Learn To let Go - Reveda Bhatt

Left one moment and then waiting for its return...

neither to your left nor to your right, and boom!

Then realise that it's just the one you've lost during its finding; just like that, you lose another moment in figuring out where the first one is hiding

but in this process, you tend to create a series of lost moments that just keeps binding.

So learn to let go!

Reveda Bhatt
Grade 9
The Aryan School

Appreciation - Khush Rajpurohit

How often have you stopped to smell the roses? The saying refers to living in the present and is not all about smelling the roses next to you on the table?

It is essential that we each appreciate the current moment and even list things we are thankful for. Of course, you could question why but the fact remains that most of us have this tendency to take our loved ones, including our current circumstances, for granted. The one lesson that none of us ever seem to learn until too late is that nothing is permanent in life. Our loved ones, from our parents, grandparents, teachers, and siblings, will not always be around to help us out in our time of need.

This is why it is essential to appreciate all the big and small things in our lives; after all, showing our appreciation to the ones we love only validates that emotion and should help strengthen it further. It is the little things that matter a lot, so you just need to take a moment to sit down, do some introspection, write a list of all the things you are thankful for and start showing your appreciation for the same. Moreover, appreciating the finer things in your life should serve to highlight the fact that you are indeed lucky in more ways than one. You could tell your mother how lucky you are that she is still around and tell her that you love her. That should definitely make her day. 

Appreciation is all about appreciating the people around you, and your very act of expressing affection should serve to validate your relationship and take it to a whole new level.

Doing so should start a cascading motion as you become more of an optimist. When expressing your appreciation to your loved one, keep it short and natural; all that your loved one wants to hear is what you feel deep in your heart. The value of direct appreciative action can go a long way in cementing any relationship, even one that is fraught with all the usual fights and hostilities. Just remember to keep the message direct, to the point; no one wants to hear a long-winded appreciation message so keep it short. And even get them a few things just to show your appreciation, and remember that all they want to know is what is deep inside your heart.

Khush Rajpurohit 

Class XII

The Fabindia School

Appreciation - Anisha Gaitonde

Everyone needs a bit of appreciation at some point in time. It’s a part of being Human. Showing appreciation just takes a few words – ‘great going’, ‘good show’, ‘well done, but its value is far more than that. A small piece of appreciation motivates us to be better than we are. 

Thankfully, there have been incidents in my life (just like all of you) where I was appreciated, and it made me feel good and, more importantly, motivated me to do better next time.

My first award was a bronze medal in Sports Day function 2015 when I was in Jr. Kg. That was the first time I stood so close to our school Principal, and it was beyond my most fantastic dreams – such an honour 🤩! Even if it was a bronze medal, this small appreciation helped me develop a mindset to participate in extra-curricular activities in later years, whether SpellBee, Neltas, Logiqids or Drawing and Handwriting competitions. 

My next memorable moment came when I passed the First level of Kathak dance, which I had been practising for almost 6 months. It just underlines that nothing is impossible if you have the right motivation – our teacher used to appreciate our small efforts every week. It resulted in a collective jump in my performance.

My teachers and family have been very encouraging and supportive to me (even though sometimes there are times when too many competitions come at the same time 😢). Some of the initiatives by my school where they appreciate and celebrate small successes of students in their monthly newsletters really keep us motivated to do much more – in school and in life!

Anisha Gaitonde 
Grade: 5 Division: B
Billabong High International School, Thane