Two men looked out the prison bars; one saw mud, one saw stars - Sakshi Singh

This age-old saying beautifully encapsulates the power of perspective. It reminds us that even in seemingly bleak situations, there exists an opportunity to find hope and positivity. It's a poignant reminder that our outlook on life dramatically influences our experiences, and sometimes, shifting our focus can reveal unexpected beauty and potential amidst adversity.

Sakshi Singh  

Grade 9 Gyanshree School

Image Source https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Children-reading-a-book-together-4017898

My Sunday School - Manisha Khanna

Today, on World Mental Health Day, I would like to share my reason for joining "The Sunday School". 

IKIGAI, for me, is Sunday School. "Ikigai" is a Japanese word that signifies "life purpose" or "raison d'être." I don't engage in a lot of activities on Sunday. I work six days a week and take Sundays off, but when I learned about SUNDAY SCHOOL, I saw that this was precisely what I had wanted to do all these years as an avid reader. I resonated with the idea of Sunday School right away. We all have a ton to do on Sunday, but after two weeks, I learned that this time is my IKIGAI. This is how my relationship with the Sunday School began.

"Reading without reflection is like eating without digestion." —Edward Burke.

I'm looking forward to receiving everyone's reflections for this week.

Manisha Khanna

Your Sunday School host

The Koala on the tree - Rishona Chopra

There sat a cute koala on the tree, 

Eating all the fruits, he could see. 

There I came and cuddled him, 

We could hear the sound of hymns. 

He sat there lazily, 

Waiting to be petted by me. 

He was missing his family, 

Dreaming of a fantasy. 

Why do we enclose him in these bars?

It simply shows our ugly scars. 

Though we hurt him, 

He never shows he is grim. 

But loves us like anything, 

Waiting for his happy spring. 

Rishona Chopra

Grade VII

Gyanshree School

Looking for happiness - Rishona Chopra

Happiness. 

It is something we all try to look for in everything. Everything temporary. We look for happiness in a cup of ice cream, but when that ice cream finishes, so does our happiness. Why isn't our happiness long-lasting and in our control? If we look for happiness in a pen, once the pen is broken, our happiness will be broken, too. We are the authors of our books. We are the hand that controls the pen. But in this case, isn't the pen controlling the hand? Aren't our feelings going in control of someone else?

When someone does something not to our satisfaction, we lose our happiness. In that way, can't that external person take control of when we are happy and when we are sad?

Another instance is when we see one of our family members or friends sad, we often tell them, "If you are sad, I will also be sad," but that is not the way. Again, someone else is controlling our feelings. Why not cheer them up instead?

The journey of looking for happiness is quite an interesting one. At every moment, we realise that we are giving control to someone else or something else. Even though I always hear this, I have not fully found happiness in myself. I have not found happiness being alone with nothing, but we all learn at every step of life, and so am I. 

There are a few lines I remember from a book I read, they were:
"Never search for your happiness in others; it will make you feel alone. Search it yourself, and you will feel happy even if you are left alone."

Rishona Chopra
Grade VII
Gyanshree School

We don't even know how strong we are until we are forced to bring that hidden strength forward

Image  used for representation only, from Inc.com

I deeply appreciate the fact and truly believe that people do not know about the true strength they possess until they faces a challenges or an obstacles in their path. It is during this challenges that they force themselves to show the capacity or strength, even they do not know about and it possessed within them.

Taking an example from the Hindu mythology, Hanuman, who is believed to have been the incarnation of Lord Shiva possessed such immense power that he could swallow the sun at one go. But the fact was that he did not know that he possessed such immense power until he was forced to show his true strength which laid unknown within him.

Pasang Shepa

Pestalozzi Children's Village India

The best way to cheer yourself up is to cheer someone else

For me, happiness is not always dependent on the presence of any person. Happiness can also be developed within ourselves. Every situation has a choice. It depends on us what we choose to do.

"Being happy is a choice, being sad is a choice. Its just you who decides with what mood your day is gonna go with. "

Tenzin Nyingsel

Pestalozzi Children's Village India

Image Courtesy- New Scientist

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