Is it what we do that matters or the attitude behind it? - Rishona Chopra

PC- Medium

"Hard work"-  the term says a lot in itself. It talks about "working hard". It's doing the things you do with full dedication and perseverance. It is about exploring and going out of your comfort zone and doing those things with full dedication. Hard work isn't limited to being industrious but also to branching out and challenging yourself to do something new and "hard " for you. 

A very common situation is related to our studies. I personally have my own likes and dislikes for school subjects but then you can't leave a subject you don't like. Even if it's something that you absolutely dislike, one has to do it. Now, even if one works hard and studies that one subject diligently, a very important thing is the attitude we do it with. Do we do it for the sake of marks or do we do it because we know it's vital and because we are eager to learn?

Our attitude towards something changes our perception towards it and improves the quality of our work. Not just now, in our school years but also in our future endeavours. It's not just what we do, it's the intention behind it. One can work in a profession of service and help several others but is that person in that profession for the money and fame behind it or because they really care? The intentions not only show in our quality of work but also affect our state of well-being. 

While studying something that differs from one's interest, if we find little joy in doing it, then it may become easy for us! 

In life, things can never always go the way we want them to go. People are different, their thoughts are different and so are their actions. The only thing in our control is our actions, thoughts and feelings. The feeling of co-operation and an optimistic learning attitude is what creates the difference. 

It's the difference in our attitude that makes "hard work" not so hard after all!

Rishona Chopra

Grade VIII 

Gyanshree School

Being Grateful- Monika Singh Pundir

In my words, be grateful for a thing, no matter how small or big, we should appreciate it and make the best use of it. 

When somebody is in very need of something, we can help that person in need, it would be a very big thing for the person and can even change a person's life. The person may remember the thing done for him or her. The person will be thankful as well as grateful for the help.

But being grateful for someone doesn't mean one should always bow before the person to whom the person is grateful and do everything, wrong or right, for that person who is providing the things to you. 

Monika Pundir
Class 10
PCVS

Find your voice and inspire others to find theirs - Ananya Singh

People who have found their voice focus on expanding their circle of influence, being trustworthy, building trust, blending the voices of others, and creating a common vision.                                                      

Ananya Singh 

Grade- IX 

Sunbeam Hostel Lahartara 

The antidote for the Retirement Disease - Rishona Chopra

When people retire, they initially struggle. Letting go of the tight work schedules, being used to doing much work, and suddenly no work at all is rather hard. It's somewhat like going back to school after a month of holidays. It's the least exciting day as all you want to do is just relax more. But here, in the case of retirement, all you want to do is just work more. Keep yourself busy with some work or the other. At this point, most start feeling rather anxious. And you can't blame them; Their whole routine has been changed!

Image by Freepik

Gone are the days when they worked day and night, now all they can do is do some chores here and relax. Being used to having meetings and calls all day, it is hard to cope with the fact that now your phone is no longer filled with a hundred unread messages and missed calls. That is in fact why I don't prefer to use the word "disease" for this. It's simply a phase of life like any other. The antidote for this retirement "disease" is "Purpose". Having a purpose means having a new goal to achieve and that means keeping busy and getting rid of the Retirement Disease. And something that happens after retirement is that you can just do things for yourself. Yes, we always feel the need to show to others what we did and do but that's when we are free to do anything for our own happiness. Everyone already has a purpose and we just need to find it. Anything of interest that appeals to you and seems to give you joy can be called your true calling or rather a purpose that keeps your mind energized. Rishona Chopra Grade VII Gyanshree School

Do it for yourself - Rishona Chopra

PC. VectorStock

Often, we find ourselves doing things to please someone else. To get appreciation. We all are like that, even I. It makes me feel happy when one appreciates me. But there is one more thing to the appreciation - the pressure. 

When one appreciates you, you feel burdened to always do well, be an achiever and keep striving but when you fall in that cycle, you lose the joy of doing the task in the very first place. You now don't do it for self-pleasure but to please someone else.

When we do that, the task eventually becomes a burden and all happiness is replaced by fear and nervousness. Whatever we do, we should be doing it just for ourselves. Not for seeking prestige and glory. 

Why are we here in this world? What is our purpose? To do our part in the world and be kind. That is our purpose. And the key to fulfilling that purpose is to be happy and content with ourselves. To do all our tasks for mere joy and happiness.

I write because it gives me joy. I read because it takes me to another world. I play the piano because it makes my heart soar with happiness. If I did all these things for someone else then it wouldn't give me the same joy that it gave me before.

There are two meanings that come out when we say “ Do it for yourself”. One is that we do something because it gives us happiness. Because we love that task. The second is to help out someone else yet enjoy the task and not lose the joy in doing it.

Helping out someone is fantastic but everything we must do must be done with passion and happiness. If no joy, the beauty of the work itself disappears.

When you eat the food at a restaurant and when you eat something homemade, there is a humongous difference! The food at home is made with love and you can feel that while eating the food.  The joy and passion in work are shown similarly no matter how it may look or be.

When we say "Joy of learning" the keyword isn't "Learning", it is "Joy". We learn for our own joy and happiness. 

As said, live your life for you, not for anyone else.

Rishona Chopra

Grade VII

Gyanshree School

Two men looked out prison bars; one saw mud, one saw stars - Rishona Chopra

 Image Courtesy - Twitter

Perspective changes something completely. We can be happy even in the worst times with a positive view of the situation. Every cloud has a silver lining; we just have to find that lining. 

Suppose two men look out prison bars; one only sees the bars, and the other looks beyond it and sees the immense beauty of nature. It is our choice to choose what we want to see. It is our choice to be happy, and it is our choice to look at the good sides of a situation. 

In every situation, there is a choice. Either look at the positive and optimistic sides or find faults and be sad. We just have to see that choice. When something happens that is not to our satisfaction, we get negative feelings about it, but we don't realise that there is always a choice to be happy about it. To rejoice in the smallest of things. 

Two men looked out prison bars; one saw mud, and one saw stars. 

It is our choice to look at the positive things in life. After all, peoples' perspectives and thoughts define who they are. There is so much sadness in the world, and it is easy to find faults, but the real challenge is finding happiness in everything. 

Rishona Chopra
Grade VII Gyanshree School

Strength - Nishan Karki

“You really have to look inside yourself and find your own inner strength, and say, ‘I’m proud of what I am and who I am".  ―Mariah Carey

We don't even know how strong we are until we are forced to bring that hidden strength forward. Strength means not mere physical strength. Weightlifting, carrying bulky things, etc. does not depict our real strength. Strength means more.

Strength also includes our inner strength or our hidden strength. Inner strength means our willpower, courage, confidence, endurance, mental power, and some values present in us. A person with inner strength can do his work more efficiently than a person with physical strength. He analyses, plans and prepares his ideas before doing athe ny work. He does this so as to get best possible outcome.

We need inner strength in th following cases:

● Dealing with our problems, difficulties and failures in life.
● Dealing with stressed people so as to make them comfortable, happy and joyous.

● To develop important and essential values such as humanity, patience, kindness, honesty, trust, etc.
● To take decisions efficiently and following them.

Many people lack in inner strength. They fail to bring out their hidden inner strength forward. As a result, they cannot develop essential values in themselves. They have to suffer many difficulties in life. Hence, inner strength is as much important as physical strength. In fact, it is more important than physical strength. We should learn to develop inner strength and to bring it forward.

Name- Nishan Karki

Class-10, Pestalozzi Children's Village India

Intentions - Reveda Bhatt

Intentions come a long way - Sometimes say even more than words. Vibes exist. Matches exist. It's all in the intent of a person -"like" likes "like," unlikely in some cases.

For instance, need of help -WHEN YOU HAVE EVERYTHING-everybody seems to be close to us, "wants to be" close to us-but when you have little - All that remains is all WHAT and WHO is yours-The Real Ones. Truth of life - Let's face it.

Well, you must be wondering where "intent" drops in here - Others' intentions throw vibes of what they mean or, in this case, "want." Some figure that out, while few are too caught up in the moment to see whose "faking." Those true at heart stay beside you no matter what, when or where life takes you. While as your "car of life" comes down through the mesmerising meadows, full of "your close ones," as soon as you enter the "dark tunnel," what your life comes out with is its car full of "your real ones." You fill up the fuel at a station, about to enter the countryside-another bright world - a beginning with "better" people, when suddenly, after paying up, you turn towards your car and see it full again -THE SAME CYCLE but what's good now is that you know who is really yours this time! 

So, while they drive down, people, I'll tell you something - know how it is when people tell you-"Nobody's really ours in life," I think I'll deny this for few are, but you've got to have an eye to look for them-

Oops, another tunnel ahead!

Don't believe me?

Look at the number of fellows before entering the tunnel,

Then, after exiting the tunnel.

Trust me -You will know the difference.

- Reveda Bhatt

Appreciation - Kiran Vehniwal

Picture Courtesy- https://picpedia.org/handwriting/a/appreciation.html

Appreciation is a simple word that means 'to tell others that you are thankful for their efforts towards you'. Just a 12-letter word that can brighten up someone's day or make someone feel good about themselves.

We, being humans, tend to show appreciation only when someone does something for us.

Have you ever paused and thought about how people make a difference in our life just by being a part of it? Even if they are doing nothing extra to add value to our life?

I assume the answer will be no.

At points, we try our best to do better to make someone proud because that one person matters to us. That someone may not be doing anything in particular, but their existence drives us to achieve more.

Don't they deserve the most appreciation for giving us a motive in life. Definitely, they do.

Let's not only be appreciative just for showing a gesture in return for something but appreciate every living soul we come across, as they will definitely leave an impact on you to make your life better. 

Kiran Vehniwal 

Prita Lee Lesson School, Kapurthala 

All people have equal value - Aati Pema

In the world that we live in today, we have to abstain from the "our people" mentality which is basically saying me, myself and I but in a more moderate manner. 

This is harmful as we stop seeing how lucky we are to have the company we have and end up losing them. Getting detached from reality and seeing the world through prejudice-filled eyes is not good. So for the times when you are either irritated or mad or not in the mood to be with the company you have and think that you are better off alone, keep in mind the thought that all people around are as important as you are to yourself. 

"We are fortunate to have the things we have as we just won a lottery of life."

Written By-

Aati Pema Tseagon 

Pestalozzi Children’s Village, India.

(Reflection from reading Live Life In Crescendo by Cynthia Covey Haller)

"PEOPLE are more important than THINGS" - Nishan Karki

https://goodschoolsalliance.godaddysites.com/my-good-school

"Most of the important things in the world have been

accomplished by people who have kept on trying 

when there seemed to be no hope at all."

~Dale Carnegie

People and things are very different from each other. People are social beings who can communicate, interact, work, play, and share their thoughts, ideas, emotions and opinions, like other things. Things cannot do all the activities mentioned above. People possess many important values which make them more

important than things. Things are just objects which have a physical presence. Things include utensils, stationery, chair, table, electronics, etc. People only gave the ideas to invent these things. It shows that things exist because of the people who invented them. Therefore people are more important than things.

There are many reasons why people are more important than things. Some of them are listed below:

● People can take care and look out for each other, but things do not. We were not born, nourished and raised by things. It was our parents who did things. Parents are the people who were our first and foremost teachers who taught us to walk, eat, speak, play and help us to know about things.

● People can give us happiness and satisfaction more than things. There are only a few people who get satisfaction and happiness from things. But for most of us, we get satisfaction and happiness from people. People only provide support and help when we face problems in our life. They are the ones who encourage us to follow the right path to get success.

● Parents, friends, teachers, relatives and siblings are the people who make our life meaningful, not things.

● Even the value of gold, silver, diamond, etc., is less compared to people. We will get money by selling these minerals, but we will not get the support, help, encouragement and guidance that people can provide us.

Life would of no meaning if people were not present around us. Without other people in our life, we will have a limited viewpoint to look at the world.

Therefore, PEOPLE are more important than THINGS.

Written by-

Nishan Karki

Pestalozzi Children's Village, India

People are more important than things - Tenzin Jambey

Reflection from Sunday School

Some people will choose expensive things, luxury items and valuable commodities over human beings, and some will give more importance to humans than any other things, even over the bag of gold and diamond. We all know very well that everyone is not the same. And therefore, one person can not change or bring goodness to others. First, we should be one to improvise our mindset, and we should be the ones to bring a good change in ourselves.

It is so true that people who have been close to death always give importance to other humans. These people respect all classes of people- from young to old and from poor to rich. I still remember the tragedy of my uncle, who once almost lost his life after being stuck under a rock while working. Nowadays, he is earning his life by serving as a driver. He has a very kind heart. He respects everyone. And sometimes he gives a free ride to the labours and workers as he has also been a labour and he knows their conditions of working and the level of physical hard work they do. 

If we are kind to others, then goodness comes to us through 'Karma'. When we give others love, care and importance, we get it all back from others. Having a great affection towards earthly things like gold and diamond would make your heart much like coal. But if you give importance and are affectionate towards humans, your work and contribution will always be remembered and told. It is not only the humans to whom we should give importance but also the animals, plants and our mother Earth, as in this world, everything is interconnected to each other in some way or the other.

At last, I want to bring up a powerful thought to acknowledgement- "When we were born the world rejoiced while we cried. Therefore, do a work that the world will cry when you die with rejoicing and happiness”.

Written by-

Tenzin Jambey

Pestalozzi Children's Village, India.

People are more important than things - Aria Gupta

Reflection from Sunday School

Dear Readers,

From now on, I’ll be writing most blogs through short stories. I took this decision because I believe stories can share a message and captivate the reader at the same time. Feel free to give feedback in the comments. 

Here’s the first story:-

Amongst the mountains lived a young girl named Nidhi.

She had heard of a precious stone called 'Diranma'.

It could give powers to the owner and strengthen them in some way. Nidhi had been fascinated with the stone ever since she heard about it. One day, she told her parents, “Mumma, Papa, I want to look for Diranma!”. “Are you out of your mind!” exclaimed her mother. “It’s too dangerous, sweetheart,” said her father.

She didn’t listen to her parents. At midnight, she woke up and packed a sack containing five loaves of bread, two apples, some cashews, some water and a sleeping bag. She ventured out in the dark. After walking for a few hours, still determined to find the stone, she found herself in a forest.

There, she encountered a hunter and asked, “Do you know where Diranma is?” She asked, hoping he’d know the answer. “I do, but I advise you not to look for it. For I once was like you, looking for the precious stone. The consequences make the action hard not to regret,” he stated. “Please, I’m desperate!” begged Nidhi. “Since you want it so bad, I’ll give you a map, but never say I didn’t warn you”, said the hunter as he searched his pocket and gave a folded map leading to the stone. “Thank you so much!” exclaimed Nidhi as she took the map and opened it immediately. She followed the directions and walked for hours before munching on a loaf of bread and drinking some water.

 

Days went by, and she still hadn’t reached the gate leading to the stone yet. She was almost out of supplies. Soon, all her hard work paid off as she saw a beautiful gate. “Finally!”, she exclaimed at the sight of it. There stood a guard, watching her. He approached her and stated, “You need to pay one-third of your soul to enter. It will be paid back to you if you leave this gate without the precious stone, Diranma.” She thought, "I’m only giving one-third of my soul, not much." “Okay, but how do I give it to you?”, she asked. “We will take it ourselves.” stated the guard as he strangely moved his hands, chanting some prayer. As soon as his ritual ended, Nidhi felt less excited about the stone. “Thank you.”, she said as she went inside the gate and walked for a few minutes.

Soon she saw an overflowing river that was too deep. She didn't know about swimming. Fortunately, she saw a fisherman sitting on his boat with a fishing rod in the middle of the river. “Can you please drop me off the other side?”, she asked. “You’ll have to give me one-third of your soul. I’ll give it back if you come without Diranma.”, the fisherman stated. ‘I’ll still have one-third of my soul left’, she thought and agreed to pay one-third of her soul to the fisherman. “All right”, he said. He rowed to the side where Nidhi was and told her to get on the boat.

Nidhi was feeling less excited about the stone than ever. She hopped on the boat and soon reached the other side of the river. She saw a huge palace. A guard was standing, so she approached him and asked, “Can I enter this palace?” “You will have to pay a quarter of your soul.”, stated the guard. She cared the least at this point and just gave it to him like it was nothing but a piece of wood. The palace doors opened just like that. Nidhi found her curiosity strained about how it opened. She just walked in. There was The Diranma, placed on a huge table. But the remaining part of her soul rejected it. It longed for her parents, her friends, and her family. She thought for a while and headed back without the stone. She got all the pieces of her soul back. And when she reached the guard, he said, “I will teleport you back to your home now!” “Huh?”, Nidhi exclaimed.

But before she knew it, she was home with her parents. She hugged them tight and shrieked, “I missed you. I missed you a lot!” Her parents, eyes filled with tears, replied, “We missed you too!” “I went looking for the stone, but it was not worth it!”, said teared up Nidhi. She learnt that her loved ones were more important than any other stone in the world.

Written by-

Aria Gupta

Grade VI

Gyanshree School

Appreciation - Nishan Karki

 "When you don't come from struggle, gaining appreciation is a difficult quality." ― Shania Twain.

Appreciation means expressing our gratitude to others or praising, admiring and complimenting others. We appreciate people by saying phrases such as You have a friendly personality, you are very respectful, etc. Appreciation is one of the great values which we possess. Appreciating others also shows our respect for them. We take and give Appreciation to many people such as our parents, teachers, elders, juniors, seniors, relatives, youngers, neighbours, etc. If we appreciate people positively, we, in return, will also get a positive response like thank you. We will get adverse reactions if we disrespect or say wrong about people. It means that Appreciation is one of our positive values.

At Pestalozzi, we all respect and appreciate every staff including Cheme Ma'am, office staff, housemothers, cooks, drivers, guards, cleaners, and our friends. We understand the work which they are doing for us. Pestalozzi provides us with every best thing possible such as education, food, clothes, entertainment, etc. Its main motive is to provide us with good education to improve our future. Pestalozzi encourages, helps and supports us to exceed our potential. It prepares us to face the world, its challenges and difficulties. Pestalozzi doing all these things for us, deserve respect and appreciation for their work.

Nishan Karki
Pestalozzi Children's Village India

Being Human - Veda Varshita Marrivada

Being human is something which everyone cannot do. It depends on whether an individual is human, but what is being human? It means being a very generous human being. It is also a part of Humanity. Being human can also reflect on the character of a person. Donations, Charities, Adoptions, etc., come under the category of being human. A person requires a pure and kind heart to be human. Being human gives a feeling of satisfaction and happiness and teaches us to be good human beings.

The reality of the world hides in a mask where most people claim the good deeds and blame the bad deeds, but rare people are good humans from the inside. People show off their acts for the sake of status but not with good intentions. Humanity is becoming extinct, and many people hate each other. The percentage of cruelty in the world is at a high intensity.

Everyone should be treated fairly and equally. ALAS! I am still a child, but once I grow up, I shall donate money to old age homes and orphanages, give money to the poor and help anyone I see in trouble without hesitation. Also, I shall try my best to be a good human being as an honourable citizen of India, but my parents currently arrange food banks at orphanages and old age homes on our birthdays. Helping them gives us a feeling of happiness and joy. My parents always help others, inspiring and motivating me to do the same.

Helping others makes everyone happy. Humanity is an essential virtue which we should follow for a better world. Being human also applies to animals. Treating them fairly is necessary too. Many people torture animals such as horses, elephants, lions and other animals for entertainment.

In conclusion, everyone should do their best to be a good human being.

Veda Varishta Marrivada
Grade 5 Hyderabad Public School Begumpet

Listen to my reflection

The Wheels Of Learning Never Stop Turning! - Rishona Chopra

Yes, it is rightly said that the wheels of learning never stop turning!

Participating in the My Guide Inside program has enriched my thinking and perspective on several things. 

"Mind + Consciousness + Thought = Reality" is the base of this book.

Universal Mind is the source of all intelligence, and Universal Consciousness, allows us to be aware of our existence. And Universal Thought, which guides us through the world.

There are several learnings I took with me from the MGI Pilot Program. I think we can all agree on how each session had its own beauty and importance.I am going to be sharing a few of the key points I think are quite vital to understand and know about.

I learnt how we all are just lost thinkers. Our imagination is limited to what we know. Our thoughts and actions are based on the knowledge we know. It is vital to break that boundary and think beyond it. To add perspective to every situation. In any case, we think only from our perspective and stick to what we know. If we consider ourselves lost thinkers, looking at each view and reflecting on the day correctly, we might find peace and happiness with everyone. 

We all have our own separate reality, our own thoughts and our own world. All of us face differences of opinion at some point or another other, but it is vital to understand another person's perspective. Just like, we think what we know is correct, the other person feels the same. Instead, if we believe, "My thoughts are just a perspective, they aren't the best, and perhaps I should listen to others' thoughts and then evaluate." Things would get a lot better. 

I personally loved the line "Life Is Like A Piano". When I started playing the piano, I wanted to learn to play my favourite song, but it is essential to be patient and take a few steps back, learn and then strive to play the music to its best. Similarly, in life, we have to be patient and learn from others and listen to their thoughts and wait instead of directly jumping on the result. In this way, we can do a task to its full potential. 

Learning is something that never stops at each point in life, we learn something new and exciting, and at My Guide Inside, I learnt quite a lot and will continue to discover more!

Rishona Chopra
Grade VII
Gyanshree School

My pen's view on nature - Yashraj Sharma

                                                     

A big part of who we are or how we are recognised is the company we stay in, which means the type of people we are surrounded by.  

Mother nature is also filled with examples like this, like this picture I took today at the Pradhan Mantri Sanghralaya. Let me tell you the 2 ideas I came up with when I first saw this picture.

First, I thought that the part of the tree with the concrete wall in its background is the stage in a person's life when they have a fixed, enclosed and rigid mindset. But the part of the tree with the other trees in its background is part of a person's life when they are mixed with people with positive vibes and a "growth" mindset open to new thoughts and suggestions. This thought about the different perspectives of people depicted in this picture came to me from the 'My Guide Inside' session on Friday.

The second utterly different idea I came up with was that when the tree had the concrete wall in its background, it is the stage in a person's life when they sometimes get mixed in "negative" company. But the part of the photo where the tree has other lush green trees in its background. That is the stage when a person slowly progresses to be surrounded by people with positive feelings, thoughts, discussions and ideas.

These precious teachings and skills to live life to the fullest, provided by nature, are everywhere, just sitting in the landscape waiting to be discovered….

Yashraj Sharma

Grade: IX

Gyanshree School, Noida

We are finally beginning to use our intellect | Dr Jane Goodall | Conver...

Dr Jane Goodall, the renowned primatologist and United Nations Messenger of Peace, talks to Nirmal Ghosh about the drive to inspire environmentalism in young people and why, despite the damage done to the planet, she remains an optimist. Read more: https://str.sg/wtLo.

Reflection of the movie "SWADESH".

From: TENZIN JAMBEY <tenzinjambey782@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 31 Mar 2023 at 21:24
Subject: Good evening, Ma'am. Reflection of the movie "SWADESH".
Courtesy: <alumnicoordinator@pestalozziworld.in>

1: "Exploitation".
Even today, many farmers, labourers and workers are exploited by landlords and contractors.

2: "Difficulties faced by village people".
About 60% of India comprises villages that are the grassroots of our country, meaning that "ordinary people reside in villages ". As I was also born and raised in a village, I agree that there are many problems which village people face, like water supply, electricity, poor health and education facilities and unemployment.

3: "Illiteracy of masses in the Village".
Even after setting up government schools in villages, parents don't send their children to school as the parents need to be educated. They only seek short-term benefits by sending their children to work, and that's why they don't prefer sending their children to school; they think that money is more important than education.

4: "Indian culture and tradition".
Most Indians still follow traditional practices and culture, and they preserve it. Our country is famous for traditional activities like dances, food, dress, games etc. and for culture like arts and customs followed by generation.

5: "Difference between developed and developing countries".
Our country is still developing, due to which we face many problems. Still, in developed countries, there are fewer chances of facing issues, and I think this is the reason for the settlement of Indians in foreign countries like the U.S.A and CANADA. Developed countries have better employment opportunities, low death rates, better health facilities, better education, less poverty and a happy, settled and peaceful life. 

The Conclusion of the movie
We should never forget the place from where we began our journey, as our roots alone hold us through thick and thin.

What is peer pressure, and how can we deal with it? - Shambhavi Nautiyal

Reading Chapter 43, Sunday the 26th of March 2023

Peer pressure is the direct or indirect influence of our peers which tells us that we need to act in a certain way like the people surrounding us. It is often observed in teenage but continues as an existing matter throughout our lives regardless of age. It is a trap which makes people victims of many addicting and harmful practices. It could be wrong personality traits such as people pleasing and sometimes ruinous activities like smoking and drugs. 

It starts with compellingly curious intentions of just wanting to fit in, make friends and enjoy company, but later on, it becomes a habit. For instance, something often seen in the present youth is the following of the perpetually changing Instagram trends by young school-going teenagers to feel accepted and admired. 

We see kids going out of their way to follow social media trends and become famous because of peer pressure and the fact that this is seen as the definition of likeable and "cool". In school, too, we see popular girls and students liked by most of our peers or teachers, and we try to become like them. We observe that because of some of their habits, many people appreciate and admire them. To gain that popularity, we try to procure their idolized external features, skills or behaviours. In light of this fact, in this process, we lose ourselves. We lose our own identities. 

We never learn to love ourselves since we are compared to others by ourselves or our parents to our peers. We become even lonelier because of masking ourselves and never focusing on nurturing ourselves. We are left with no friends of our own, not even ourselves. Even when we stop trying to be like others, we still take that habit of people pleasing with us, in which we let people cross our boundaries and put them before ourselves, creating a frail sense of self-worth. However, we can fight it, come out of it and fix this whole scenario. 

As for me, I had been in some influencing company, and over time, I noticed that I had become a people pleaser and that I had been neglecting myself for my peers. I was listening more to them rather than my piece of mind. So, to fix those habits, I had to release that person from my life and start instilling healthier relationship patterns in my attitude. I had to change my outlook by changing my behaviour and thoughts. I had to make it clear to myself that it was okay for me to put myself and think about myself first before taking any decision instead of following my friends blindly and speculating about their behaviours, meaning how they treat me. I had to fix my sense of self-worth. 

So it is salient to love ourselves so that we don't compare ourselves to others and don't let others' judgements affect us, which calls out for having a deep sense of self-worth. We should practice self-compassion and not let ourselves get trapped in the vicious trap of peer pressure cause each one of us deserves to be loved, adored and treated like the queens and kings we are. So before judging yourself after seeing someone else, remind yourself of and be grateful for how confounding, worthy and attractive you are.

Always keep that in mind before wandering to search for love outside; look inside, and you will find the person who has always been and shall always be ready to love you.

Shambhavi Nautiyal Ahlcon Public School