True Happiness is living in the present - Rishona Chopra

We spend our time, thinking relentlessly, 

Thinking about possibilities endlessly. 

What is to come? What had happened? 

These questions cloud us day and night. 

Thinking about the future and the past, 

All about what has passed. 

In this vast world, we forget,

That we haven't touched the present yet.

All forgotten about who we are,

We start thinking of the far.

Yes, we must learn from the past, 

But not live in what has passed. 

A wise person is content with their lot, 

Not wishing for what they have not. 

Being lost in hopes and fears, 

Doing the same for years and years. 

True happiness isn't in these wishes and wants, 

Not in these useless thoughts. 

Never do we enjoy what we have,

With the future, we always began.

It's to live in the present that is the true art, 

It's what really pleases the heart. 

Rishona Chopra 

Grade VIII

Gyanshree School 

Future Generation & The Present - Nishan Karki

 When we talk about the future generation, do we also need to work on the present altogether?

“Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.”                                                      -  Buddha

We spend a lot of time thinking about our future generation. However, we also need to think about and work on our present side by side. Working on present needs is crucial for the betterment of our future generations. The future of our generation depends greatly on our present deeds. Our present paves the way for our future and that of our generation.

To make our generation's future better, we need to tackle the present problems. Our earth is facing many environmental problems such as climate change, increasing global warming, depletion of various resources, pollution, etc. Unless we tackle our present issues, we will not be able to improve the future of our upcoming generations.

For instance, if people are very poor, they will not be able to provide a better lifestyle for future generations. Before thinking about the future, they should work on their present needs. They must at least have the basic means of livelihood. If they remain poor and do not work to improve their present conditions, their future generation will have to suffer. 

Creating a peaceful society is very important for our future generation; Creating a society that values people and their sentiments, fosters the development of a peaceful society. People living in a society must have mutual co-operation, respect sympathy, trust, kindness and compassion for each other.

If our thoughts and actions are positive, our future generation will also be the same. It is important to ensure that our generation thinks positively and does things positively. No one wants their generation to do wrong things. People have a strong faith that their future generation will be a good and peaceful one. We should work to create a clean environment (focusing both on the ecosystem and positive thoughts/ actions) for our future generations.

Nishan Karki Class 10  Pestalozzi Children’s Village Society, India

Change I have seen from my recent past - Tenzin Jambey

Time goes on. We become old, much more experienced as the year passes (like a changing season). Reflection on things and my surroundings has become a part of my life. And from them, I get life lessons. This summer vacation was full of learning and knowledge, indeed. Knowledge is something other than what you get by opening books. 

Sometimes life and time teach you the best and most unforgettable teachings. So this vacation, I worked as a labour. Working under the orders of our boss was a different story. Well, for me, it was a lesson I learned that- life is not easy. For every human being, from poor to rich; and businessman to doctor, life is tough, and it is up to us- how we deal with it. The poor people think living a luxurious life is best and that money is everything. 

We chase money like a donkey chasing a carrot tied with a rope to a stick, while the master controlling the carrot takes the donkey where he wants. It's just an illusion a donkey sees. And the same case is with us people running behind an earthly thing like money. But if we think deeper, then we realise that money is an important asset to earn a living today and the same case for the donkey who runs behind a carrot to overcome hunger. 

There is a saying that "Too many cooks spoil the broth". Similarly, more money would not solve the problem but could lead to problems like - greed, desires, etc. And the conclusion for this will be that - 'For every problem, there is a solution'. And behind every solution, there is a problem. Recently, I have seen myself developing and becoming an idol for my juniors and even becoming a favourite of my house mother due to my efforts. Even in my village, I have a good image among everyone because I push myself to do better every time. 

Whenever I see any person older than me, I talk with them in a very respectful and comfortable way. They always give me a big smile when I meet them. If you work hard with your soul, life will pay you for that. When we push ourselves harder by getting out of our comfort zone, life teaches us lessons. And we are rewarded for the same accordingly. "That's the change that I have seen in my recent past".

Tenzin Jambey, Pestalozzi Children's Villiage India

Enjoy the present! - Rishona Chopra

 "Practicing meditation and detachment can help us remain in soul consciousness and emphasise experiencing being overdoing. Our health, inner well-being and definition of success are more important than any job, salary, degree or anyone else's opinion about us. We can, therefore, consciously create a situation of peace and happiness where the rising tide of expectation is controlled. We are no longer troubled by unfulfilled needs; even the most ordinary experiences become enjoyable." 

The future, the past,
Is a world that is vast.
It is a lot to wonder,
You can think about thunder,
and think if you can become a funder.
In this vast world, we forget,
That we haven't touched the present yet.
All forgotten about who we are,
We start thinking or the far.
It is truly so bizarre,
We think of the present as an old scar.
Never thinking about the present,
We forget about the pleasant.
Enjoying the moment is an art,
But I wonder how we fail despite being so smart.
Those thoughts keep popping up,
I put the present in the old cup.
Never did I ever enjoy what I have,
With the future I always began.
But today can I just relax and enjoy the present?

Rishona Chopra
Grade VI
Gyanshree School

A Dilemma - Reveda Bhatt

"…wondering whether I wait to live or if waiting is also living;" - From 'Extinctions' by Sharmistha Mohanty.

Due to the greed pertaining in humans, which doesn't seem to have an end, every moment of our lives is spent waiting for something from our to-do list. Some people are lucky enough to get what they want while waiting for theirs, and some do not understand that what they lost for what they wanted was what could have been gained.

In life, some of us just fix a pinpoint around our life circles wherein instead of living freely, we tie ourselves onto a mystical bull's eye, which we aren't even sure about. We, people, save money for our future or future generations, dragging ourselves into a so-charming-as-seen-superficial bond which limits our life, wings, and flight.

Now, realizing what we are doing with our lives raises a dilemma: whether to wait to live or to live! Taking a step towards waiting to live, the thought popping into our mind is the worry about whether the next generation would be much self-obsessed to even pay us back for the time we spent establishing a bright future for them. Believing they won't, we reframe our step back towards the initial position and then towards living, when we tend to wonder what if our next generation will not be able to get all the best things in life just because of our one stupidity to live freely and fully. That is how few moments of
our lives slip off our hands just like that, waiting for another.

The fact that we limit ourselves in this materialistic world when we can grow out of it really makes me wonder why we want such pleasures? It's not that I am saying let go of them. No! We also need them for our living, but picking out for them in excess is bad. It shouldn't ever be like you are stealing someone's right. All I am saying is that what gets sowed here on this planet, ultimately, wilts.

We get decayed in the same soil where we used to play, blow away in the same air that we
used to breathe, flow out in the same water that we used to swim in and get ash-ed up in
the same fire that once used to give us warmth.

In the past few years, I've learnt that by waiting for something else to come in, we make something go out, out of our mind, out of our soul, out of our body and lives. Halting for a moment to catch on, we lose another. People come, people, go, and moments come, moments go, although once the present is gone, it never comes back but haunts you as your past, a past that could have been better.

So, what I've been doing since those years after realizing that waiting is also living, is- "Forget the past, live in the present and think of the future."

Future, too, sometimes, but not always.
Long way ahead!? 

Reveda Bhatt

Grade IX

The Aryan School, Dehradun

Image courtesy My Good School, spreading the joy of learning for a better tomorrow.

The Dark Past - Coming Back And Letting Go!

As I turned back, I found myself in the corridors of Max Hospital at Dehradun. I had checked my phone just before I came here; it was 15:07 PM, 10th April 2022, but now, when I checked the time, it was 20:17 PM, 6th October 2019, and I was like, “What the hell!” I was back in the time when my mom and I had met with a severe accident!

As I walked, I recognised all the doctors and nurses and waved at them, but they were all in a rush, so they didn’t see or hear me. When I went to the fourth floor of the Neurology Department, I saw my family from my mom’s house and my dad’s house sitting there, weeping. I went near them, kneeled down near my grandparents and asked them, “Why are you crying?” They didn’t answer. I touched my younger sisters’ faces to see if they could feel my touch, which they couldn’t! My father wasn’t there, and neither was my mother. I shivered at the thought of being back in our dark past, advanced towards COMA and saw my father sitting on the bench with tears flowing down his eyes. When Dr Thakur came there, Father stood up immediately and asked, “Will they survive?”

That was the time when I was sure about the fact that I had travelled back in time! My father told me that he kept on asking this from my doctors. I could see myself past the glass, still not believing that I could not be seen by anyone at that time. I had machines all around me and a gauze tied around my head. Suddenly, I was going backwards, and after a split second, I found myself sitting on the same bench in the same park, back in the real world.

Though the whole situation was sad, this was a totally different experience, and I made the most out of it, but now, it’s time to let go of the dark past!

-“Temper us in fire, and we grow stronger; when we suffer, we survive...”

Reveda Bhatt
My Good School, Dehradun

Photo courtesy Dr Neeraj Kumar Singh