The busy life of our children

Our children are like flowers

Our children are very busy now. From morning till late night, they have their schedule of programme. When we were the students of primary section, we had enough time to play with our friends. We had only two examinations in an academic year – Half yearly and the Annual Examination. Today, they have five or six unit tests along with the Annual Examination at the end of the academic calendar. The gaps between the two tests are also very small. As a result, their mental pressure is gradually increasing from their early childhood. The fear of examinations and the fear of good results are covering their natural growth. Most of the students, even from primary sections, are taking private tuition even in the afternoon (just after returning from school). They have no time to play. When others are playing in the playground, our children are going to tuition. Homework, project work, pressure of unit tests, pressure of private tuitions are gradually increasing as they are getting class promotion. Some children are also learning computer, drawings and paintings, swimming, songs, recitations, dance etc. according to their hobby or as per the will of their parents. Pressure is also coming from theses sectors. They have no free time. They have no time to play, they have no time to read their favorite storybook, they have no time to play with their dolls, and they are not enjoying their vacations or holidays. One unit test is ending another is coming. This is the age of unit tests.

Parents and guardian must come forward to solve this critical and unhappy situation. Please try to know the situation from the angle of your children. Some humble suggestions:

1. Don’t create any mental pressure on your children.
2. Try to understand their problems from their level.
3. Support them.
4. Don’t compare the academic results of your children with his/her friends.
5. Don’t make any analysis of the question paper just after the examination is over. Sometimes, as a guardian, we are analyzing the question paper in front of the school gate!
6. Give quality time to your children.
7. Create a happy and positive atmosphere in your home. This type of atmosphere will help their physical and mental growth.
8. Try, not to engage your children in private tuition in the afternoon.
9. Guide your children in the study matters as far as possible. Your teaching will be the best teaching.
10. Don’t rebuke them now and then. Don’t make any corporal punishment.
11. Enjoy the weekend tours with your whole family. Weekend tours can solve many domestic problems and conflicts.
12. Try to build their self-confidence from their early childhood.

Our children are not only the asset of our family but for the whole nation. They are the future generation. They will grow and bloom naturally. As a parents or guardian, our duty is like a gardener. If you are able to create a favorable environment, surely they will grow externally and internally. Please remember, human life is not a hundred meter race, it is like a marathon. ƒ

The friend of our childhood

The other side of Summer

At present, we are all fighting against summer. The temperature is increasing day by day; sometimes it is crossing 40 degree Celsius. The heat is tremendous. Without umbrella or sunglass, it is very difficult for us for any outdoor programme. The school going children are affected more. The demand for Ice cream, cold drink, Refrigerator, Air Cooler machine, AC machine even for electric fan is increasing day by day. Load shading and mosquito biting is the daily evening programme. All we are waiting for a drop of rain.

But, look at this flowers. These are the flower of summer. They are blooming and laughing against all the odds. We can learn from these flowers. Our human life is also not the bed of roses. There is up and down, there is struggle and success, there is sufferings and also happiness. The odds may be there, but we have to strive hard to overcome the odds. Our human life is precious and inner struggle for our self-development is the sign of life. This is real life management.

 Swami Vivekananda wrote a wonderful letter to his western disciple, Swami Kripananda from Switzerland during August 1896. In the envelope, Swamiji sent `few hardy flowers` to the disciple. Swamiji wrote - `I went to the glacier of Monte Rosa yesterday and gathered a few hardy flowers growing almost in the midst of eternal snow. I send you one in this letter hoping that you will attain to a similar spiritual hardihood amidst all the snow and ice of this earthly life.`  ƒ

Subho Nababarsha

Happy Bengali New Year 1419

Pray to God for His blessings

so that we can make

our human life beautiful.

A good magazine for children

CHILDREN`S WORLD is really a good magazine for children publishing every month for the last 44 years from Children’s Book Trust, New Delhi. The most significant part of this magazine is, the children from 5 to 16 years can contribute their creations and literally they contribute. The innocent children share their thoughts and dreams through the poems, stories, drawings and paintings. Apart from this, there are `Spot the differences`, `Click for Fun`, `Junior Word Hunt`, `Word Hunt` for senior students, `Caption writing contest` etc for the children readers. Sometimes, some senior writers contribute their poems and stories. The children can up to date themselves through the current affairs - `News update` page. The editorial column in every month is inspirable to every student through out the country. Every month the children (subscriber) are eagerly waiting for a new issue, which will come through post.

There are two special numbers – April (Annual Number) – Story special and November, December – Your page special.

Subscription Rate (India) – Each copy Rs 20, 1 Year Rs 200, 2 Years Rs 380, 3 Years

Rs 550 (including postage).

You can visit www.childrenbooktrust.com for more details. 

Failures – The Beauty of Life

`Never mind failures; they are quite natural, they are the beauty of life – these failures. What would life be without them? It would not be worth having if it were not for struggles. Where would be the poetry of life? Never mind the struggles, the mistakes. I never heard a cow tell a lie, but it is only a cow – never a man. So never mind these failures, these little backslidings; hold the ideal a thousand times; and if you fail a thousand times, make the attempt once more.` ₁   

What is failure?

Normally when we do any work, we want the positive result from the work. But, positive result is not always come. Sometimes, we face negative results, which we call failure. In every step, we may face failure if our thinking is negative. Actually, there is no a negative result or failure in our life. All results are positive and they add one-step forward in our journey. In which sense, all the results are positive? Because, when we try to do any work with our full effort, our level is changing. From the old platform, we are going to a higher level of platform. This is our success, how small it may be. Count your blessings. Don’t think negatively or don’t look the darker side. Always think positively and always observe the brighter side. But, effort must be there, and the effort must be genuine. Building castle in the air is meaningless.

We fear failure

Normally we fear failure. Therefore, we are not ready to accept any new work or assignment. We love to lead our old pattern of life and nothing else. When, there is any new work or assignment, we react negatively. Ask any adult member of your family to go to market and purchase some vegetables for the domestic use, he/she reacts negatively. This is the daily picture of our family life. What is the reason for this sad situation? We are academically sound, but our inner life – which will give us strength and positive mental support, is neglected. Our human life is precious. We have infinite energy and divine potentiality. We can make our life beautiful; we can make our character perfect, neat and clean. This type of positive education is absent in our syllabus. We think, we are weak, we are unable to do any new work, we think we are not the fittest man for this assignment.

Welcome failure

Welcome failures in your life as failures are the pillar of success. When you face failure in your life that means, you are proceeding in the right track. Try again and again. Enrich yourself through the experiences you gained and forward. There is no other way.

Analysis of failure

Try to analyze your failures through the eye of science. Don’t blame your fate or your environment – as we are doing generally. Make a concrete plan and start your work. When you face failure – analyze the factors scientifically. What are the obstacles? Why I will not get my desired result? Is my effort genuine? Ask yourself and develop your analytical power.

Self-effort to overcome failure

Self-effort and perseverance are the two main factors. Your effort must be genuine and 100%. For this, the support from your mind is essential. Without this support, it is very difficult to continue the journey. Read the lives of great men of the world. Read the life of Swami Vivekananda (1863-1902). While you are reading these lives, you will find their struggle, their effort, their perseverance in every field of life. Literally, their lives are not the bed of roses.

Think positively from this moment. Swami Vivekananda encourages us:

`To succeed, you must have tremendous perseverance, tremendous will. ``I will drink the ocean``, says the persevering soul; ``at my will mountains will crumble up``. Have that sort of energy, that sort of will; work hard, and you will reach the goal.` ₂  

`Whatever you think, that you will be, if you think yourselves weak, weak you will be; if you think yourselves strong, strong you will be. ₃

Positive thinking is necessary. For this, reading habit of good books, which will give us strength, is essential. I will recommend two booklets for everyday reading, especially to my dear students:

1. Vivekananda  His Call to the Nation
2.  Thoughts of Power

These booklets are a compilation of Swami Vivekananda`s message and published by Advaita Ashrama, Kolkata, India. Please try to collect these booklets and make a reading habit. Instantly you will feel encouragement. ƒ

References

1. The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda [CW] (Advaita Ashrama, Kolkata) Vol. 2. 152
2. CW Vol. 1. 178
3. CW Vol. 3. 130

150th Birthday of Swami Vivekananda

…`What we want is this Shraddha. Unfortunately, it has nearly vanished from India, and this is why we are in our present state. What makes the difference between man and man is the difference in this shraddha and nothing else. What makes one man great and another weak and low is this Shraddha. My master used to say, he who thinks himself weak will become weak, and that is true. This Shraddha must enter into you. ` CW: 3-319

Swami Vivekananda

A New Year - A New Opportunity

Today is 1^st January. 2012 has come. Happy and peaceful new year to you and your all-family members. A new year is beginning from today. Lead a fresh life from today’s morning. Don’t look back for what you have done in 2010 or 2009 or 2008. Human life is precious. Our life is our capital. Focus on your `life building and character making` process. This is our main work. All other works are secondary. We are ignoring our primary work. From today, take a pledge seriously that I will make my life beautiful and meaningful. I will make my character perfect, neat and clean. From today, I will not spend a moment without any positive work or thought. I will read at least ten minutes any holy books, which will give me mental strength. I will spend at least twenty to thirty minutes for my physical exercise. I will try to concentrate my mind. I will develop my human relations and think for others. I will pray at least one minute for others. I shall be punctual and honest in my office. I shall pay respect to my parents and other seniors in the society.

This is a matter of practice. If you seriously try to do your everyday work with a positive view, you will gain. If your view is negative, your time, money, everything will be meaningless. As a result, your whole life may be restless and unhappy. What do you want? A peaceful happy life or a restless unhappy life?

If your option is the first one, then don’t waste our valuable time. Development of 3H (Head, Heart and Hand) is essential. Time is going on. Today is 1^st January, after some days, there will be 31^st December. Again, we will prepare ourselves from the midnight to welcome 2013. Make your daily routine and strictly follow the routine. Always think positively. Because, positive thoughts will bring the positive results. Our human life is a gift of God. We can make it beautiful. We are the makers of our own life. We can make such a beautiful life, which can feel for others. We can expand our heart. We can pray for others. Self-centered life style will not give you actual peace and happiness. Swami Vivekananda wrote in a letter to his brother-disciples of Alambazar monastery, ` Arise! Awake! and stop not till the goal is reached.` ` Life is ever expanding, contraction is death. The self-seeking man who is looking after his personal comforts and leading a lazy life – there is no room for him even in hell.` (C.W. 6: 294)

We are observing our society today. There are different types of problems. Our standard of living is increasing day by day. At the same time, our human qualities are gradually decreasing. Our external life is blinking, but our inner life is neglected. We know the problems. But, where is the solution? Character - is the answer. If we ignore our inner life, our inner life will also ignore us. As a result, we have to lead a defeated life.

Come forward. Lead a life of `Man`. This is the age of science. In every field, we apply scientific outlook for the analysis. Practice the theories of `man making and character building` in your own life. I am sure, if you practice seriously with a positive direction, there must be development in your life. But, faith, respect and above all `sincerity` must be there. Sincerity is the main thing.

 Swami Vivekananda once said to his disciple, Sri Saratchandra Chakraborty, ` My hope and faith rest in men like you. Understand my words in their true spirit, and apply yourselves to work in their light. ………. I have given you advice enough; now put at least something in practice. Let the world see that your listening to me has been a success.` (C.W. 7: 175)