our perspective, and our status quo in life. To be able to give, and having the heart to give, both are a blessing from above.

Diwali is symbolic of good winning over evil. I think, Diwali after Diwali, my being was getting purified. My focus started shifting from self to selflessness.

Life comes to a point when your need to have is overtaken by your need to give, from being consumed by the desire for self-gratification, to the joy of enriching others’ lives.

What we experience in our childhood, and the people who are around us, have an impact on who we become. We learn from what we see.

Was Diwali just wishing each other, “Happy Diwali!” and posting pics in your new clothes on social media, or did you light up somebody’s life and make it a memorable day, just as how my guardian angel did when I was a child?

#Thoughtfulthursdays #nsn #nsnschool #mentoring #parenting 

UNSHAKEABLE FAITH

A beautiful quality in life I imbibed,

Just watching my mother,

Who personified unshakeable FAITH.

Her unwavering beliefs and prayers,

Were a positive influence on me.

 

Faith opens possibilities,

And assures us that,

Every cloud has a silver lining.

Faith gives us the strength,

To go through the vicissitudes of life.

 

Faith banishes our fear,

Faith instils confidence.

Faith creates miracles,

It is our only savior,

When all hopes are lost.

 

The acrobats leap in faith,

The baby monkey holds on, in faith.

The hands raise in faith,

The eyes close in faith,

One waits endlessly in faith.

 

There is no negotiation in faith,

There is no supposition in faith,

There is no substitute for faith.

All that I know is,

Life validates faith.

 

I am blessed to have faith in life,

I am truly grateful,

For this one quality,

Instilled in me,

That has shaped my life.

 

Faith on something,

Faith in one thing,

Faith in anything,

Faith in everything.

The question is, “Do you have FAITH?”

#Thoughtfulthursdays #nsn #nsnschool #mentoring #parenting
 

THE METAMORPHOSIS

Goodbye I waved to myself,

Entering the Heaven of Freedom.

Long years of self-imprisonment,

Without growth and improvement.

 

Love and bliss fill my heart

Rejoicing in the metamorphosis.

A fresh breath of life I inhale,

Dancing to the new lease of life.

 

Peace and calm I experience,

Bathed profusely in Thy Munificence.

Swaying in delight and ecstasy,

Acknowledging and cherishing His mercy.

 

Faith and Surrender in every cell,

A blessed life I can tell.

Miracles unfold in every step,

Led forward by Divine will.

 

Thoughts so pure inhabit the mind,

Living life beyond the grind.

Darkness and doubt dispelled,

As a heavenly light is beheld.

-      CHITRA PRASAD

#Thoughtfulthursdays #nsn #nsnschool #mentoring #parenting

 

SIMPLE, YET DIFFICULT

 

As I was watching the non-academic performance review meeting presentation of the school for term I, I felt very proud of where we had reached, how far the entire NABET system had percolated in the school, the pride and conviction with which every process owner presented. The ownership that each one took for their process was overwhelming.

When our school first decided to go for NABET accreditation, it was a desire to have a system driven organization. Though the journey ahead was not familiar, it was not intimidating. We didn’t know that so much work would have to be done.

Everyone was new to the system.  Every staff had to be trained, those of us helming the school affairs had to familiarize ourselves and also be proficient in the standards expected.

Continual improvement was our focus. Collective effort helped us in achieving high standards, that today, we are one of the looked up to schools in the city for the quality we bring into our work. We have been benchmarked by many schools.

From a simple, yet, a difficult process, a new culture came into existence.

A simple shift in adhering to a system made all the difference. Some find it difficult to take it up.

The journey will be enjoyable if we focus on what we can become in the process.

Whether it is about not being punctual, or littering in public places, or defacing heritage sites, or substance abuse, is all a matter of attitude. A simple self-discipline is all that is needed. Yet, it seems so difficult for a few to achieve it.

How difficult it is for some to adhere to health-conscious food and make it a way of life. It is just a simple shift from what is tasty to the tongue to what is good for the body.

Hence, the struggle continues for many, to give up in order to go up.

The right attitude that we develop, is the outcome of a decision that we make, to embrace change without any negotiation.

Learning a new language, or a new sport, developing a new skill or learning to swim, or to drive, all of these are simple for some, but difficult for some others.

Everything that is essential in life, when not adopted on time, becomes difficult in later years.

It did take a while, but I worked on one aspect at a time.

A few things that is the outcome of adopting what is right;

# The happiness I am deriving in embracing what is right.

# The peace and harmony that I am experiencing.

# Growing in my own eyes as a result.

Can you share with me one shift that you made, that appeared to be simple, yet difficult to achieve, that became a part of you eventually? I am sure you will agree with me that the above three are your experiences as well.

#Thoughtfulthursdays #nsn #nsnschool #mentoring #parenting