The key to language is to learn every aspect of music that we can - Pallavi Kumari

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Reading is most important.

The key to language is learning every aspect of music we can. We should enjoy our present and make our future better. In our daily lives, we need to invest in sharpening our skills to get going with our well-being. You spend a little time learning what living in someone else's shoes is like. I don't like reading books, but when I started joining good schools, I thought it would be interesting to read a book. 

Books are like people in the sense that they'll turn up in your life when you most need them, and books are like mirrors; you only see in them what you already have inside you. If you dislike reading, you have yet to find the right book. I read a book one day, and my whole life was changed. Books are uniquely portable magic. TODAY, A READER, TOMORROW, A LEADER. A room without a book is like a book without a soul. A book is a gift you can open again and again.

 

Pallavi Kumari

Class-VIII-B 

Sunbeam School & Hostel Lahartara, Varanasi

Sharpening The Saw - Tenzin Jambey

"Sharpening The Saw" can be beautifully defined as preparing a person or trying to bring a change in one's mind and attitude. Some so many people have contributed a lot to get a change, a development in me. 

Now when I think about my past and try to remember the people who have contributed their efforts to develop me, then the picture of my family and the faces of all the teachers come into my mind whose efforts were brilliant but, at the same time, my hearts says that there is a significant effort made by the family of Pestalozzi and My Good School which is also helping me to bring a change, a development within me. 

Here in Pestalozzi, we are provided with all kinds of niceties, and a high level of education is offered to us. This place where I live is known as a hostel by almost everyone, even at my best friend's home or my father and mother's. Still, they are unaware that this place feels more like a home than a hostel, and sometimes I feel like I don't want to leave this place, but as we know, everything has an end. 

Living with people from different regions of India and some from other places of Nepal with their own language, customs, and beliefs helps me understand their traditions and beautiful culture. Our friendship bond is powerful, and we are always there to help and assist each other regarding work or studies. Friends teach each other many things, including sound and bad habits, and it's a sour truth of friendship, but it is in our hands, and it's our choice whether we take bad morals or suitable lessons. 

In the case of our friendship bond, we teach each other only those acceptable to the person; our bond is so strong that we come to know about the other person's thoughts. My roommates are very good at creating motivational quotes, and their words and views help me to keep moving when I am broken. Some of their quotes are:

" The business graph never goes in a straight line at some point. It has to divert ".

"Rome was not built in a day, but it can be destroyed in a second". 

"The bad thing is time flies, but the good thing is I am the pilot". 

"Failing is a good sign to make a difference in you".

Sometimes I feel lucky to be with such good friends, namely Nawang, Norsang, Aati, Passang, Sandip and Nishan, who try to develop me and always help me.

The office staff put a lot of effort and hard work into developing every child of Pestalozzi. Cheme la Ma'am, the Director of Pestalozzi, always try harder and harder to keep us on track, and she becomes strict with us just for our own benefit; she always uses the most suitable examples to make us understand things in the best way. Upasna Ma'am is found wandering around the campus to meet every child and communicate with them to discover the troubles children face. I remember she once came to me also when I having issues.

The eyes of Shelja Ma'am would pop out one day as she spends a lot of time near the screen. The reason behind this is she is concerned about every child's future. By looking at the students' names and their obtained subjects, she is busy seeking colleges and universities for children's further studies. Anudev sir, Rakesh Sir and Rahul Sir, the three handsome men, also contribute a lot to assisting every child with any queries, and they'll be found busy the whole day as their business calls on.

My charming and lovely House Mother, Minaxi Ma'am, is often misunderstood by many people as a student. When I saw her for the first time, I thought she might be our age, and I was surprised to know that she was serving us as a house mother. I thought, " Yeh madam kya house mother karegi ". Her outlook is like a student, but she is a wonderful multi-talented woman. Even after pursuing a master's in Micro Biology, she considered joining an NGO. She helped us out with almost everything thing and especially with our studies. I was shocked when I learned she knew everything about us, including our naughty and decent actions. Every day has been a learning day since she joined Pestalozzi and served as a House Mother. I never knew that "pakorde" is called fritters in English. She is always there to help us with everything, and I see a significant improvement in my studies and other activities, which is 60% because of her motivation. When I came  3rd in class, she was happier than anyone else, even more optimistic than me. I know our bond is strong, but sometimes we really eat each other's mind, and mostly I am one to irritate her, because of which she gets angry.

There is a saying, "Where two utensils are kept together, then ultimately would become one". I don't feel she is my Ma'am, but I think of her as more like my older sister. My mind prevents me from touching her as my mother because she is young to be a mother, and people might get a heart attack when I start calling her mummy because she looks like a student.

Nowadays, I can focus on my studies and other activities too, but once, I was also a very distracted child and never got full marks in any subjects; many thoughts came into my mind. When I was in class 6th, it was a nightmare going to school as I had no friends nor was I doing good in my studies. While returning from school, I would sit at the window seat and look at the environment, and strange thoughts filled my mind. I used to think I was useless. I was wasting Pestalozzi's resources, I am wasting the food, the books in my bag, the uniform that I wore and the fuel of the bus, and at last, a lot of money and reason behind doing not well in academics, and because of my rude behaviour and attitude that I had, at that time I hardly had a smile on my face but, from now onwards I would never get to see these days as the family of Pestalozzi and My Good School are sharpening me. They have become the tool of sharpening when I am a saw. 

My Good School, or The Sunday Good School, is a good learning platform that helps me think beyond my limitations of thinking abilities. It's not only the school's name which is good but also the morals and lessons taught here are excellent and fun. By being regular in classes and because of writing my reflection continuously, I can understand things in a better way. I also thought how Good School would change me and develop my writing, reading and speaking skills, but now I know. I can now reflect on my actions and think deeply about them because I have no limitations on writing, like in school, we write an essay of 350 words, and I am allowed to put my thoughts on a piece of paper as many words as I wish too. 

When I sit to write a reflection, I automatically forget all other work, and my hands continue until I finish writing. My Good School is really 'Sharpening the Saw' for me and bringing a vast development in me, it would be great if more students joined My Good School, but I feel like the current strength we have is better than better as we are starting with a small step by taking that small step ideally.

Here are the pictures of the people who are my sharpeners! 

Upasna Ma'am, Chemela Ma'am and Shelja Ma'am

Rakesh Sir

Rahul Sir

Anudev Sir 

Minaxi Ma'am

Sharpening The Saw - Nishan Karki

Sunday reading with Jugjiv Sir

"We must never be too busy to take time to sharpen the saw." - Stephen Richards Covey.

Sharpening the saw means making the best use of your greatest asset, i.e. you. It means sharpening your mind physically, socially, mentally and spiritually. Sharpening the saw and sharpening yourself are the same thing. It helps to keep yourself in the best place and fresh to do your work most effectively. If you sharpen yourself, you can bring change in yourself and your habits.

You can sharpen the saw through the following :

* Positiveness on yourself

* Meditation

* Be resilient

* Read, write and learn new things

* Take care of your mind, body and spirit

* Listen to your heart and mind

* Create balance

Nishan Karki
Pestalozzi Children's Village India 

Sharpening Your Saw - Aati Pema

Sharpening Your Saw

This is the original artwork, and we hope you will appreciate the effort. 

Aati Pema

Pestalozzi Children's Village India

Sharpening The Saw - Rishona Chopra

When a woodcutter's saw is blunt, he sharpens it to work more effectively. Similarly, our mind needs motivation and energy to do something effectively. 

Our priorities should be organised and well-conducted. We all need a break and a time when we can just refresh ourselves by pampering ourselves or doing anything that makes us happy. If we keep working all day long without taking a break, not only will we be tired, but the work's efficiency will not come out to its true potential. 

When a lion is about to attack its prey, it takes a few steps back so it can attack with full force. Sharpening The Saw simply means to refresh, energize and motivate oneself to do a task.

I personally don't like the word "workaholic". This is because it is not suitable to work continuously for long hours at a stretch. We stop enjoying the work we do and consider it as something we are forced to do.  In the long term, it affects our work speed, efficiency and, most importantly, our health. 

An even better attitude is to re-energise, not to do work but to be a better person. Motivation and hope include reflection. Reflection in every aspect of life. The sharpener needs to be solid and good enough to sharpen the saw. That means our attitude and positivity matter quite a lot. But how can we maintain a positive attitude throughout the day even when there is constantly a problem? 

First, we will have to come to terms with the truth of life - We will face problems every day and every time. Every situation will have a downside and problem, but we must overcome them. 

While dealing with problems is like a war; one has a stronger army, and the other has a weaker military. In the battle between the issues and humans, humans have the upper hand as it depends entirely on their thoughts and attitude that decides who will win. We must remember that every problem has a solution. 

Second, we need to know our feelings whenever we feel negative, sad or hopeless. We should be on the lookout for such thoughts and not let them control our minds, but if we ever see a valid risk, we shouldn't ignore it. We should be able to understand and differentiate between the necessary and the unnecessary thoughts. 

Lastly, we should replace our pessimism with optimism. 

To conclude, we need motivation and energy to do a task, so it is vital to make time for renewing activities. But, all of that is only useful if we have an optimistic attitude towards life and all our tasks. We need to sharpen the mind, but in reality, the mind is the sharpener!

Rishona Chopra
Grade VII
Gyanshree School