Perspective for work

Once upon a time in a small village, there lived a hardworking mason named Sam. Day after day, he toiled under the sun, building walls and structures for anyone who needed his services. Sam was known for his dedication and craftsmanship, and people from the village would often hire him for various construction projects.

One day, a wealthy merchant named Mr. Thompson hired Sam to build a sturdy wall around his mansion. Sam, eager to earn his keep, worked tirelessly, putting his heart and soul into the project. As the days passed, the wall began to take shape, a testament to Sam’s skill and effort.

When the time came for Mr. Thompson to pay Sam for his hard work, the merchant handed him a sum that seemed far too little for the labor Sam had put in. Perplexed and disheartened, Sam questioned the merchant about the meager payment.

Mr. Thompson, looking indifferent, replied, “I am only paying you for the hours you worked. I can’t pay you more than that.”

Feeling dejected, Sam walked away from Mr. Thompson’s mansion and found solace under a nearby tree. As he sat there, contemplating his situation, an apple suddenly fell into his lap. Surprised, Sam looked up and noticed an old apple tree standing tall above him.

Curious, he asked the tree, “Why did you give me this apple? What have I done for you?”

The apple tree, with its branches swaying gently in the breeze, responded, “I don’t give because you’ve given me anything in return, nor do I expect anything from you. It is simply my nature to provide without asking for anything in return.”

Sam pondered the tree’s words and began to see the beauty in the simplicity of nature. He realized that throughout his life, he had received countless gifts – the air he breathed, the shade of the tree, and the fruits of the earth , none of them expected any payment in return.

In the course of our lives, we often become engrossed in the give-and-take dynamics, overlooking the priceless blessings that life freely bestows upon us. Have we truly done anything to warrant these gifts? Can we not approach our work, whether it be our profession or tending to our homes, with a sense of gratitude—not merely for the compensation received but for the chance to contribute our skills to the world?

Is it not possible to derive fulfillment not solely from the monetary rewards we earn but from recognizing the intrinsic value of our efforts and embracing the simple joys that life generously presents? By doing so, we can lead a more enriching and appreciative life.

Going beyond

In the wonders of this world,
The distant sounds which are never heard.

Just loose yourself for a while,
Walk with those moments for a mile.

Where the birds are chirping behind the tree,
 For that moment just set yourself free. 

 In the beauty of the skies,
 Let your spirits rise.

Sitting in silence, closing your eyes,
Wish to tap the unknown arise.

Just dive deep and feel the vibes,
Rest and wait for the presence that guides.

The layers unfold, mystery reveals,
The old and broken you , renews and heals

Clouds of illusion just float away,
The real purpose, life will portray.

5 tools to make reading interesting for your kids

Reading is  a very important habit that we can inculcate in our kids, because

“Today a reader, tomorrow a leader” 

But , sometimes it becomes difficult to get that interest.There are few tools which as a parent we can use to make reading a real fun for the kids.

1.Choosing a right book initially– Picture books are a great way to start reading.A book with more pictures can be actually the one which can generate a lot of interest in kids.

2.Choosing from a variety of books- To get the understanding of all spheres , you should choose from different books like story books(moral stories, fiction, animal stories, detective stories) , science books related to animals, plants, with science related questions ,books on famous personalities and then books on countries and geography.

3.Setting a challenge-Make some charts for reading challenge, like a 20 minute daily reading award them a sticker and on collection of 10 stickers they get a prize,or something like this-

4.Maintain a log of books read– Like in summer or winter break, give them a challenge to complete 100 books . Give them a sheet to enter books names and award stickers.Once completed a 100 books challenge reward them.

5.Read together as family or a group of friends-Nothing motivates kids more than when  reading in group.Read with them sometimes or call their friends for reading together with some snacks afterwards.

The truth is revealed

In the deepest of my sleep,
In the darkness when I dive deep

I can feel the emptiness,
Standing amidst the vastness

A space where only nothingness prevails,
A place where there are just thoughts trails

A realisation I don’t belong to the world,
Neither to the family nor to the friends herd

Just me floating in the empty space,
No cares, no worries just complete solace

My all anxieties came pouring down,
Uselessly I used to cry and frown.

There is no success, no failure,
Just an illusion and spectre

In the deepest sleep, the truth is revealed,
Where the mind is free and not sealed.

Poem for a teacher

For a teacher….

The sun just wanted to shine

Though the clouds just obstructed its shine,

It didn’t care, it didn’t whine,

The sun just wanted to shine.

Though the fog hazed it’s light,

It knew within, it has a gold mine,

The sun just wanted to shine.

Though sometimes dust obscures its glow,

It knows its momentary and things will go with flow,

The sun just wanted to shine.

A blazing fire with smoke all around,

Couldn’t deter his courage abound,

The sun just wanted to shine.

Though night creates an illusion that it doesn’t exist,

But it’s always there and persist,

The sun just wanted to shine.

Memories

Days pass by, months and so the years,

Today becomes yesterday and new day appears

There are no rewinds neither  breaks,

No fast forward  and no retakes

Just a live  telecast of events and juncture,

With few buttons called free will and few luck in future.

After being born with no clues,

We make memories filled with hues.

Some cherished and stored in cache,

Some erased and moved to trash 

Some refreshed with a song tune,

Some with aroma or perfume

Childhood being the most treasured,

Where every aspect of life  is ventured.

Sitting at back bench and eating before lunch,

Pulling someone’s leg or giving them a punch

Then moving to  making a career,

Studying hard to become a premier

Finally got through and entered  a hostel atmosphere,

With not much care  of career but lot of  memories gathered there

Memories got added with every phase,

With some bullyings and some praise

Some were bitter and took backseat,

Some were important and some obsolete

Then marriage and kids affix some more memories,

In life episodes get added few more stories

Grandparents get a chance to relive their childhood,

While their kids enjoy their parenthood

Though we sometimes forget these in our busy life and greatest endeavour,

But these very moments we need to live ,as they will be memories forever.

How to thank teachers this Teachers Appreciation Week!

We all  have our favourite superheroes – Batman, Superman, Spiderman and many more.We love them for their unique abilities and super powers.But there is a superhero you meet daily and that is your teacher-The classroom superhero.

Indeed they are superheroes, handling so many kids when we get frustrated handling 1-2 our own kids 🙂 A good teacher can make a very positive change which sometimes even parents can’t make, especially the elementary school kids look to their teacher as their ideal.

So, now time to Thank our superheroes on Teachers Appreciation week.I thought of some ideas-

 

a)We need to educate our kids for being thankful to their teachers for what they do for them.They have lot of jobs to do and a great responsibility and commitment.Kids will respect their teacher more.

b)Send ThankYou note as a parent, after all she has groomed up your kids and made learning fun for them.

c)Kids can gift her some customised mugs or other things with an appreciation note.

Find one here-

Personalised gift

d)Make some pop-up greeting cards .

e)Paint a bag which she can use.

f)Organise a Potluck in the school(some tasty snacks or desserts)

Do share more ideas, What are you planning?

Readings Corner– My teacher a monster(https://www.amazon.com/My-Teacher-Monster-No-Not/dp/0316070297) It is about a boy who thinks his teacher is a monster until he meets her in a park to discover that she is so wonderful. Do read this book for your kids , to build a strong relationship between the teacher and the kid.

 

How to be a Good Dinosaur?

Last week I watched the movie “The Good dinosaur”.I found it quiet inspiring.Arlo was the smallest dinosaur and the day he was born he was weak and small.He was always fearful about small things happening in his life.He felt really upset about it.The movie is all about how instead of being small and weak , he learns from life and emerges out to be strong and fearless.Life throws him in several hardships,but he overcomes them with bravery.He learns from his life that-

A)“You have to get through your fear to get the beauty on other side”.We often miss many wonderful things that life offers to us because we are scared to come out of our comfort zone.

B)You should not feel bad about being scared.”If you ain’t scared, you ain’t alive” .Bravery is not in being fearless but facing those fears,just looking them into their face so that they can no more scare you.

C)“You’ve got to earn your mark by doing something bigger than yourself.” .And is it really possible to do something bigger than ourselves?What an achievement do we feel when we do something which we thought we would never be able to do.The day we do something we think is beyond our strength,we have earned a mark because on death bed we have the satisfaction of doing something extraordinary.

D)Change your perspective and you could be good friends.Arlo initially thought him to be responsible for his father’s death but he found a friend who protected him in this whole journey.

E)Your strength doesn’t depend your size.

F)“A single kindness can change everything.”He saved his friend’s life till the end.

Its only when Arlo was left alone ,he could discover his underlying strength and making a mark was not at all easy,he had to face a lot of problems,but most importantly he learned from difficulties and  moved on.In the end he was a different person,and was proud that he finally made a mark.

 

 

4 Things a teacher can learn from Bhagwat Gita

1.Listen to the students-Lord Krishna very patiently listened to Arjun when he was demotivated.Listening will help you know more about your student and the teacher student relationship also strengthens.While listening don’t judge your student,neither be angry on his works.Just understand that he is on his way of learning and he will commit mistakes.

2.Satiate the hunger of inquisitive minds-A teacher should feel very enthusiastic in answering the inquisitive minds and should not be irritated if the student asks more questions.Lord Krishna very patiently answered all questions that were arising in the mind of Arjuna.

3.Answer with validation and reasoning-A student can’t believe in anything you say.He needs a proper reasoning of Why or Why not?Reasoning should be given on your own experience or based on some logic.Find different creative ways of answering a problem.A student should not be taught to just assume things and answers should not just be imposed on him without proper validation and logic.In Bhagwata Gita, Lord Krishna put his points with full validation and reasoning and convinced Arjuna in every possible way.

4.Build a trust relationship with students-Lord Krishna and Arjuna depicted the best student teacher relationship where Arjuna had complete trust on Lord Krishna.Build a relationship with students so that after getting lessons from you they have a strong belief that  the success is for sure and there is no point of defeat.Because at the end their success and their happiness is something that is going to give you immense satisfaction.

When a parent sends their children to school they are actually sending their dreams to you to come true and fulfilling somebody’s dream is a great job.