Seizing Opportunities - Aradhy Mohan Jalan

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Seizing Opportunities: Empowering Personal Growth and Purpose

Your resourcefulness and initiative will go far as you navigate this stage of life if you are smart, aware, and take action. By asking questions, you can become invaluable.

It is not often that a person can create opportunities for themselves, but they can position themselves so that when the opportunity arises, they are ready. 

'Use me, God! Show me how to take who I am, who I want to be, and what I can do, and use it for a purpose greater than myself.'

Aradhy Mohan Jalan 
Class - 7
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!

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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

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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

Purpose to live - Pasang Sherpa

Like precious metals, gold and silver have a purpose, which is to satisfy people's desire for luxury. Our lives too have a purpose, but it is hidden. We can find it only if we have a hobby. Having a hobby means that we are one step ahead of finding our purpose in life. And if we are very much into our hobby, then that is the time when we change our hobby into a passion. Passion acts as a medium to sustain life; without it, our lives are futile.

Pasang Sherpa

Pestalozzi Children's Village Society

Image Courtesy- @syifatemplate

Purpose to live - Nishan Karki

"The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experiences." Ralph Waldo Emerson

One should have a purpose in life. Purpose makes our lives better and more reasonable. It helps us to focus on our goals.

A boy loved to climb trees. He often used to climb trees. He climbed trees for fun and also cut grass for his cattle. Whenever he climbed trees just for fun, something happened to him. When he climbed trees to cut grass for his cattle, nothing happened to him. He could not understand what was happening to him. Gradually, he came to know that when he climbed trees purposelessly and just for fun, he got harmed. He could not be satisfied with his work. But when he climbed trees to cut grass for his cattle, i.e., with some purpose, he was able to fulfil his work. Nothing happened to him. He did his work with ease.

 

From this story, we can conclude that life without a purpose is meaningless. We should have a purpose in life and live to fulfill it. In fact, the purpose of life is to live a life of purpose, as correctly said by a great thinker.

Nishan Karki 

Class X

Pestalozzi Children’s Village Society

Image Courtesy- Tiny Buddha

Purpose To Live - Arfa Khan

We all have a purpose. Our purpose gives us a reason to wake up each day. Without a purpose, our lives feel meaningless. Our lives become equivalent to wandering on a crooked path with no destination. In a world where money, power, and status are chased, we often forget what truly matters: a meaningful life. These pursuits don’t fulfill our existential emptiness; after all, there is always a question of why we ‘need’ power or status. To boast about it? Is that our purpose? Of course not! Our purpose plays a role here too; just chasing after material wealth won't solve the lack of meaning. Without awareness of the motive, our lives would be stuck in an endless cycle, waking up without a goal and then working a regular job to support a meaningless life financially. To find a reason to work, to live, and to keep going, we must find our purpose, but how?

Imagine you are held at gunpoint. While you’re begging to be set free to live, the criminal says, “Give me just one reason why I should let you live”. What would be your answer? That’s your purpose. A soldier’s purpose is to protect his nation’s land; an artist’s purpose is to amuse everyone’s eyes with their art; a doctor’s purpose is to save lives; an activist’s purpose is to fight for equality; and a mother’s purpose is to care for her child.

Finding our purpose takes time and requires a lot of pondering. Maybe it resides in one’s passions—to care for a loved one or to fight for justice and freedom. It gives us a reason to keep pushing forward—something to live for and die for. Each person has their own purpose, and you can find yours.

Arfa Khan

8-A  

Ahlcon Public School

Image courtesy: https://in.pinterest.com/pin/603975000052552263/

Purpose to Live - Aria Gupta

Have we asked ourselves, Why do we want to live? What is our purpose for living? How do we find this purpose if we haven't already? This simple introspection can do wonders for us. It can help us find our passion, which can give us happiness.

"Why do you like art so much?" I randomly asked Myla, a classmate I wanted to befriend. She loves to draw and is nicknamed "6D's Artist". "Well, one day, I just sat and drew something, and I had fun, so I continued drawing until art became my passion. She replied. The answer made me think. Could we find our motivation to live? This way. Soon, the bell rang, and we went back home. I sat on the bed and kept on thinking.

Soon, I saw a little bird whose wings had been injured. It was wailing loudly for help. I quickly fed it some rice and gave it water. I also bandaged the bleeding area and allowed it to heal on the balcony. Day after day, the wounds healed slowly but surely. Eventually, all the injuries were cured, and it was time for the bird to leave. The bird sang a beautiful song before flying into the wide world. At that time, something sparked in me. I felt happy. Helping the bird. Maybe this could be my passion.

It has been one month since the incident, and it has helped me find my passion. I now love helping not only people but Mother Nature as well. It turns out Myla was right. You just try and find your purpose in living, just like that.

How was this story? The lesson of this story is to just try to find your purpose for living. Just ask yourself why, and if you can't find an answer, try out everything that might seem mildly interesting until you find your passion.

Aria Gupta
Gyanshree School
Image Courtesy- Reader's Digest

I am the master of my fate - Sakshi Singh

I am a composer and conductor in the Grand Symphony of Existence. Each decision is a note; every action is a melody. With unwavering purpose, I sculpt the contours of my destiny, crafting a masterpiece uniquely my own. The score may challenge, but I wield the baton, guiding my life's composition onward a crescendo of fulfilment and purpose.

Sakshi Singh, 

Class 9, Gyanshree school

Image Courtesy- Lazuardi Medium

Appreciation - Aati Pema

In a beautiful village in Kerala, a boy named Ramananda was fast asleep with his head resting amongst the crumbled pages of his efforts to write a 'note' to himself. His parents were proud, and his friends saw him as an intelligent kid, but when he used to ask himself how he was, no reply would be there. At the young age of ten, he saw how people thought of him. With this in his mind, his consciousness would let him rest, so he pushed himself repeatedly. Even when the results were good, he got frustrated it did not get better, and he was never content with his work. Even his teachers began to notice and praise him openly, giving him a hollow sense of satisfaction that he feared might make him complacent. Though he now studied at a prestigious university and was still appreciated by everyone around him, he felt increasingly lost. 

Day in and day out, he would work to be better, but he had sacrificed the sense of oneness with himself, and thus he now felt lost, so he did the only thing he thought might help. He had begun to ask himself why he felt no sense of achievement and could not find fulfilment in his everyday life. Now he was lost, and on top of that, he had to answer his question. Neither did he see his own worth nor anyone else's, and began to progress without purpose. He was always aware of his thoughts, so his academics also declined. Only then did he see how good he was before and learn to appreciate his work. Having done so he was again that brilliant child that everyone admired now, having also grown in the sense of ethics. 

Only when we appreciate and be compassionate to ourselves will we understand others' company and not only just live but also be mindful of life. 

Aati Pema

Pestoalozzi Children's Village India

A Business With A Purpose - Rishona Chopra

Any business needs a purpose to thrive and grow. To fulfil something missing in people's life. To fulfil a much-needed need. A unique idea that serves the customers to their comfort and, of course, an idea that has a clear image and purpose. They know what they want, how to achieve it and how to grow it. 

One such business is the Tata Group. It has shaped the India we live in today. Their business has been serving India for so many years, and all of them have been a success. 

1969 – Entered the National Centre for the Performing Arts.

1982– The Taj Group accelerated its international expansion.

1983– Tata Salt became the country's first iodized branded salt.

Their businesses were firm in their values and had a clear purpose. 

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There is no one person behind a business. It is a team of hundreds of people. Their strong values of cooperation and humility make a strong and concrete business. 

If the co-founder of a business is jealous of the founder and tries to belittle him, then won't the business be at risk. While working in a team, will a business work out if people don't respect each other's ideas? If people don't appreciate each other's efforts, will they be motivated enough to strive for more? 

Cooperation is when you adjust with someone, whether you like it or not. It is when you help someone not caring about yourself and putting their needs before yours.

While doing business, our core values have to be strong for the business to grow without any inner conflicts between people. 

Rishona Chopra
Grade VII
Gyanshree School

A cause that is dear to me - Rishona Chopra

I often wonder what the purpose of life is. Why are we alive in the first place? 

I do believe that we all are here to do good and that is our cause and reason to live but I think that there is something more to that. We all have our unique qualities and talents that perhaps have something to do with it. 

People who have the gift of writing and are masters at it perhaps were sent to write stories and tales and make the world a better place. People with singing as their passion were sent to write beautiful songs that touch hearts with their deep enriching meaning. 

For me, the cause to live that is dear to me is my family. They are the ones that keep me going. Career talents are important to make the world a better place but to make it better we need to be strong and get by with hope and happiness. 

My family is that cause that never lets me lose hope and it is very dear to me. 

As said, not attending a meeting, not going for a business trip, missing out a conference are things we won't regret but not spending time with our family is one thing we will definitely regret. 

Rishona Chopra
Grade VII
Gyanshree School

To be human... - Rishona Chopra

Humans. That term rings a bell, doesn't it? What does it really mean?

Scientifically, humans are the most common and widespread species of primate.
Psychologically, humans are complex beings, and their behaviour and mental attitude result from interaction within and between their internal biological, psychological and social systems.

There are several definitions of "human", which are perhaps countless. I believe that "human" is just a term for creatures with two arms, two legs, two hands, two feet, two eyes, one nose, and two ears that can talk and express their words clearly. Apart from our distinct physical features, we are like any other living organism.  

There is so much we can learn from the smallest of creatures. Ants, for example. They work diligently in an organised manner and are quite industrious. They never fight with each other and don't interfere with each other's work. They simply do what they do. Even sheep, they only care about getting food and water. They don't realise that they're walking a new road every day. They probably don't see that the fields are different and the seasons change as long as we give them food and water. (lines from The Alchemist).

 This shows that sometimes we humans too, don't realise that every day is a new adventure, a new beginning to relish. We are so busy in our work that we don't care to look out the window and see the world's beauty. 

You might think that animals don't have feelings, but we do, so we are superior to them. But, have you ever been in the mind of an animal? Probably not, so you have no idea if they have feelings and thoughts too. And if you have been in the mind of  an animal, bird, or plant, tell me what you saw in the comments below!

It is right when we say humans are complex. Everything is perfectly laid out, but we unnecessarily make our  life complicated and create issues. We get puzzles to solve, telling us that the boy has to reach a box of cookies through a complex maze. We can just directly take the boy to the jar without really going inside the maze but going out of it! Isn't that so much simpler? 

We say animals' life is simple, but we don't realise that so is ours. We divide ourselves foolishly into castes and religions. In my opinion, it is nothing but our blindness to the truth. We separate ourselves based on different "gods", but there is really just one god, a power that guides us. "My guide inside", as some of us would call it. I wouldn't comment more on that but this is my opinion. 

Let me ask you a question, or why don't you ask yourself a question. What is your purpose on Earth? To get a good job, earn money, be a good citizen, be a good child, and be a good student? You would probably quote all your roles as a reply. I believe that your only purpose is to do good. I think we all have forgotten that very purpose and are physical humans but mentally we are not. 

Rishona Chopra
Grade VII
Gyanshree School

Is it important to have a purpose in life? - Reflections 19th Feb 2023 Sunday Reading

"The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for a newer and richer experience." Eleanor Roosevelt.

Life without a purpose can not be called life. No one may have no meaning in their life. If we have a purpose in life, we should fulfil it with great focus and deliberation. It is essential to have a purpose in life. We need to achieve our goal of being better and more successful people in future. If we have a purpose, we have to move with it and complete it. Carrying a sense makes our life interesting, simple and peaceful. Hence we should have a purpose in life.

- Nishan Karki

A building would be incomplete even if any one piece of brick is missing. All the bricks of different sizes are equally crucial for constructing the building. Similarly, every person in this world has a purpose in life. Many people together form a society; one individual can never create a community like one flower doesn't make a garden. Looking around our society and environment, we see many people doing different things, working and doing jobs.

When you wake up, you find your breakfast ready on the table, and then you go to work, school, college, or office through various modes of transportation, and you buy items and products from the market. People are serving us, and directly or indirectly, we also have value in society. We all should have a purpose to create a happy community without having any goals in life. We are like damaged roots that can't support or assist plants.  

- Tenzin Jambey