L.I.T.M.

You know how it is when people tell you that you are not setting your aim or wasting your time having fun-the most common one being- "You can have fun later on when you have achieved everything you want."- Well, what is this everything? 

As the word suggests, what is the main point is that-does it owes any boundary? 

Well, yes, it does, but the feeling is so strong that we succumb to it into thinking that it is endless.

The sea of desire is too deep, but only if you find it in yourself to control yourself can it be controlled. Live in the moment, not thinking about the next, and you’ll realise what’s life!

This common definition of life is not right because life does not have a definition.

LIFE IS NOT A STAGE to wait for. IT IS A FEELING to live in!

Live in the moment = L.I.T.M. = Let It To Marvel.

Reveda Bhatt

The Aryan School

Being Human - Anvesha Rana

We are all human by birth, but that does not make a difference until we choose to be human. God has gifted us with the power of speech, the ability to harness raw materials and turn them into resources, the power to help other living entities and the capacity to develop a world of acceptance, but we have only taken the better out of our birth given right, never considering it to be a boon but an obvious fact. We never are grateful for being human simply because we don’t think we are human.

In this fast-paced world where everyone seems to be struggling for something, we have forgotten what being human means. We only cater to our needs, worry about our goals, focus on our problems, and only look at good things for us. As we forget to be human, we fail to be empathetic, compassionate and helpful; we might say that being independent is the need of the hour and that one should always look out for themselves, but then what is the difference between the predators and us out in the wild which only kill the weak and gullible to rule over, what will the world be if the innocent are further pressed down and walked upon.

Humanity comes to a still, and we forget our virtues as this world nurtures us into selfish and greedy individuals. It teaches us to bite the hand that feeds us and to not help but heap upon the frail ones. The sight of being human vanishes more every day, and although we have seen enough cruelty, we have also witnessed a few instances where love was present, where humanity was finally caught. Even if the bad is growing ever more and it feels that cruel people are stronger out there, never forget that only a little bit of humanity can extinguish a lot of evil deeds. Only a little bit of love can transform millions of hearts. The good is always more substantial than the bad; our positivity is so contagious that it can kill any negativity. 

Being human means not to profit out of someone’s weaknesses,

It means not to have eyes that see gain but that feel the pain,

It means to help without expectations and to love without getting it back, 

It means to be selfless and give more, more and more

When someone leaves a seat on the bus for an old lady or man, 

I understand what it is to be a human, 

When someone goes out of their way to help, 

I know what it is to be a human, 

When a child selflessly gives away their lunch to a friend who has none, 

I know what it is to be a human, 

When a teacher empathizes with a kid who has suffered a loss, 

I know what it is to be a human. 

Being a human is the greatest asset, 

We are human for a purpose and reason, 

Let us not trample upon the ones who hurt us, 

Forget and forgive is to be a human, 

To give more and expect less is to be a human, 

To offer a hand to others and walk together is to be a human,

To listen to the heart rather than the mind is to be a human,

We all are human by birth, but we must embrace it by nature.

Anvesha Rana

Grade 11 

Gyanshree School

Understanding - Anvesha Rana

Understanding is not just about learning but also about living. When others confess their mistakes, lies or problems to us, we often turn a blind eye towards them and do not listen. Still, we need to be humble enough to understand what they are going through, be kind enough to give them a shoulder and be trustworthy sufficient to accept their reality. Treat others the way you wish to be treated. Each person deserves love and affection just the way we do.

Understanding is not a simple task; it requires the power to trust and tolerate and the necessity of being thoughtful while observing the simplicity at the heart of the matter and eventually giving in honestly to love. If we can understand, then we can trust. If we can understand, then we can be patient; if we can understand, we can tolerate and understand; only we can love.

At My Good School, understanding is experienced at its core. We initially listen to each other and then begin to understand one another. This is followed by a bond of trust, tolerance and humility, and as time passes, we begin to treasure the standard tie of love that connects us all. Understanding is the foundation stone for building upon the structure of love.

In the Mahabharata, an incident occurred during the Gurukul days of the Pandavas and the Kauravas. Guru Dronacharya, the teacher of the princes, had to leave the gurukul for a fortnight due to some urgent work; hence, he had called upon all his pupils and asked them to complete their lessons by the time he returned. All students finished their work and did some extra tasks as well. Guru Dronacharya returned after a fortnight and called his pupils to the classroom; one by one, he individually asked them to come forward and inform him how many lessons they had completed while he was away.

Someone said three, someone else four, others 5 and so on; the teacher beamed at his students as he looked at them with love. At last, he called Yudhishthira, the eldest son of the Pandavas, and Guru Dronacharya was sure that Yudhishthira would have done more lessons than everyone else. However, when asked the question, he answered that he had only done one sentence. The teacher was shocked and yelled at him that in a fortnight, he could only do one sentence; Yudhishthira apologised but repeated that he could only understand that sentence. The other pupils were shocked as they saw their Guru mercilessly scolding Yudhishthira. However, he stayed rooted in his words. At the end of it, when Guru Dronacharya finally asked him what the sentence was, he confidently replied, “Control your anger and Guru ji, it took me 15 days to learn how to control my anger, so I could only complete one sentence.” Guru Dronacharya stood in awe and appreciated Yudhishthira, for he had understood the power of understanding, an ability not yet attained by many of us.

Anvesha Rana

Grade 11 

Gyanshree School

Coffee With The Coach : Our Happiness - Anvesha Rana

Today We Talk About Our Happiness

Many of us feel that we will only be happy when something big happens when we finally get promoted or get an expensive gift. Why are we so adamant about linking our happiness to worldly possessions? Why can’t we be happy for no reason? Our joy is always because of something, and as long as this lasts, we can never be pleased since someday, the best dress in your closet will look worn out. Eventually, the best game you got once will look very old and ultimately, the job that you had always dreamt of will turn out to be a nightmare.  

There should be no because when it comes to happiness, I am happy. After all, it is just not okay. I am happy, that’s it. I need no reason to be happy. Someday that reason will go, and then I will be sad. So I am happy, as simple as that. But even I agree it's tough to be happy without any reason, once you think about it, do we always have something to be sad about? Is the world always falling apart for us? Are we always struggling? Then why are we always so gloomy and upset? If we can always be sad, we can learn to be happy. 

Happiness is a choice, and it’s not a miracle that a wand will be waved and all the miseries of life will vanish, but it is a choice that we make each day. Despite everything that takes place in our lives, we should still have the strength to face the world and to sideline that sadness to accept the fact that whatever may happen shall happen but I chose to be happy.

Being happy is rather misused, we are not happy if we are troubled by the presence of others, we are not happy if we have restricted it to a definite zone and we are not happy simply by trying to act happy. Happiness comes from within and we can never thrust the responsibility of something as important as our happiness onto someone else’s shoulders because believe it or not, expectations are born to die, no one in this world should be the reason for your contentment. When you are the reason behind your own happiness, you find solace in yourself and there is nothing better than that. 

Something as commonly expressed as happiness which is still yet completely vague for all of us is a big problem. We don’t know what happiness is and well we don’t even have to know what it is. Happiness is like love, when you are happy you will know it and you will be happy without any reason at all. 

Anvesha Rana

Grade 11 

Gyanshree School 

The Heart or The Mind ? - Anvesha Rana

The battle between the heart and the mind never really comes to an end. It is just like a tennis match. The ball goes back and forth, back and forth, until finally, the eyes give away, and we doze off. We talk about listening to the heart or mind, but most of the time, during crucial decisions, we are not even consciously aware of whether our heart or mind made this decision. Staying conscious about our inner voice, along with the doubts that it offers, is a part of being human. 

We often do not heed the voice within, but our best advisor is our own voice rather than family, friends or anyone. Whenever you find yourself running at a tremendous speed, you are running so fast that the faces of your loved ones have blurred away, then stop, pause and observe yourself. Being aware of who we are is life. 

Once we learn to listen to ourselves, the question of the heart or the mind arises. The mind always resonates with what makes sense, but the heart believes in the power of intuition, going with the flow and love; it complies with whatever feels right. The difference between the two is that the mind tells us what is wise, whereas the heart tells us what we will do anyway. 

It is up to us to decide whether we follow our heart or our mind. After all, we alone hold power to decide who we wish to follow. However, we can only find peace of mind once we listen to our hearts. The heart opens up doors of ecstasy, imagination and joyfulness, but the mind keeps us rooted in this material world where practicality implies the cornerstone of each decision. 

The key to mastering the heart and the mind is to strike a chord between the two. The heart and the mind play on a see-saw, but to muster up the courage to sit at the fulcrum of it is winning both. 

Anvesha Rana

Grade 11

Gyanshree School

Friendship - Anvesha Rana

In this ever-evolving world, it is necessary to connect with people instantly, attain quick social skills and make friends at go. A person we may have met only once is also referred to as a friend; today, we all confuse friendship with acquaintanceship. An acquaintance is not mandatory to be a friend, but connections to reach higher posts and avail help at times of need are overrated than the subtle, sweet friendships which have vanished over time. 

Friendships come with conditions; they are no longer selfless relationships but a medium to take benefit of the other. We have turned our Friendships into obligations and formalities. How many of us are honest with our friends? We are too fake to show our real identity behind this mask of coolness. Friendships come with a lot of terms and conditions. We can no longer express ourselves freely, even with our “Besties”. 

There is an invisible ice between us, pleading to be broken, but our ego hinders us from shattering our prison. We can never be happy if we are not who we are. This era of jealousy and cutthroat competition is never ending and only increases as we grow up. 

True friends are only made when we are young when we do not pay heed to how someone looks, what clothes they wear, how they talk or whether they match our standards. As we grow, we look away from the beauty within and shift our focus to physical appearance or social stature. Looking at material things gets nowhere. 

We are not our true selves when we step out into the world; consequently, we feel the heat of the competition that this system has forced us under. We are not ready to leave this rat race and sit at the side bench to relax and rejoice in life. The illusion of success has blindfolded us in thick wraps to such an extent that terms and conditions apply in each relationship. The moment we see our friend doing better than us in any field, we are instantly jealous instead of happy for our pal. 

A famous story, ‘ The Frogs in the Well’, tells about a group of frogs living in a small well. None of the frogs ever get out of this well because as soon as one frog jumps up, all the others jump up on him and pull him down. Thus no frog can ever escape. So is the case with us. When we see a dear one doing good, we attempt all tricks, measures and strategies to somehow stop him. 

Friendship should be selfless and ever-flowing with Love and care. It should be about acceptance and forgiveness and not be built upon social norms but on the foundation of Love. 

Anvesha Rana 

Grade 11

Gyanshree School NB: I have used Love as a value, thus the capital letter.

What do I Value the most ? - Anvesha Rana

  Joyful Days and Fun chimes, 

With our loved ones are the best times,

Laughter surrounds us, and smiles spread, 

As family and friends meet.

We may always want to be there, 

With our family and friends,

But Alas! Not how our life wishes. 

But the cycle continues. 

And being the captain hurts,

For wasting time, we can’t afford

And to be lost amid not a good record. 

Time continues, 

Living never stops, 

It does not wait for you,

It goes on. 

But as time passes, 

We ameliorate and improve, 

Unlike stagnant water, we always groove

For we become better with every move. 

I value my loved ones for being with me, 

I love my time, for it is precious, 

I love my Improvements as I move forward, 

I love my life the most. 

Anvesha Rana, 

Grade 10-B, 

Gyanshree School

Coffee With The Coach : Our Culture - Anvesha Rana

Today We Talk About Our Culture

People are only mean when threatened, which is what our culture does. That's what our economy does. Even people with jobs in our economy are threatened because they worry about losing them. And when you get threatened, you start looking out only for yourself. You start making money as a god. It is all part of this culture. 

We should build our own culture. It doesn't mean disregarding every rule of the community, but while obeying the little things, we create our own choices for the big things - how we think, what we value - those you must choose for yourself. You can't let anyone- or any society - determine those for you. 

Our culture conditions people. It's the same for women not being beautiful enough or men not being rich enough. It's just what our culture would have you believe, but don't believe it. Every society has problems, and the way to do them is not to run away. You have to work at creating your own culture. 

No matter where you live, the most significant defect we human beings have is our shortsightedness. We are still determining what we could be. We should look at our potential, stretching ourselves into everything we can become. But if you're surrounded by people who say, 'I want mine now,' you end up with a few people with everything and a military to keep the poor from rising up and stealing it. 

The problem is that we don't believe we are as much alike as we are. Men and women, whites and blacks, young and old. If we saw each other as more alike, we might be eager to join one big human family in this world and to care about that family the way we care about our own. 

We all have the same beginning - birth, and we all have the same end - death. So how different can we be? Invest in the human family. Invest in people. Build a little community of those you love and who love you. At the start of life, when we are infants, we need others to survive, and at the end of life, we again need others to survive, but the truth is that in between, we need others as well. 

Anvesha Rana 

Grade 10-B 

Gyanshree School

When I see a Glass half full... - Anvesha Rana

When I see a glass half full,

I see some yarn left in a ball of wool

I look at the little food on a plate,

And a few words on someone’s slate

I yearn for the small giggle, 

When I see a tiny insect wriggle. 

Little it may be but not weak it is, 

Less it may be but not short it is,

More we might have but do we need it? 

Aren’t we pleased with what we gave it?

May it be half empty or

It can also be half-filled, 

It is what our perception is, 

   Do we complain about the loss 

     Or be grateful for the most? 

   A Glass Half Full is not just a lesson

     For Perspective or pessimistic thoughts, 

   It is a teacher with no chalk and duster

    But with just water,

        It can pass on Responsibility and Gratitude, 

Simply with its carefree attitude. 

Anvesha Rana, 

Grade 10-B, 

Gyanshree School

Letter to The President of India - Anvesha Rana

Anvesha Rana

My Good School
www.GoodSchools.in

Date: 6.11.22

To

Her Excellency Droupadi Murmu
President of India
Rashtrapati Bhavan
New Delhi - 110 004

@rashtrapatibhvn

Subject: Finding the Joy of Learning and spreading it throughout the nation. 

Dear Madam 

India, once known as 'Sone ki Chidiya', is a unique subcontinent in its prominent stature and dominant presence in Asia. We, citizens of India, proudly claim our nationality worldwide with roots dating back to value systems and life skills. But India then and India now are two poles apart. 

Our forefathers taught us to respect our culture and believe in the power of education; our gurus did not make us puppets memorising information but instead emphasised the practicality of life. Today, we, as inhabitants of modern India, have strayed away from the path of life skills and values to blindly follow Western Civilisation. 

The West has transformed our minds to be just like them, they want India to be a fast-producing machine for jobs that the West needs, but amidst all this, we lose our diversity, culture and essential essence of being Indian. We need to retrieve what we have lost, our education. 

The Indian education system was developed more in ideology than in physiology. Still, the design of the West has inequality and inadequacy and is unsuitable for India, yet we follow the same system daily. Making each individual experience the 'Joy of Learning' should be an educator's motto. 

A classroom is like a garden blooming with flowers. Flowers that are of all different shapes and sizes, colours and fragrances. Each student would be treated like a flower, nurtured with care, watered with love and planted with firmness. The garden oozes with so much learning, education, laughter and love. 

Yours Obediently,

Anvesha Rana,

Student of My Good School and Gyanshree School, Noida

मित्रता - यशराज शर्मा

किसी ने सही कहा है कि सच्चे दोस्त वे होते हैं जो आपके साथ बुरी और अच्छी परिस्तिथियों में खड़े रहे और आपके जीवन के हर मोड़ हर कदम पर आपकी सहायता करते हैं l 

हमारे जीवन में हमारे कई मित्र होते है और आगे भी होंगे। कुछ बहुत सहायता करने वाले या कुछ जिनको ज्यादा करना अच्छा नहीं लगता। लेकिन हमारे जीवन में जब भी कोई एक अच्छा, विश्वसनीय मित्र मिले तो हमे उसका भी आदर करना चाहिए जिससे हम भी उससे कुछ सीख पाए और अच्छे संबंध रख पाएँ, यह सब बाते लिख कर मेरे मन में मुझे अपने एक बहुत पुराने दोस्त की याद आई उसका नाम है आयुतांश। आपको उसके बारे में थोड़ा कुछ बताता हूँ ।

 

जब मैं कक्षा ३ में था तब मैने ज्ञानश्री में दाखिला लिया था। मुझे याद है मेरी कक्षा थी '३ स'l  एक दिन मैं स्कूल के मैदान में फुटबॉल खेल रहा था जब मेरा पैर मुड़ गया और मैं ज़मीन पर गिर कर गुलाटी मार गया। तब वो मेरे पास आया और मुझे उठाने के लिए हाथ बढ़ाया , मैं उसकी सहायता से उठा और हम दोनों उस क्षण से बहुत अच्छे मित्र बन गए । तबसे हम हमेशा साथ में फुटबॉल खेलते थे और हमेशा एक ही टीम में होते,हम दोनों एक दूसरे की गृहकार्य में भी मदद किया करते थे, वे हमारे लिए बहुत मज़े से भरा समय हुआ करता था। 

लेकिन जब हम छट्टी कक्षा में पहुँचे , एक दिन उसने मुझे बताया कि उसके पिताजी का जम्मू में तबादला हो गया है और वह अब स्कूल छोड़ कर जम्मू जाएगा। वो दिन हम दोनों के लिए बिलकुल ख़ुशी का दिन नहीं था। उसके जाने के बाद भी हम बहुत समय तक संपर्क में रहे लेकिन अब हम दोनों कई महीनो से बात नहीं हुई है। मुझे कभी कभी उसकी बहुत याद भी आती है। 

काश वो समय वापस आ जाये…और हम फिर सी वही पल जी सकें। 

यशराज शर्मा 

कक्षा ८ - ड 

ज्ञानश्री विद्यालय 

The Art of Focus - Anvesha Rana

Handling other people is a tedious task, and that, too, with care becomes even more difficult. We expect the best treatment, facilities and equipment when it comes to us, but we seldom realize that to receive the best, we also need to treat others at our best. Treat others the way you wish to be treated. 

Each flower in a garden is unique, yet they all wave off different fragrances. All five fingers are not equal, yet they have additional capabilities to help us. Our unity lies in our diversity; we are together because we are different. We should learn to respect the differences of each individual and have the courage to be who we are and not be what others think we should be. 

Life is best seen as a constant journey in which sometimes we run, walk, crawl, slither, but all matters is that we keep going on. Even if sometimes we fall back and reach square one, we should have the strength to fight back and be even stronger because that is how we take our learning forward. 

Anvesha Rana, 

Grade 10-B, 

Gyanshree School

The Art of Focus - Anvesha Rana

Positive thinking should be the most essential attribute for each of us. If we are positive, then we are happy, independent and self-sufficient. Still, if we are negative, we always lack confidence in our actions. We will doubt our deeds and even make the others around us doubt themselves, so we must stay positive. 

Life is short, and death is inevitable, so we should make it count. Life is not the only time for living, but death is also an episode to discover the epitome of joy if you have done punya in your Life. Death is not the end of Life but the ultimate meditation to reinstate the clarity and perspective for each aspect of Life.  

Our soul's journey is Life, but after death, our body passes, but the soul continues its journey in another form, which is defined by karma in the previous Life. Death is simply the transmigration of the soul. We should not fear death; instead, in every moment, we should be prepared to die because it can strike us unexpectedly anytime, anywhere.

Death makes us powerful, more robust and bolder by prioritising what we need or want; it gives us a sense of urgency and importance in our Life. Death makes us more grounded humans who believe they are one of the infinite children of God. It makes us grateful for every small action, unshackle from mental anxiety, and live up to ourselves. 

If we all can go from fearing death to embracing death, 

then we can be positive humans who have understood Life. 

Anvesha Rana, 

Grade 10-B, 

Gyanshree School

Swami and Friends - Anvesha Rana

However badly Mani would have despised Rajam, he cannot bring the cruelty in his heart to hurt him. On being face-to-face, they apologize to each other and end up being great friends. What scared Mani the most was that if he hurt Rajam, Rajams' spirit would haunt and torture him, so it was best to be friends rather than foes. 

I am not afraid of ghosts or spirits, except at night, whenever I sleep and even if the door is slightly open, I feel as if someone is peeping in, so I permanently close my door before sleeping. Also, I find it really hard to sleep alone after watching a horror movie since the scenes are living in my mind, and I just can't bear to think that there will be a ghost standing there when I turn around!

Swami talks about odds and ends, ups and downs, to his one-of-a-kind grandmother, who just wants to tell him how wonderful his grandfather was. The constant bickering between the two is very usual to others. For me, a conversation with my grandmother is fun. We talk about her times, like how school was then, how the uniform was and how strict the teachers were. She loves to talk about knitting, which is also her favourite activity and then my grandmother likes to ask me about myself. Also, she always cooks my favourite meals whenever I visit her. 

Swami, Rajam and Mani are good friends, but they were impertinent to a fellow helper, and this also ended up in Rajam being offended, but that was alright as it was Rajams' fault in the first place since he was trying to show off. There is a mark difference between show, and show-off; we show everything from our books to clothes to gifts, but we also show off a colossal amount of things like a new watch or some expensive clothes. To show off is to exaggerate the object more than its actual value, and to show is to make others see what you have in its truest and purest form. 

Anvesha Rana, 

Grade 10-B, 

Gyanshree School

Swami and Friends - Anvesha Rana

Swami is a boy who just loves to have fun, be it with friends or be it all on his own. He enjoys playing and wandering more than anything else, so whenever Monday comes around the corner, Swami feels frustrated as he has to walk through a tough day filled with studies and homework. But after all, he endures Monday Mornings. 

I like Mondays because I have a lot of activities in school that day, plus on Monday we have a lot of things to share with our friends, so it’s never boring. We all should like Monday because it is the start of a new day, a new week and maybe, new learnings and opportunities. 

Swami may not be a very ambitious young boy, but he is happy and optimistic because of his friends and loves playing, so he always has something to be positive about. Similarly, what makes me think positive is the idea of anything different from my usual routine. I enjoy it whenever we go out or when I have something new to do. Some different classes in school or meeting new people always excites me. That’s what makes me think positive, and I love that. 

Anvesha Rana,

Grade 10-B,

Gyanshree School

Sayonara Totto-chan! - Anvesha Rana

Yasuaki-chan left Totto-chan, and now Rocky also vanished. Everyone whom Totto-chan loved seemed to disappear one after the other. Tai-chan no longer spoke to her, Rocky could no longer be heard, and Yasuaki-chan no longer stayed with her. It was as if her little world of love was tumbling down and she was walking alone on a broken road with the rain constantly thumping over her head. Her near and dear ones had gone far away in sight but not in mind, for love is what remains even after you are gone. The little Totto-chan had learnt lessons that made her stronger and bolder in a world full of strangers. She now knew that she had to live up to her limited time in this race on earth, but Totto-Chan remembered to always run with happiness and happiness that makes others happy. 

I have often heard a story of a woman who lost her son but was so desperate to get him back that she went to Lord Buddha to bring her son to life again. In listening to her story, Lord Buddha said he would bring her son to life again only if she could get a fist full of mustard seeds from a house where no one had died. So the woman had set out on her task, she had gone to every home in each locality, but there was not a single house where someone had not died, be it the grandfather, father, mother, child, someone or other had always passed away. Lost and depressed when the woman returned to Lord Buddha, he had simply told her that human lives are like flickering lights. They light for a long time, but suddenly they extinguish. We need to learn to accept the loss and let the ones gone be always loved in our hearts. Just like Totto-Chan will always love Rocky and Yasuaki Chan.

When Ryo-chan, the janitor at Tomoe, had to leave for the War, all the students had organized a special Tea Party just for him. Everyone drank saké and shared something or the other for Ryo-chan. It was a fun time and the children continued the tradition of the Tea Party even after Ryo-chan was on the war ground. It was the last time they had ever gathered at Tomoe. 

Whenever I have to drop someone at the station and bid goodbye, I feel as if they could have stayed just a little longer; no matter how many days we spent together or how much fun we had, at that point, all that matters is whether they can be here for just a bit more time because no amount of time feels enough when you are with your loved ones. 

Sayonara, Sayonara is a Japanese goodbye, but it literally means 'if that's the way it is'. We have learned so much from Totto-chan, the Headmaster and Tomoe. It is even so unique that a young girl, simply through the means of her actions, has taught us friendship, responsibility, coping with loss, freedom and most importantly, love. So all we can say is Thank You and Sayonara, Totto-chan! 

Anvesha Rana,

Grade 10-B, 

Gyanshree School

Ordinary Lives - Anvesha Rana

Let's not strive for extraordinary lives, 

Let's not make success a goal, 

but let us make Spreading Happiness

our role. 

Let it be ordinary but ensure it is happy, 

Let it be simple but ensure it is fun, 

Let it be calm but ensure it speaks tons. 

Help others find the wonder and 

a marvel of the ordinary life, 

Discover pleasure in tasting 

apples, plums and tomatoes. 

Show others how to cry, 

when pets and people die

and show them how to laugh, 

when we lose after a tie. 

Let it be how you want, 

or let it just go with the flow, 

Don't change it for anybody else's rant

for it is your life when it is high

or when it is low. 

Make the ordinary come alive for them, 

and the extraordinary will just go. 

Anvesha Rana, 

Grade 10-B, 

Gyanshree School

Coffee With The Coach : Money - Anvesha Rana

Today We Talk About Money

We have got a form of brainwashing in our country. Do you know how they brainwash us? They repeat something over and over. Owning things is good. More money is good. More property is good. More commercialism is good. More is good. More is good. We repeat it - and have it repeated to us - over and over until nobody bothers to think otherwise. The average person is so fogged up by all this,  and he has no perspective on what's really important anymore.

Wherever we might go in life, we meet people wanting to gobble up something new. Gobble up a new car. Gobble up a new piece of land. Gobble up the latest toy. And then they want to tell about it. 'Guess what I got? Guess what I got?'. These people are so hungry for love that they accept substitutes. They are embracing material things and expecting a sort of hug back. But it never works. We can't substitute material things for love, gentleness, tenderness, or a sense of comradeship. 

Money is not a substitute for tenderness, and power is not a substitute for tenderness. As we lay on our deathbed, neither money nor power will give us the feeling we were looking for, no matter how much of them we have. 

There's a big confusion over what we want versus what we need. We need food, but we want chocolate. We need to be honest with ourselves. We don't need the latest car, we don't need the most prominent house. The truth is, we don't get satisfaction from those things; what gives us joy is by offering others what we have to give. 

We don't have to offer money or power but time. Offer your concern, and submit your stories; it's not so hard. Devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning. If we show off to the top people, they will look down on us. And if we show off to the people at the bottom, they will only envy us. The status will get us nowhere. Only an open heart will allow you to float equally among everyone. 

We should sometimes take out time to listen to other people because giving is what makes us feel alive. Not our car or our house. Not what we look like in the mirror. When we give our time, when we can make someone smile after feeling sad, it's as close to healthy as we can ever get. 

Do the kinds of things that come from the heart. When you do, you won't be dissatisfied, you won't be envious, and you won't be longing for somebody else's things. On the contrary, you'll be overwhelmed with what comes back. 

Anvesha Rana, 

Grade 10-B, 

Gyanshree School.