WORK IS WORSHIP

 

The fragrance of the incense stick came from the prayer room, as I went towards it. As expected, my mother was chanting her morning mantras, which was a part of her routine. I have been seeing her do this from my childhood. She had her routine at home. After this, she would go to school, which she started, to perpetuate the memory of my father, whom I lost when I was nine months old. Even during summer vacation, when we used to go stay at my cousin’s place, she would go for work. Her first vacation was twenty-one years after she started the school! School meant everything to her. The dedication and devotion with which she worked was unparalleled. Her life was a message to us. She never preached to us.

 

Everything that we get in life is from our work. All the comforts we enjoy are the rewards of our work. I realized this very in my life. It was so much ingrained in me that my commitment to my work could not be otherwise. It became my DNA and was a natural part of me. This is called subliminal learning. You learn certain things unconsciously in your growing up years. These are all blessings in our life. To have your parent as your role model. This vital lesson that I learnt has made me grow in my own eyes. One thing that I am proud of is my commitment to my work. There is no compromise whatsoever. I always touch the floor of my work place every morning and whisper a thank you to God for choosing me as His instrument to represent such a beautiful Cause of educating children and creating a future for them. Today I am enjoying holistic abundance in my life.

 

How do you see your work? What are your thoughts when you enter your work place? Is it a mere building where you earn a living, or is it a place of worship for you?  Your future will come from that. We need to bring reverence to our work. Whether you are a doctor, a teacher, an engineer, a designer, an actor, an architect, or even a cook or a driver. The more and more we do our work with devotion, the more we will grow in abundance. Money is only a by product of our work. We need to joyfully focus on process excellence and automatically we will see results. Success comes to us through work. Give yourself totally, that your work itself is your meditation and your prayer unto HIM. You will live a blessed life!

 

             “Devotion to duty is the highest form of worship of God.”

#Thoughtfulthursdays #nsn #nsnschool #mentoring #parenting

THE FRAGILE ADOLESCENT YEARS

                                

 “We must not allow other people’s limited perceptions to define us.”

 Would you believe if I said that, what I am today, bears no semblance to my past? Yes, I was diffident, unsure about myself, had no great achievements to my credit, had a low self-image, was constantly compared with others, I was repeatedly told how lousy I looked. Surprised?  But today, my confidence defines me. How did I achieve this transformation? Well, one small victory led to many more. That was the beginning. It made me believe in myself. In course of time I realised that beauty was only skin deep. I began working on my inner beauty, which is eternal. I also started excelling in my studies. All this created confidence in me. I discovered the area of my strength and worked on it.

You must understand that adolescence is the most vulnerable phase in one’s life. Most of them do not get their life right when they don’t get their teenage right. This is the age when you crave for identity. You seek the attention of the world. You want to feel like a hero. You will mindlessly do anything to get attention. Right or wrong is not the question. What matters is, you wish to be noticed. So, you tend to develop herd mentality and you are ready to do anything that your gang of friends do. They will appreciate you for everything. They will accept you even if you are a failure and it makes you feel good.

Do you know that all habits are formed very early in life? Your habits can either create you or destroy you. You will not hesitate to pick up a cigarette, or consume alcohol, or do drugs, in the company of your friends. What you don’t realise is that, adolescence is a vulnerable period in your life. The choices that you make will have its impact on your adult life. Friends have a great influence on you than your parents. So, surround yourself with friends who will lift you up in life and not pull you down. This is the phase when you tend to get into relationships of infatuation as your body goes through physical & hormonal changes. You will feel like a man or a woman. But you are not old enough to know life. That is where the problem lies.

Developing a strong will power alone will help you to make the right choices in life. The power of the man is the power of his mind.  How do we achieve this? We can start with a simple practise. Decide to wake up early every day. You fix the time and check if you are able to wake up at the time decided by you. Tick every day when you wake up on time.  When you achieve it, you will start believing in yourself. Success in one aspect of life will lead to many more. This will be the beginning of a disciplined and glorious life that you will start living life, based on right and wrong and not by pain and pleasure.  

“The greatest pride is to grow in your own eyes. Live….to look up to yourself.” 

#Thoughtfulthursdays #nsn #nsnschool #mentoring #parenting

PAIN AND PLEASURE

                                                  

 I remember the mother of a student telling me, long back, that her daughter was in awe of my position in school and that she envied me for my status as the Correspondent of the school, as she felt that I lived a privileged life. I smiled on hearing this and I told her, being an educationist is a responsibility and not a status. To reach a place of eminence we have to be willing to go through pain. The Purpose is always greater.  All achievers would have had to face challenging situations in life to reach where they reached. Going up is tough, but coming down is a lot easy.

“The only pain in pleasure is the pleasure of pain.”

A mother is willing to go through her labor pain for the sheer joy of seeing her bundle of joy. Nothing matters to her. All the nine months she relegates her needs to the background and prioritizes her baby’s needs. This is the case with all those who have a purpose in life. Be it Roger Federer or Sundar Pichai or Narayana Murthy or Mark Zuckerberg, none of them came from a background they could boast of.  Closer home, we have our Esteemed Prime Minister and the Honorable President, who come from a very humble background. Yet, they all were focused and driven by their passion and vision. They attached the right emotion to whatever they did. They did not see work as pain, rather, they enjoyed it. The process of achieving their goal was a joyful and pleasurable experience for them.

“Subordinate your likes and dislikes to the purpose of your life,” says mahatria Ra, the Diviner of the Path, infinitheism.

Some of us see studies as pain, so also, being honest, avoiding the wrong gang of friends, exercising or waking up early, and playing or copying in the exam or indulging in vices, as pleasure. Our life is driven by instant gratification. Momentary pleasure is what we seek, not realizing that success is all about delayed gratification. What is most important should not be at the mercy of what is least important.  If we desire everlasting pleasure, we should be willing to go through temporary pain. If we wish to sleep peacefully for the rest of our life, we have to spend sleepless nights today. Whatever you do, should take you closer to your goal. Be selfish for yourself. Don’t give your time to anything except to your own growth. All those who distract you now will leave you when you become a failure. The world respects only champions. Aim to be a winner, nothing less.

 Fix a goal

Plan your day with your goal in mind

Be consistent

Attach the right emotions.

 You can go through anything in life if you can become what you can become. Giving up any momentary pleasure should be seen as a go up in life. Attach pleasure to moments of growth. You will not feel the pain, rather, it will be a pleasure to indulge in what is right. This approach will help you to do everything joyfully. Visualize your life as a mediocre student. How would your future be? On the contrary, how would your life be if you secured high marks and developed the right habits? It calls for a high level of discipline.

 

                         “Discipline is the most pleasurable pain.”

#Thoughtfulthursdays #nsn #nsnschool #mentoring #parenting

HEY YOUNGSTER, LET’S INNOVATE

                                  

 “You cannot discover new oceans unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore.”

Education was a fairly new field to me. I had a brief experience in the airline industry. I was not ready to be an educationist. I entered very reluctantly. I was overwhelmed by the enormity of my responsibility. I spent some years studying the system. Then one by one, the changes were brought in. I was daring enough to innovate and implement what I felt was required for the younger generation. Integrating spirituality with the curriculum is one such unique practice. Several innovative practices were brought in through foresight and vision. There is always another way or a better way to do things. Today, we are ready to share our Best Practices with the world. We are unique in many ways.

 The school is proud of the little boy who found a different medium to grow paddy and received the Bal Shakthi Puraskhar Prize from the President of India, the alumnus who received the highest award, The Shanthi Swarup Bhatnagar Prize in Biological Science for her research on neural circuits that generate movements in animals, the students who did a project in bio-gas and antibiotic resistance and won the overall championship, the team that worked on foldable houses, internet of things and design thinking and placed the school among the list of top ten schools. Innovation in education has been our primary focus. Innovation itself is a joyful journey. If you want to be a path breaker, you need to be a path finder.

Bill Gates said, “I believe innovation is the most powerful force for change in the world.”

I want you to know that it is easy to follow the beaten path. But innovation is the key to progress. I am sure an innovative teacher makes the class more interesting for you. Can we alter the way we think? Design Thinking helps us to find solutions to issues that we are facing or to come up with products and ideas that a section of society is looking for. Empathize, define, ideate, prototype & test are the different stages in bringing out something new.

The most brilliant ideas have come from a seemingly ordinary person, Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam. He studied in a very ordinary school. But he went on to become a great scientist, the country was proud of. How do you get started? Try any one of these.

1.Participate in PBL (Project Based Learning)

2.Get hands-on in the Tinker/ Innovation Lab

3. Start an Innovation club in the school.

You would have used your free time productively. Challenge yourself to come up with path breaking ideas. The world is waiting for the next innovation Who knows, you may make headlines tomorrow with your breakthrough!!!

#Thoughtfulthursdays #nsn #nsnschool #mentoring #parenting

 

 

 

 

 

 

OBESITY

                                                

     As I was returning home one evening, I saw the pani puri vendor near the school, busy selling his stuff to the eager and excited customers, hovering around him, like flies around food.  A little away, there was a bakery, where students were gorging on puffs & cakes. I was wondering what would happen to their health if they constantly eat junk food. It can be in moderation though. Realizing children’s urge to eat junk food, the school came up with the idea of a snack time-table. Chocolates, which take away their appetite was banned, so also all packaged items. like biscuits, wafers, chips etc. So, children started bringing fruits, nuts, veggies, pulses, rice cakes, and such nutritious food for snacks. It is a treat to see them relishing their snacks.

“Every human being is the author of his own health and disease.”

Anything that we repeatedly do becomes a habit. Bathing twice- a- day, brushing the teeth morning and night, eating the right food, exercising every day, praying, writing a gratitude journal, meditating, playing, are all habits. Right from childhood parents should keenly monitor the habits of children, especially their eating habits. This has a direct impact on their health. Is healthy food and exercise an interesting conversation at the dining table? Children will catch on to it soon. Most importantly, they should see their parents exercising every day.  Some mothers have the habit of over feeding their children out of love. We can show our love by initiating them into the right food habit. This is what I did to my son. He was given nutritious breakfast, lunch and dinner. So even as an adult he does not indulge in junk food.

 “Movement is the song of the body.”

Exercise is another important aspect in our life. We all need some form of movement every day. Man was not designed to sit in one place. Early man moved from one place to another for food. Today we live a sedentary life and it is dangerous. We will experience the consequences much later. Medicine should not become our food.  Don’t think twice about doing some form of exercise every day. It is never too late to begin. My day either begins or ends with exercise. Don’t give yourself a choice.  Children too should be active. Need be, enroll them in a game. 

“Healing is movement. Disease is inertia.”

I am seeing so many adults struggling to lose weight. After a certain age it is difficult to lose weight because of your inability to be disciplined in your food habits, and the lack of enthusiasm to exercise. Obesity can lead to hypertension, diabetes and many health-related issues. We should value our health above everything else. Push you body for an hour and enjoy twenty-three hours of freedom. Walking, yoga, weight training, pilates, Zumba, aerobics, and the list goes on. Make your choice. The best gift that we can give ourselves is, a healthy body. Make movement a celebration of life!

 

#Thoughtfulthursdays #nsn #nsnschool #mentoring #parenting

 

 

 

 

 

CELEBRATING MOTHERHOOD

 

As I sat amidst the other parents, on a pleasant evening, in the school auditorium, waiting excitedly to see my son receive the Scholar cum Sports Person Award in class XII, my mind went back to his growing up years. It took what it took to help him reach where he reached. Everything began fifteen years back, when he first entered the school as a toddler, all of three years. What did I have to give up to help him go up? I had decided that my child would be my priority. Nothing else was important to me. Neither socializing, nor watching the television, nor attending functions, nor shopping. Nothing mattered to me. All that I could see was my son’s image, looming large in front of my eyes. As a working woman it was initially very difficult for me, but slowly I achieved a work- life balance and things went on more smoothly. It was sheer joy being with my son. I never suffered from FOMO (Fear of Missing Out).

“I will go into every relationship, looking at what I can give, and not what I can receive.”

Motherhood revealed to me my strengths that I never knew existed in me. I didn’t know that I was capable of loving another person unconditionally as all my life I waited to be loved. Attending to the needs of my son, I became a selfless person. I was willing to put the other ahead of me. Patience and tolerance became a part of my nature. I became capable of undivided attention and focus. I learnt to pay attention to minute details. I became mindful in the process.

“Life does not come with a manual, it comes with a mother.”

I also realized that I should live my life in such a way that my life is a message to my child. An ounce of practice is worth tons of preaching. It is my responsibility to give my child a beautiful childhood that he will always cherish.  Motherhood is a lovely phase in a woman’s life. Every moment with your child should be joyfully lived. Let it not be a transactional relationship. When they grow up, the same child whom you nourished with love and care, may one day question your sincerity or even get ego involved with you and will be ready to argue with you.  Just quietly leave the place. Your silence will speak louder than your words. Your maturity and goodwill should always prevail. Only then can you build a bond with your child, which began with the first heart beat in your womb. 

#Thoughtfulthursdays #nsn #nsnschool #mentoring #parenting

THE IMPORTANCE OF HOLISTIC DEVELOPMENT

 

The Annual Day celebration was soon approaching and the school wore a festive look. Students and teachers were moving around busily. Rehearsals were happening, recording was being done for a play by the students who were giving voice over, in one part of the school, a few students who were part of the tech team were working on the digital background, for the variety entertainment, creating promos, teasers and Annual Day invitation, some of them were directing a play, student volunteers were helping with the arrangements of props and furniture on the stage, the Announcers were rehearsing their part, the color party and the school band were practicing to receive the Chief Guest, a group of students were being taken for the zonal sports competition by the physical education department, the music students were practicing in one corner, the dancers were being shown the right moves by the dance master, and on the whole, there was a lot of cheerfulness in the atmosphere. Right from a five- year- old to a seventeen -year- old were part of the Annual Day program.

Schooling should be an experience. During their growing up years if students are given horizontal exposure and vertical expertise, they will grow up to be confident and versatile. Students should be made to take ownership of their actions and become responsible individuals. We see adults who are unable to maintain relationships, who cannot work together in a team, who struggle to be punctual, who lack health, social grace, empathy, leadership qualities, values & discipline, who are emotionally imbalanced, selfish, and much more.

“Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all” said Aristotle.

There is more to life than just academics. Preparing students for life should be our goal. Developing the child socially, emotionally, physically, intellectually and spiritually contributes to the holistic development of the child. Leadership skills, global awareness, values, social skills, thinking skills, a compassionate heart, a fit body and much more is required to make a child wholesome. Create an experiential learning environment. Soak them in those vital experiences. Let it become the very fabric of their education. We, as nation builders, have an awesome responsibility to live a holistic life and thereby provide the right environment to transform the child’s living.

Let’s begin from where we can. Plan the curriculum by incorporating the following and we can keep adding on;

1. One-minute clean-up of the classroom- At the end of the day a bell will go, before the dispersal, and students will quickly look around for any litter in the class and pick it up. This will be done every day.

2. Heterogenous group activities- Plan activities House wise where students across std VI -XII can participate forming groups.

3. Sitting in non-doing – Students can be made to sit with their eyes closed, palm on their lap, facing upward, observing their breath, for two minutes every morning. A soft music can be played in the public address system.

Schooling will be a beautiful experience for students, something they will always cherish and be grateful for, if they can be carried beyond academics and shown the wide spectrum of life. Schooling has to be a life transforming journey. 

#Thoughtfulthursdays #nsn #nsnschool #mentoring #parenting