Be the Change- Aanya Kumar

‘Be the change’ are three inspiring but straightforward words. A simple explanation for this can be demonstrated with the help of an example. Imagine you see two people fighting. You immediately want to stop them. But then you take a step back and think, “Who am I to stop them when I fight?”

On the other hand, if we take the example of Mahatma Gandhi. One day, a lady and his son went to meet Bapu. After meeting him, she stated the problem was that her son ate too much jaggery and did not understand that it was harmful to his health. Gandhi Ji told both of them to revisit him after a few days. When they returned, he told the boy to stop eating jaggery as it could be dangerous to his health. The mother asked why Bapu couldn’t say that the first day they came. Bapu’s reply was that he had to stop eating jaggery himself before stopping the boy from doing the same. So before changing anyone, we first need to change ourselves. Practising before preaching could change the entire world into a peaceful living space.

Aanya Kumar

Gyanshree School

Grade 5

Be the change - Rishona Chopra

Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.

- Rumi

Rumi has rightly said that we have to be the world's change we want to see. As people say, ' walk the talk' as in what we talk, we should too. If I say that we should cherish our life and not get angry at the small things, I need to first think about whether I love my life. If I do. Then only it will be something worth saying. Only that way you can be exemplary. 

Once a lady came up to Mahatma Gandhi & said that his son overate jaggery and was worried it would damage his health. Gandhi said to bring her son back a  few days later. After a few days, Gandhi said, you shouldn't eat a lot of jaggery when they returned. It could be harmful. The lady asked why he said this after a few days. Gandhi replied, ' I needed a few days to give up eating jaggery so I could counsel your son with conviction.'

This example also states that we first need to work on ourselves to change someone. They don't need to change, but they might want to see you change.

What I want to change is Ego. I want to banish ego. Ego leads to greed, selfishness and all that leads to all the bad acts in the world. To banish ego, all of us need to listen to our inner voice and to the right thing.

The measure of intelligence is the ability to change 

- Albert Einstien

Rishona Chopra
Grade V
Gyanshree School