Kids - The Unsung Heroes of Corona Virus

This Corona Virus pandemic has left us speechless and helpless. The doctors, medical care workers, police and soldiers and essential service workers have been fighting on the front line trying to offer us services and help that we need. But in this testing times, we have to acknowledge our kids who have been patient beyond their age and understanding for all these days. It is not easy for those young minds to stay indoors throughout their vacation time when they could actually enjoy being with friends and travel places with their family. 

Vacation is a time when kids get to play in open spaces and visit their native places. But none of this could happen because COVID struck us badly. Everything changed overnight and everyone got stuck at home. It must have been hard on them being home all the time playing just with the toys or watching TV. They frankly don't deserve this as it is not their fault. The harsh world that we have created has affected them badly. They deserve an apology for our mistakes. But these young minds irrespective of their age have been patient, learning and wondering what would happen next. They have been a helping hand, who did not add to our problems but in fact their tighter hugs provided encouragement and a will to survive.

So, what we need to do is provide them with a space for themselves where they could have fun. Let them play with colors and crayons. Let them paint or draw. Allow them to investigate, learn and get answers. Allow them a space within the house which could be made dirty by their science experiments. Read them stories and spend time with them as much as you could. Consider this time to be a blessing as you can spend some creative time with your kids. Make them feel special at times and show them that they are appreciated. Make it a point to cook their favorite dish which brings smile on their face. Allow them to be part of your daily chores in anyway they could. As they are our heroes who should be appreciated for showing maturity at such a young age.

Expansion of Idea - Making The Best Of life

We have got into the habit of complaining and grumbling about our problems and difficulties. Instead of facing our problems and finding solution for it, what we do is whine over our troubles. By doing so we can never achieve any solution to the problem we face or never get any success out of our life.

Life is mean at times. But the best that we can do about it is face it with all our might and try to make the best of it. When we try to find solutions instead of crying and whining, we realize that life is not that bad at all. And in all that meanness which life throws at us, we can find those moments of joy and happiness which can make life worth living and enjoying. It is all about the attitude with which we approach life. As they say -

"However mean your life is,

meet it and live it;

do not shun it and

call it hard names."

Essay - Failure in Life

Encountering failure is one of the biggest challenges known to mankind. Not everyone is good at handling failure. One may overcome the biggest challenges to achieve success but when it comes to handling failure, not everyone can tackle it. Each individual has his own way of tackling failure. It is a whole different story for each one of us. Some may accept failure and learn to fight a way through it by trying again. Some take failures as graciously as they could while some miserably mess things up. Here is a story that I recently learnt which tell us about how not having the strength to handle failure could lead to serious repercussions. 

There was a very brilliant boy, who always scored 100% in Science. He got selected for IIT Madras and scored excellent in IIT. He then went to the University of California for MBA and got a high paying job in America and settled there. 

He got married a beautiful Tamil girl and bought a 5 room big house and luxury cars.

He had everything that made him successful but a few years ago he committed suicide after shooting his wife and children.

So, WHAT WENT WRONG?

California Institute of Clinical Psychology Studied his case and found “what went wrong?”  The researcher met the boy’s friends and family and found that he lost his job due to America’s economic crisis and he had to sit without a job for a long time. Even after expecting a job with less salary than his previous, he didn't get any. 

Since he couldn't manage keeping steady his house installments, the family lost the home. They survived a few months with low money and then he and his wife together decided to commit suicide. He first shot his wife and children and then shot himself.

The case concluded that the man was programmed for successes but he was not trained for handling failures. Now let's come to the actual question, 

"What are the habits of highly successful people?"

People often share their success stories but very few share their battles and struggles to success. Many fail miserably in their early attempts of success and then rise to shine.  Nothing is predictable in life. There are risks and possibilities. At any point of time, one may lose what he owns. Here is a quote that speaks the same, 

" Life is like a river, 

sometimes it sweeps you gently along and 

sometimes the rapids comes

out of nowhere."

What this means is that when we plan to start something new, nobody can predict how things would go on. We can desire success, but we should learn to accept failures too. Failures make us who we are. They help us learn things and give us experiences that we knew nothing about. Hence one of the most important success habit to share is to learn to handle failures. 

Same lesson applies to the kids. We want our children to gain success in everything they do. Seldom we teach our child that it is okay to fail. When a child fails we get disappointed which in turn disappoints the child. But instead of programming our child to be successful we should prepare them to handle failures which is one of the most important life lesson you could teach your child.

Thinking is Like a Seed

Thinking is like a seed. Thinking about something is like planting the seed in your heart. What you think, grows within you. Thinking about the same thing everyday is like watering the seed of thought everyday to germinate and take the shape of a plant.

Once you start to overthink, you nurture the plant with your energy which acts as a fertilizer to grow more and more branches and blossom.So it is all about how much importance you give to this thought that shapes the future of this plant which will grow as a creeper and cling to every part of your mind and your brain. This creeper is nothing but a parasite that firstly, feeds on you to grow  and then overpowers you.

Once it does that it engulfs around you and there is no escape. The dark energy from this overthought creates its own space which do not leave a space of our own. What follows is a series of bad thoughts that scare us to the core.

Instead what one can do is absorb positive energy which can blossom the plant with positivity. The power of positive thought is unimaginably great and it helps people to gain courage and hope. Once you believe about being positive you summon courage to cope with life problem's more optimistically.

As this quote goes,

"A happy thought is like a seed,

that sows positivity for all

to reap."

Always try to find things that keep you grounded and to develop those strong beliefs. This way no matter how crazy the winds of life blows at you, you will stand tall, firmly planted and not easily uprooted.

Expansion of Idea - However Mean Your Life is, Meet it and Live it; Do no Shun it and Call it Hard Names.

Human being has harvested into the constant habit of nagging. Be it grumbling about their financial problems or crying over facing daily struggles. Such people who persistently complain can never achieve happiness in life. Nor would success come to such people who whine about every single thing happening in their life.

Life could be mean at times, but that doesn't mean we stop living it or we stop enjoying the good moments that come across. Once we start living our life we will soon realize that it is not that bad at all. So instead of shunning our life and complaining about it, we should enjoy each and every moment we come across. 

Expansion of Idea - A Great Deal of Talent is Lost in the World for the Want of a Little Courage

There are many people out there who have real talents. Some are out exhibiting it, but not all. Seldom these talents go recognized or known to others. Many people with real talent rarely accomplish any success. This is the case with most because they hardly let others know in the first place that any talent does exist.

Timidity is one of the major fault that stops an individual from making the first venture. The fear of failure and being a source of embarrassment can keep a person from showcasing his or her talent. Then steps in self-distrust, where a person doubts himself and his capabilities. Thus the talent he possesses stay hidden within him, away from the eyes of others. And hence a great deal of talent is lost in the world for the want of a little courage.

Expansion of Idea - Living Life

Life is said to be worth living. Though it never turns out the way you want it. Unexpected things do happens, which aren't wished for. Every day is a new challenge, a new journey. It is not something that has an editing facility. If there had been such a facility, imagine how wonderful life would have been.

We would have edited every difficult and untoward situation and lived happily. But few people don't find happiness in their entire life. It seems to unbalanced. Seeking happiness is like winning a lottery. This happens to one in million.

Consider memories, when you think of past, along with all the good, funny and happy moments, you also remember all sad, horrifying and bitter moments. Wish life had a delete button, and then maybe we could delete all the unwanted, scary and non – happening memories permanently.

Life is a sad phase, where no one can expect the next thing going to happen in their life. What if we really had choices, like choice to live, to make amends? Though we have few choices; that can make us live peacefully or disturb our existence. Choices like forgiving someone, blaming someone, hating someone, forgiving someone etc.

Do we make a good use of such choices? Indeed no, we end up making a wrong choice at the wrong time and end up in dirt. Repentance makes us feel vulnerable to an extent that we start hating ourselves.

But then aren't mankind known to live out in odds and overcome such situations. Aren't we capable enough to make a better use of our life and handle things? Aren't we known for our power in terms of raising our voice, speaking out our mind, fighting back, building our own empire and striving hard to make our survival worth living? It's never too late and we can always make it happen what is wanted by us from our life.

Expansion of Idea - For Some The Journey is Quicker, For Some The Journey is Slow

Very often life is compared to a journey. When people set on a journey, some are quick enough to reach their destination while some meander on slow. Similarly in life people walk in their own pace. For some achieving destination is the only goal they planned and hence they set their mind on it. But some walk the way their life takes them, without having any idea what they wish to be. For such the journey could often be slow and dreadful.

Our pace of life also depends on our abilities, skills, goals and our determination. If you are determined, you can make your dream come true. But without determination life can stagnate for some. Life provides us with vast opportunities and experiences. It is upon us to make most of it and enrich our lives by living it to the fullest. Or else our journey of life would be slow and meaningless.

Expansion of Idea - Life is a Wonderful Journey

We are meant to come into life and live it fully through exploration according to our own joy and satisfaction. We are not meant to come into life in order to fulfill our duty begrudgingly and to wait for our destiny whether we like it or not. It is all upon us to make the right choices and decisions to make this life worth living. And what if we do not make right choices… Though we cannot go back and undo them, yet we can still right the wrong by being positive and attentive to our own wants and desires. We do not always get second chances, but still it is in our hand to either keep feeling guilty about what is already done and waste our time crying  and repenting or to right it when we still have time. The decision is up to you my friend.

Remember what is done is done, you cannot undo it. But what you can do is try to make peace with your past. Otherwise memories of past haunt you till your last breath making your life a living hell. Grudges, repentance and jealousy are enemies. Keep them at bay! Don't let them rule over your thoughts. The mind games can be cruel and trust me, they would never let you rest in peace. So let the bygones be bygones. Meditate, relax and try to be happy. Think of happy moments that you had in life and enjoy your life to fullest. Happiness isn't a destination, it is a journey. Remember life does not always give you second chances! Life is a wonderful journey and all you have to do is explore, connect and reach your destination in meaningful and exhilarating way. Do enjoy and commence your journey now before it is too late. 

Expansion of Idea - Speech is the Gift of All, But Thought of Few

Human beings are very fortunate compared to other animals. One of the best things that happened to us is the speech. Speech is a gift which allows us to express our feelings, convey ideas, speak and communicate with others. The freedom of speech has allowed us to express and debate about our opinions on things. Talking has thus come naturally to us. Few use it in a good and wise way while for few it is just about talking without thinking.

Though all of us have the skill of reasoning, very few actually make use of it. Being rational is not everyone's cup of it. Thinking before speaking is actually foreign to few people. And all this results to what can be expected from such people - bunch of words spoken out without giving any thought to it. Decisions are made without worrying about the consequences of it. The thoughtless words are said and then paid heavily later.

But not everyone sail in the same boat. Some people actually think before saying. These people take their thoughts into consideration and make rational assessment of it. They worry about the consequences and speak wisely. The outcome of speech for such people are always worthwhile. This is because they are never reckless. Hence man should use the power of thinking before making a speech. Think more and speak less should be the motto of one's life. Because whatever you speak is the result of one's thinking. 

Expansion of Idea - Green City, Clean City

When we say 'green city', the first thing that comes to our mind is a city full of greenery. Lush green trees and plants everywhere! When we say 'clean city', the first thing that comes to our mind is a city completely clean of garbage, pollution and dirt. The combination of both blows our mind away. Something such would exist is a dream come true.

But think about it in this manner -  a city which is green because of lots and lots of trees swaying away all around would definitely keep away pollution, forest degradation and other environmental problems. Such city would help purify the air and allow us to breathe safely, without any worry of pollutants and gases. A green city will allow us to live a healthy life. Such city would gain an ecotourist importance and attract tourists and visitors from all around the world.

If such a city exists the residents of such city would rejoice because of all the attention. In turn, they would take certain measures to keep the city clean and set an example. Not only will the green city be maintained but the people of the city would plant more trees and try to maintain the green environment. Once the ecosystem is balanced, the city would remain free from diseases and the residents would enjoy healthy environs. But such city can still exists, if we as concerned citizens take initiative towards making it green and clean.

It is completely upon us as the concerned citizens to plant more trees, maintain them, maintain cleanliness and keep the environmental problems at bay. Even if it starts with one city, slowly and steadily it would grow. Imagine what the consequences be - good health and happiness everywhere!

Expansion of Idea - Live and Let Live

Life is the best gift to mankind. Enjoying life and allowing others to enjoy so is the right thing to do. Making use of every opportunity available to us helps to make life better. Such opportunities should be enjoyed and allowed others to enjoy as well. Every person has the right to make the most of the opportunity provided to him to improve his standard of living and to develop his own skills. Man in his own greed at times, takes away such opportunity from others who too deserve to enjoy. By doing so, we destroy the peace and well being of others.

No one can predict the time allotted to them to make their presence on this earth. Hence one should make the right use of his time and allow others to do so too. But greed overpowers all the desires. Greed not just to have everything to oneself, but greed to peace, greed to fame, greed to power and greed to success makes man cruel and selfish. In such cases, we destroy lives of others and bring harm to innocent people. We should allow each and everyone the opportunity to live and enjoy life. Every one has the right to do so. No one is less fortunate than other. 'Live and let live' indeed should be the prime principle of every individual's life.

Expansion of Idea - We Live in Deeds Not in Years

Man is known for his deeds. Our actions speak louder than our words. What a man does in his life counts more than how long he lived. You may live a short span life, but if your life is well-spent than such a life is far better than a life that is long lived. Life that we have is a god's gift, and it is upon us how we make the most of it.

What is the point in living a longer life which is wasted and has nothing to remember by! Man in it's entirety can survive on his actions rather than how long he lived. Deeds speak for themselves. Our deeds and our actions are what we are judged for, not for the length span of our life.  A life full of negativity, regrets and unpleasantness is not a life well spent.

You rather live short, but whatever time you spend on this earth it should be worth it. A good living never goes unnoticed. Some spend their life with actions that announce positivity, generosity, humility, charity and forgiveness. Such people are followed by many and often serve as examples to live by. Hence it is imperative that one should make a good living of his life and enjoy optimistic and positive approach. Because we live in deeds not in years. 

Expansion of Idea - For Some The Journey is Quicker, For Some The Journey is Slow

Life is a journey. Each day you try and reach a new milestone. For some the journey of life is quick for some it is slow. Each one of us live life our own way. Everyone has their own goals, dreams and objective they wish to achieve. We try to fulfill our objectives and achieve our goals depending on our merit. Our skills and abilities provide us with the opportunity to make the most out of our life.

For some the journey is slow and for some the journey of achieving success is fast. This speed depends on how important it is for one to reach the goal. For some the only purpose of life is to make their dreams come true. But not everyone think that way and then they stagnate and live a dreary life. Then there are few who reach success on a slower pace, because they face many obstacles and yet never back out.

The journey of life allows us to come across varied experiences and vast opportunities. We meet people and learn different lessons. It is all about how you take each and every opportunity and try to enrich your life. Some let opportunities go and repent their whole life. Opportunities once lost can never be found again. Hence it is important that we take life in a positive way and make the most out of it. By doing so we can continue with the journey of life on a much faster pace. 

Expansion of Idea - Slow and Steady Wins the Race

Whenever we hear this maxim, the only story that comes to our mind is about the race between the tortoise and the hare. In this story, there was a race between a hare and a tortoise. This race is won by the tortoise, who slow and steadily reaches the winning line, whereas the hare loses because of it's overconfidence and foolishness.

At times, people rush into certain things or decisions without giving it a second thought. Such people make a fool of themselves by meeting with failure. The reason for meeting failures in such circumstances is either being too confident about oneself or not taking time thinking over the decision to be made.

Some students do not prepare for exams throughout the year, but study at the last moment when exams are near. But few start their studies right from day one and prepare well. These students who prepare well throughout the year fare well. But those who burn the midnight oil at the last moment, discover that they are ill-prepared. At times such students go blank during examinations or even forget whatever they have learned over the short period of time. It is then they realize that they could have fared better, had they been studying consistently throughout the year.

Overconfidence is something that can jeopardize your chances of success. As in the case of the rabbit from the story, who thought he was too fast and smart and could easily win the race against the tortoise. But on the other hand, the tortoise kept taking his slow steps forward consistently, until he reached his goal. 

Expansion of Idea - There is Nothing Impossible in Life

For those who believe in themselves there is nothing impossible in life. People who are full of optimism always take life in a positive way. They do not allow negativity enter their mind and thus control their way of thinking. For such people there is nothing impossible in life, as they learn to fight problems and face challenges. One sees many obstacles in the path of success. These obstacles are barrier to success and can either let you down or take away the possibilities of life.

But just the fear of facing obstacles should not take your success from you. One must not run away from problems but face it with fortitude and courage. There are solutions to each and every problem, but it is all about your approach towards it that helps or hinders your progress. If we allow ourselves to look at life with fullness and entirety, we can foresee what is coming toward us.

Unbridled determination and perseverance can help us go long way in life. Looking at the brighter side of life can help build a positive approach. Only such attitude towards life can help turning impossible into possible. Optimists are one of the shining examples of this. They have a positive approach towards dealing with challenges and fighting problems. And only for such people everything is possible and nothing is impossible in life.

Expansion of Idea - Say No To Plastic

The usage of plastic has been one of the major cause of concern. Recently government came up with severe resolutions towards ban of plastic bags. It is high time that government take such step towards the use of plastic. We use plastic bags because their use is convenient for us. We can go empty handed for shopping and come loaded with plastic bags. We rarely think how our action can harm the environment. Plastic doesn't cost much, in fact at times they are even free. We have been using plastic for such a long time that we hardly ever realized that by doing so we have been abusing the planet.

Our carelessness has costed the planet. The planet suffers for our deeds which can have severe repercussions on our existence. Most we could do to save our Mother Earth is stop polluting it. And plastic is one such major pollutant. Use of plastic is harmful to nature. Though plastic can be advantageous to us, they also are a disadvantage to our existence. One disadvantage of plastic is that it is non-biodegradable. This means that plastic cannot be decomposed and hence the discarded plastic will keep piling up on the earth's surface. This is a major cause of concern for the environment upkeep. Many animals swallow plastic bags and suffer severe health threats. Plastic bags often get stuck in the sewage openings and cause problems. Plastic bags indirectly contribute to problems during floods. The quality of soil is also deteriorated due to plastic bags.

Government has definitely taken major steps towards ban of plastic bags. But that is not enough! Every individual needs to take firm step towards ban of plastic bags. Everyone has to contribute their bit to ban it. This can only be done when each one of us, stop using plastic bags for shopping or stop accepting plastic bags from vendors. One can carry their own bags made from cloth or jute. Our environment would become a better place to live only if we say no to plastic.

Expansion of Ideas - Power of One's Imagination

A person's imagination can extend up to great lengths. The power of imagination can be unlimited. God has gifted us the divine power to imagine our wishes, our fantasies and our desires. A dream can be considered as a figment of our own imagination. A dream may consist of our desires or sometimes coincidentally our future.

Basically a person who imagines a world of his own, in their own mind is called a dreamer. A dreamer may consider his imagination as his hobby and may utilize it in his life. For example, let us take the example of the famous author, J. K. Rowling. She can be considered as a 'Professional Dreamer', because it is really difficult to imagine an entire 'Wizardry World'   and then place certain characters and beautiful features in it. J. K. Rowling successfully managed to convert her imagination into a series of book which was an adventure in itself. The world in our imagination is entirely different from reality. The people residing in our imaginary world may look different or may behave different. This is because there are no rules or boundaries in one's imagination.

The philosophical aspect of our imagination is that it totally helps us to identify our wants or the way we wish our world to transform. It is possible for the imaginary world to be total contrast to the laws of nature. Because our imagination doe not obey laws of physics or biology. It obeys the laws of our mind and it's methodology. As a result, people should truly be motivated to imagine and gain a clear understanding of the way our mind works.

Expansion of Idea - Service To Man is Service to God

Today's world is just striving for the benefit of self, not for others. Majority of the people currently either serve themselves or serve the almighty. Selfishness and greed has plagued the entire world due to which humans have forgotten the cause of humanity. The important thing that humans do not realize is that God is not pleased by offering delicacies or prayers. On the contrary, he would be pleased if humans become useful to the needy or even feed the starving.

According to great philosopher Swami Vivekananda, 'In every God there is an individual and in every individual there is God.' This quote simplifies the complexity of the human thinking towards religion. People should willingly donate items to various charities, non profit organizations and to people who genuinely need them rather than temples where it could just get wasted. By doing such great deed, they indirectly serve God and offer their prayers to him. Such a perception should be imbibed in every individual's mind so that the world becomes a better place to live. Instead of offering gifts in form of food and clothing to temples, one can distribute such goods to the needy, who would be thankful. Such vote of thanks from the heart of a needy person serves far better as a blessing than one you think you may get from a temple.

The hypothesis for our direct service to God has been accurately defined by various philosophers. As a result, ' Service to man is service to God.'

Expansion of Idea - Dreamers Create A World Of Their Own

The world one dreams of is far better than the real world we live in. Our dreams allow us to create a world of our own where exists happiness, excitement and success. This little world of our own imagination which we dream, keep us content and allows us to stay away from our real problems. Dreams allow us to live in a world of hope and possibilities which inspire us to go on. What would we do without our dreams!

Dream plays a pivotal role in our life. We enjoy dreaming. This different world where our dreams take us, allow us to escape the harsh realities. Though dreams don't last long yet this small escapade from our real world do work out as a stress-buster. Dreams are the reason some people have managed to think out of the box. Dreams define you. Most of the inventions and discoveries we witness today are results of such dreams. A writer plots his story in his dreams and turns it out in his best fiction ever which may be relative from person to person.

One who dreams, remains happy in his own world where there are thrills and thoughts of happiness. Dreams are something you can look forward to when you are about to sleep. Yes! we do have to wake up after that and get back to the real world. But that is the whole point. Dreams allow dreamers to go on and fight to make it happen. Once you get back to the real world, try and work towards making the dream world real. And thus one can say that, 'Dreamers create a world of their own'.