Manage Time Live Life King Size

 

Manage Time Live Life King Size

Make 24 equal to 27

 

“Time stays long enough for those who use it.”

Leonardo Da Vinci

 

If you love life, do not waste time,

for time is what the life is made up of.

 Bruce Lee

 

On the basis of a competitive examination, I was recommended for appointment against a Group ‘B’ gazetted post by the Testing Agency. As soon the Personnel Department sent the select list tussle started for getting retained in the Department; we-myself and one of my friends; were too junior for making any impact but the competitive examination had made us the senior most top two officials. It was God’s grace that the competent authority disposed of the case for being retained in the Department with simple three words “As per Merit”. This gave both of us great relief and a confidence that merit has its own place.

 

When selected for a special pay post; the question of posting started; we were given the branch considered the toughest, sensitive and full of arrears. We could not perform for a week, had no previous experience of the profile, read the previous files, set the papers in order, collected rule books, circulars, copies of instructions and of course guidance from our boss. Submitted one case each next Monday and to our pleasant surprise the files were received back in the same evening duly approved by the competent authority as suggested by each of us. This emboldened us. We made a plan to submit one major case before lunch and one minor case after lunch each, every day, in addition to routine work; after about three months, when boss came to our room and asked for list of the pending cases both of us reported “Nil”; when he insisted we simply said “Sir, really nothing is pending with the Branch every file is either under submission or disposed of and gone to old records.” He was too, happy, and remarked the work which he could not control for the two years has been brought upto date just in three months.

 

Thus moral is, involve from the core of your heart with whatever you are doing; be present physically and more importantly mentally on the job, ensure self-denial for many good things and gossips, be organized, draw a plan of action, execute it ruthlessly, draw the deadlines, review if need be and carefully watch your performance. These are not just words, all this can be achieved, with only one thing that is unshaken determination. It would be productive, result oriented, would take lessor time; full of job satisfaction and a motivator. There are thousand excuses for not doing a job and for doing a job only “doing” is required. This is the essence of time management.

The other name for time management is self-imposed discipline (SID). It means discipline by one’s own choice not forced from outside, self-imposed restriction, task, or situation deliberately created or accepted for yourself; for example always reaching office in time. This type of discipline strengthens one’s will power, requires practice, sacrifice of comfort and is real long lasting; can be applied to any area of your life with advantage of having the positive results. It is the first steps towards success all over. Honour, respect and value your time it will reciprocate with a multiplying factor and His Blessings too. In addition to making life smooth, a person becomes known by his disciplined nature.

 

In fact, time management is attitude towards life. It cannot be developed in a day or so. It is gift of God for some and others can develop it. But those who do not acquire, lose many good things in life. Right job at the right time can do wonders and wrong jobs at inappropriate time can bring disasters. Time is a most valuable resource, but it cannot be preserved so use it as miserly as one can, let every second should give some return. Unless we develop an attitude to use the time purposefully or for leisure we cannot make use of time management, tools and techniques.  

 

People normally try to find out tools for time management. Their search is valid; man himself with the attitude and determination to be successful is the biggest and the only tool available till now. If one falls in that category he can certainly succeed. However some procedure and guidance can always be obtained.

 

Use the time as tool not as a couch.

John. F. Kennedy 

 

First identify the waste time in your daily routine; do not confuse it with rest or leisure time and then the cause, lastly how to marshal it for useful action. The reasons can be lack of focus while doing something, failure to delegate to others, lack of effective communication, failure to look ahead, interruptions-phone calls, gossip, sometimes even the boss; above all treating the assignment a punishment instead of an instrument of satisfaction. Fatigue and poor health also lead to waste time increase.

 

Next important thing that the time devoted to real job tasks must be made efficient. Normally everywhere real jobs are routine, special and creative in addition to regular job duties which are substantive, require proper and pre-homework, require to be done in time to ensure discharge of the responsibilities and duties entrusted. Again the person entrusted with the job is the most important to know the intricacies, procedures, coordination, collections, secrecy, time required, repetitive or a new issue every time nature of the job.

 

“He who every morning plans the transaction of the day and follows out that plan, carries a thread that will guide him through the maze of the most busy life. But where no plan is laid, where the disposal of time is surrendered merely to the chance of incidence, chaos will soon reign.”                                    – Victor Hugo

 

However, certain tips for time management can be given; use computer with latest software, technology and all digital platforms, stay focused, do the best but do not try to be a perfectionist or an innovator every time as there is always scope for improvement, set realistic goals, create a friendship with your work and enjoy what you do, eliminate activities that are not necessary to achieve a goal, reduce rather eliminate all physical visits use phone as much as possible, thus optimize effort. Don’t waste time on the projects still to be tied-up. Fix deadlines and achieve them; marshalling all that you can do to reach.

  

“Concentrate all your thoughts upon the work in hand. The Sun’s ray do not burn until brought to a focus.”

                                                      Alexander Graham Bell

 

Stress is a killer of efficiency, productivity, interest and output. Try to be stress free: accept some dust levels in life; do not make better the enemy of best; make a beginning, handle one task at a time, easier one the first, develop intimacy with circumstances, environment, surroundings, colleagues and finally the work- do it with interest, involvement, understanding, sense of achievement. Always remember once you have accepted an assignment it for you and your family, you earn your livelihood and your house runs as you earn. Every work, job, or task is for your own welfare and happiness so do it yourself with resources completely under your own control; resources under the control of somebody else are seldom available at the time of your need. These things would add speed to performance and delivery. Always understand that hard work done is a reward in

itself; it never goes waste; it pays back; pays back amply without fail, the only question is sooner or later, cash or kind, goodness or elimination of sorrows, with your knowledge or without your  knowing, His ways differ according to our needs.

 

Important and Urgent are the two terms which I thought were more or less the same till my first training Superintendent explained in the class. The whole distinction is summed up by    Dr J. Roscoe Miller when he said: "I have two kinds of problems: the urgent and the important. The urgent are not important, and the important are never urgent."

 

One must know clearly the difference between important and urgent; necessary to organize and be efficient. For example it is common endeavor to marry one’s daughter to a well settled, good earning and a handsome as if made for each other person and all of us prepare daughter making her that capable. It is an important goal and a task of life. It cannot be achieved in a day or so, it is long term, requires hard work, investment, care, sacrifice of comforts and even necessities, it is projection of one’s personality and character. On the other hand urgent task do not require such a behavior for example, if CEO directs you to reach his chamber immediately, you have no choice you have to attend: tells you to deliver a case to Directors Secretariat; you delivered; the task is over. Nothing important it was just urgent and urgency was the CEO not the contents of the job.    

 

Important activities have an outcome that leads to us achieving our goals, whether these are professional, personal, social and even national, they relate to substantive duties and responsibilities. Urgent activities need immediate attention; sometimes they are emergencies and are normally associated with achieving goals relating to somebody else. They are often the ones, we have to concentrate on and they demand attention because the consequences of not dealing with them are immediate and may have negativity associated with them.

 

"Most of us spend too much time on what is urgent, and not enough time on what is important."

                                                     - Steven Covey

 

Another issue which is of importance in the matter of time-management is cause and effect. Choose those activities first which give the maximum effect: for example if 20% of customers give you 80% of the sales than one must concentrate on such customers, it is a fountain of success and an encouragement to take care of others also.

 

Faith in one’s effort and of success is another important ingredient of time management. More the faith lesser the time and lesser the faith more the time. Faith is sum total of use of strengths, taking care of weaknesses, skill, knowledge, experience, hard work and timely action. Have faith, He would be with you and be a winner.

 

Can anyone make 24 equal to 27? Arithmetically NO. Fact is, if need be, all of us do it in our daily life; get up one hour earlier than the routine and sleep a hour later, mathematically one has 26 hours, another one hour is added by the speed of the work due to uninterrupted environment and concentration.

 

"Don't be fooled by the calendar. There are only as many days in the year as you make use of. One man gets only a week's value out of a year while another man gets a full year's value out of a week."

                                                               -- Charles Richards

 

Time Management has a beautiful chapter that is “Taking Rest”; it is the most productive time physically and mentally too; a cup of beverage adds to alertness of body and sharpens the brain, sometimes it is mine of creativity and innovation. Do take rest when needed; do not make it an excuse to waste time. “Take rest; a field that has rest gives bountiful crop.”  -Ovid

 

"There are two days in the year that we cannot do anything, yesterday and tomorrow"

                                                               ~ Mahatma Gandhi                                                

Stress-Free Old-age Home

Stress-Free Old-age Home

An Institution Older than The Man

 

Life would be infinitely happier if we could only be born at the age of eighty and gradually approach eighteen.

                                                                      Mark Twain

 

If wrinkles must be written upon our brows, let them not be written upon the heart. The spirit should never grow old.

                                                          John Kenneth Galbraith

 

While going to the Banke Bihari Temple dedicated to Lord Krishna Vrindavan - also known as Brindaban, Utter Pradesh, India, to pay obeisance and to have “Darshanas” of the Lord, passing through the streets with Lassi, Puri Chhole,Rabari shops on both sides, we noticed  two white clad old ladies with boy cut grey hair, following us, after some distance we were asked to stop and they requested for help by some cash donation. When checked up it was found that they were widows living in an Ashram away from their loved ones: during our stay it became known that the place is full of such Ashrams where destitute widows pass their last days of life.

 

There are also places in India, where people voluntarily go and stay there in Charitable or paid guest houses in their last days waiting for the final day, so that they are cremated at particular cremation ground-Muktydham-place of salvation as they perceive.

 

In other places some destitute people join “Deras of Sants”, (Residing places of saints).They serve in day to day affairs of the Dera and spend their last days there. Some also go to their Gurus ashrams and live with them taking care of day to day activities of the ashrams during the last steps of journey of life.

 

The greatest cover, for uncared for oldies earlier was, joint family system, which is now dismantling for various reasons. Sometimes even the larger families-father’s brothers, sisters; their children and native villages also helped uncared for people to make both ends meet in the old age.

 

India’s new system to care for oldies is coming up slowly: one of its ingredients is Old-age Homes. Charitable Old-age Homes are now available in almost all the big cities in India, where if space is available one can spend his last days. These are mostly run by private NGOs receiving Funds in cash and kind from the general public as well as from their trustees. Some Old-age Homes are paid also where you have to support your stay. Some Developers have also created five star facilities on paid basis for senior citizens.

 

Measures introduced by Govt include, old age pensions, various other Govt schemes for health care, reverse mortgage by Banks on self-created property etc. Old age pension amount is not sufficient to ensure three full meals a day and reasonable health care; hence the need for second line of support.

 

In India, Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007 also provides protection in old-age, parents seldom proceed to invoke provisions under this Act.  

 

Anyway once you reach an Old-age Home particularly the charitable one; all the needs including health care are taken care of, by the institution. How to remain happy there. Happiness is the feeling that helps a creature remain bodily healthy and mentally alert. Happiness brings in you the acceptance, gratitude and purpose of life and is the essence of new life in the new home.

 

Perhaps the most important step is to forget the bitter past and forgive those against whom one has any grievance, as they were not aware as to what they were doing and to whom; it is not as easy as said. It is perhaps beyond the capacities of a common man to forget and most of those who reach Old-Age Homes are most common people leaving aside exceptions. One must have strong determination to adopt the new chapter, unless one has that past will continue to pull down the person.

 

Firstly make a daily routine for self: like getting up early morning, after freeing oneself, enjoying a hot cup of tea in the morning mist if possible in open, going to the Lord and sitting before him for a few moments involving from the core, having a morning walk, reading a newspaper and completing other routine. Thereafter enjoy the morning breakfast with co-mates asking cosy niceties making others as comfortable and light as possible. It is almost half the day. One can have any routine the only thing is that you must involve himself in it.

 

Old age normally has health problems; if you have none it is God’s grace. But it you have, take care of yourself, mind it you are one of similar inmates, save going to hospital, take medicine on time, control your diet as per the illness. Unhealthy and irregular diet is a killer in old age, do not allow taste and greed to prevail. It will provide you happiness, ease and comfort to your mates.

 

Listening is a skill which is not taught in any school, it has to be developed, learnt and made part of your day if already not made; it gives happiness to the person who speaks; many of the inmates were never listened; when they spoke they were made to keep quiet, were ill-treated by those whose incoherent words were sweet to their ears. They are longing for someone to listen to them: their stories of grief and thoughts; their needs and necessities. Be a patient listener.

 

 “We think we listen, but very rarely do we listen with real understanding, true empathy. Yet listening, of this very special kind, is one of the most potent forces for change that I know.”                                                    

                                                                   Carl Rogers

 

An inmate of an old-age home must obliterate from his dictionary the word sympathy which is a formality of the lowest grade and learn what empathy is. He should be empathic towards each of his colleagues all being sailing in the same boat. It makes the other person feel that he is not alone. True empathy requires that you step outside your own emotions to view things entirely from the perspective of the other person.

 

"Learning to stand in somebody else's shoes, to see through their eyes, that's how peace begins.  And it's up to you to make that happen.  Empathy is a quality of character that can change the world."

                                                              Barack Obama

 

“Empathy is a skill like any other human skill. If you get a chance to practice, you can get better at it.”                                           

                                    Professor Simon Baron Cohen

 

Another important aspect is utility; how useful or of service inmates are to one another. Try to be the first, solid, genuine and more than his own people.

 

“If you light a lamp for someone else, it will also brighten your path.”                                                     Buddha

 

“I slept and dreamt that life was joy. I awoke and saw that life was service. I acted and behold, service was joy.”                    

                                                    Rabindranath Tagore

 

Always feel you are in your own home, as if newly constructed, feel each brick has been laid down by you alone: love and like every coroner of the home: prove your usefulness to the institution, management, other inmates, and surroundings; they would love you and wait for your company.

 

Creativity is novel aspect of human life which was born and given by the Lord as a gift soon life appeared on this planet, to unfold the mysteries of the Universe and the creation itself. All discoveries and inventions relate to this aspect of human life. Always remember this remains alive in every human being till he knocks at the door of the Lord on his return journey. Appreciate creativity, it is sin to criticize, creativity is as He exists in it and it has been there on his nod only. Love those who make out of this privilege. See for yourself; listen the inner voice and be creative with your surroundings, society and self that will give happiness to you and your colleagues.

 

Old-age homes lack many things when compared with the homes the inmates have left behind and still long for. Here we are concerned with physical things only say thread and needle, a small hammer, boot polish brush etc. These things are small: take care to obtain them as and when there is chance to get them and be imaginative e.g. work of thread and needle for short period can be done by a safety pin also. Always remember imagination is infinite; it is not limited by knowledge: resources available are to be made useful for the purpose in view. So be imaginative and use whatever you have.

 

Old-age homes are full of lonely, grim faces, many waiting for someone to come, hug them touch their feet, ask how they are, look into eyes to find out the truth inside; some sit outside looking at the faces of stranger passersby, how to bring laughter to their faces: not easy; no magic available; the only thing which one can do is to keep them engaged in the activity they love and like so that they may swim with the present cool breeze. Whosoever comes in touch with these oldies must try their best to see they laugh-that have remained elusive from them sometimes for decades together. It is HIS SERVICE of the highest order.  

 

Charitable Old-age homes are wonder institutions and serving the society looking after those who allegedly were not looked after well by their own. They look after inmates till the flame finally extinguishes. The quality of life in them depends on the contributions, actions, emotions, thoughts and the emotional climate created by the inmates and the philosophy of trustees. Remember emotional bonds are much stronger than physical bonds. The management can ensure to provide physical facilities to the extent based on their capacity and financial resources. Shortcomings apart, they are the champions of life when keeping soul and flesh together is more difficult in life that too for those who are emotionally negatively charged. 

Stress-Free Yatra The Journey of Faith

 

Stress-Free Yatra

The Journey of Faith

 

All of us believe in the existence of Almighty, Omnipresent, One Universal Creator God, Beyond Space and Time, Beyond Name and Form, Self-Existent, the Image of Undying, Beyond Birth and Death, True in the Primal Beginning, True Throughout the Ages and would also be True when things as seen by human eyes are finished. We see him with different names and forms, personified, as per our own faith-that does miracles. Faith of everyman accords with his nature. Man is made up of faith as is his faith in the Universal Creator God, so is he. Without faith whatever offering or Prasad or gift is made of the work done, seva-service performed or penance acts  performed as repentance by any human being that are reckoned “not being” both, at present and thereafter at any time even when confronted with Him.

 

None of us knows what might happen even the next minute, yet still we go forward. Because we trust. Because we have Faith.                                            – Paulo Coelho

 

Everyman has his own chosen time and place-Tirath or Dham where he likes to go again and again to pay his obeisance, seek blessings of and audience with the loved Lord-the Ishat Dev - Aradhaya. It is common, with the people to go to the Lord as and when they receive his blessing fulfilling their wishes, through good happenings; and also otherwise. When something wrong happens people immediately remember Him and place something like money, some item apart or just a promise to visit His place, just as a token of his remembrance. It is a firm belief that nobody can enter His place without His permission. Obviously permission of the Lord is granted to thousands of His devotees desirous of meeting Him and all reach to have Audience-Darshanas of the Lord. Here people try to reach the Lord’s the Sanctum Sanctorum in their own ways: some seek-help of others, VIP entry even before the Lord what a contradiction, preferred categories like Army personnel, paid entry as available, etcetera. While majority like to wait in the queue for their turn as commoner still there are others who do not want to be special at His Door even otherwise possibleHis . As man is always busy he likes to have Darshana of the Lord as quickly as possible and when it takes time people feel stress, tension and anxiety. However, to reach the Lord as a commoner has its own pleasure, peace and plums.

 

I do not know experience of others. Whenever His blessings are granted with His grace, I try to reach the town concerned, always first try to go to the Lord as quickly as possible on arrival, to report that we have come; so that He takes care of us in his town: try to see Him as closely and as long as possible and try to set His image in my heart as long as am able to retain it all with his blessings.

 

My one of experience is when reached that town and place:  found as always, there were thousands like us who had been granted permission and place full as tightly as possible; no other entry being available: my spouse was feeling suffocated in stream of devotees: for a moment we came out of the rush; sat outside the crowd for a few minutes, shut our eyes ; concentrated on the Lord, in a short while we were seeing only the Lord not the crowds; gathered courage, again after sometime became part of pilgrims, everybody had his way along with us, crowd seemed  to have become friendly and known; everybody inching his way to the Lord; after  sometime we found ourselves in front of the Lord-The Gracious, feeling as if He was waiting for us to shower His blessings; gave our offerings to the priest, sought with folded hands, head down, total surrender as much as I could understand, His blessings for us all, and had heart-full audience with Him, He was listening, was listening even what was not being said the prayer we made to HIM. Leaving aside the rush, the crowd its jostling; it was satisfying, peace giving and a different experience of bliss.

 

God waits for you to communicate with Him. You have instant, direct access to God. God loves mankind so much, and in a very special sense His children, that He has made Himself available to you at all times.

                                                - Wesley L. Duewel  

 

All like to sit near the feet of the Lord; so bow before him if possible like that, sit in the Sanctum Sanctorum that would be bliss one longs for so long: if not possible come out sit quietly anywhere in His premises see his image in your heart and pay your obeisance, talk to Him as long as you want. If even that not possible, sleep on the ground with the image of the Lord in your heart and eyes take it within while sleeping. My mother used to call this process as, “Chowki Bhaharni”, one may call it by the name he likes but it is an experience different every time.

 

Prayer is integral part of a Yatra-Journey of Faith and is focused on the personal form of the Lord, no rituals, no methodology, no specific words, no language, no drums or beats thereof, no gestures: many of us do not know all these things; still we pray to the Lord and prayers are answered what more we need perhaps nothing. However prayer is between the devotee and the Lord, one speaks the OTHER listens, and listens carefully, no language, no noise, no words, no time, no manners, no third person listens, purity of heart, vacuum of mind, total surrender, and firm faith; perhaps the ingredients of a pure prayer.

 

Now comes the turn of Prasad, the blessing, the positivity, one receives from the door of the Lord. It is wonderful, unique experience to get Prasad, in some places priest in the Sanctum Sanctorum gives, in others it is given in a most orderly fashion, and still there is a custom with others to snatch it a jostling, indicative of the fact how much we love it and want it for our good and guidance. At some places it is customary to give “Khajana”- the Treasure a symbol of prosperity to the devotees, at others a head or neckwear: whatever we get from the home of the Lord  even  a few drops of Charanamrit - the holy water is positivity: take it, use it or retain it with highest reverence.

 

Another source of positivity in many religious places in India is Langer, Bhandara, Free kitchen for all: must participate in these practices: may be by taking food, serving and preparing food and also by donating cash or kind for these institutions. This is God’s Kitchen at one place in India the Food served is called Maha-Prasad. At some places one is required to make some contribution before eating food. Don’t grudge that is also His will. While taking food at Langer do not waste even a single grain and a drop of water. It has medicinal effect inside the place of worship and it becomes just a food outside the place: maintain the sanctity of the highest order, cleanliness, orderly behavior, polite and polished manners at Langer, as He is present there, getting us served.

 

The most important thing is, that a Yatra is undertaken to connect with Him, one may argue that you can connect with Him anytime anywhere, yes it is true, but still people prefer to go to religious places for the simple reasons that great things had happened there and the Lord in some form or the other had visited those places, one can imagine the amount of positivity that might have been created then, it still exists as the Lord is Omnipresent. Another thing is, so many devotees visit these places and everybody comes with the desire to meet the Lord certainly a positive thought and flow of devotees is a continuous process so is the existence of positivity and for some time a person is in a different atmosphere away from the daily routine only to meet Him.

 

Meeting with the Lord is the purpose of every devotee: how to proceed: certainly it is just not standing before the personified which most of us do or asking the priest to make a prayer or read a manta or shaloka for us or making an offering; or a priest performing a religious ritual for: certainly it is much more; what is that much more: how to connect with Him. Have seen common people standing in the Sanctum Santorum with eyes full of tears rolling down their cheeks some just standing with folded hands and others in addition talking to him like their father telling miseries and mysteries to Him; not bothered who is nearby and where they are; why they should be, they are talking to the Supreme the Lord: nothing above or below, nothing before or after, everything right now then and there. Human emotions when they come from the pure heart, total surrender and total unquestioned faith are expressed only through eyes shut and silent: with purity of action, speech and thought: they do not follow any procedure nor rituals; they just opened up their heart pure and fresh only for Him to come in no other thought or wish and he comes in.

 

Wisdom of the ages, sages and saints is that the Lord grants audience to everybody desirous and worthy; it is personal and exceptional. So connect Him with the way one likes.

 

God, our Creator, has stored within our minds and personalities, great potential strength and ability. Prayer helps us tap and develop these powers.               

                                                             A. P. J. Abdul Kalam

 

Stress of Admission Nursery to Professional

 

Stress of Admission

Nursery to Professional

 

The best brains of the nation may be found on the last bench of the classroom

                                                                         APJ Abdul Kalam

 

One day my bebe (mother) gave me bath, put me nice clothes, canvas shoes, combed my hair, vaselined my face, gave me a parantha and milk and then told, “beta (son) today we are going to school”. On the way to school she purchased a Kayada for an Adhani (half Anna=1/32 of a Re). Soon we were in a neighborhood private primary school. She told the Masterji (Shri Brij Lal, I still remember his name), “I want my son be admitted in your school”. He was too glad, wrote my name a register, admission was over, became a student in Kachi (LKG) did Pacci (UKG) & first from that school. In the second standard I was to be admitted to Sanatan Dharam High School, my father took me there filled up a form and I was in a regular school. The process went like that right up to admission in B.Com in the Govt Bikram College of Commerce, Patiala in April 1962, I just went to the college filled up a form and the next day deposited fee of just Rs.160/- which also included tuition fee for three months admission process was over, no cut off or merit lists no waiting nor checking the list on the notice Board. Admission used to be that easy just fill up the form, pay the fee and get admitted.  

 

Every child used to be admitted to Sanatam Dharm, Arya, Khalsa community schools, a few also went to Govt schools, private schools were almost non-existent. One book per subject that was the norm up to primary classes. A wooden plank with coating of Multani Mitti (now used as a face pack and beauty parlors charge a few hundred rupees for the service), being written over with black ink and a Kalam (wooden pen) was used for practice both for language as well as tables up to 4^th standard.

 

Principals, known at that time as the Headmasters, were highly respected persons of their area: their cane was too strong and honoured not only by the students but also by their parents. Spare the rode spoil the child that was the norm. All examinations were narrative long answers and viva were open and in the class room itself. Nobody questioned teacher’s assessment. No buses, taxies, cars, rickshaws every child went to the school on foot and alone. Very few had cycles. Matriculation was big examination and a stage in the career.

 

Reservations for SC, ST, OBC, EWS, Management Quota, Govt guidelines, under the table donations, capitation fee, parents’ interview obviously for money, references, like words were not coined till then in the education field. B.A., B.A.(Hon’s) and LLB were socially respected and people used to engrave these qualifications along with their name on plates at the entrance of their home. Worry, anxiety, stress, depression, were not there in education field neither for parents nor the students.

 

Today even after spending trillions on the education parents continue to get stress right from admission in nursery to graduation, post-graduation,  professional, even in Doctorate courses. The greatest reason being, we are too many, in 1962 we were just 46.90 Crores: today we 133 Crores addition of 86.10 Crores.  Student group between 5-19 years constitute 34.3 % (29.53 Crores); between 5-24 years constitute 43%. (37.10 Crores). Literacy rate is about 75%.We require education system for additional about 32 Crore people. Obviously uphill task. No attempt has been made to stop additions to this huge number by controlling population-the solution to every problem: all politicians are afraid of.

 

We cannot change the system overnight it takes decades to change education system so we have to live with whatever is available to us in this country. In this blog we are more concerned with the stress for parents as well as for students.

 

Admission to nursery is a headache for those parents who want admission of their wards in private schools as it is a belief that they are doing better upto 10+2.Children are too young to understand stress hence stress free. Stress to parents - very complex issue: Schools with bombastic nomenclatures without any norms approved by Govt  confuse and to make every parent think; admission in a big name school as if, is end of the career-which is not: it’s an ape race: air conditioned buses, class rooms: foreign educational trips: annual fete; glittering uniforms; big pump and show at annual functions presided over by big names many of whom seldom attended, glittering trophies for meritorious even in a single subject: so called educational tours: parents and grandparents day observed; every functionary at the school has limited tutored brief nobody dares to cross, guards and gates everywhere, uniforms, books and stationery at school only, everything for a price as in the Mall wonderful displays for wonderful insane prices. The so called most of big schools are corporates run for profit by those who have no connection with education and many are not even well educated.

 

No parents check the educational qualifications, skills, general knowledge, understanding of child psychology, experience of teachers, teaching methods followed at school, dedication and devotion of teaching staff;  the ratio between taught and learned, assimilation by the student: early childhood education should activate the natural desire to learn in the child, the instinct inside a teacher to learn and teach, sobriety of the teaching staff, the things parents  should really check perhaps want to know also but not able to express and pursue; nor made are available by these bombastic named schools: fact is India has very limited  number of real public schools where there is holistic development of personality of child.

 

Parents must make distinction between how and what children are being taught and not where they go for schooling: that would help to reduce the stress of the parents and save too. Possibility of a good school nearby for lower fee can’t be ruled out. It is the men in the school that matter not the building and buses. All children start their school careers with sparkling imaginations, fertile minds, and a willingness to take risks with what they think, said Ken Robinson. We need right teachers to put  them on the right track that may be available in humble schools not in show-ofs.

 

It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge.                            --Albert Einstein

 

In a completely rational society, the best of us would be teachers and the rest of us would have to settle for something else.                                                                       

                                                                              --Lee Iacocca

 

The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.

                                                                       --William Arthur Ward

(Parents should check above before admitting their wards in a nursery school)

 

Raring children is like clay modelling, they have to be taken care of at home also, taught and guides because they want to learn. Parents, of which mother is the most important person, she has to play the role and empower the child for higher studies and make him rough and tough to face the world outside, ensure other things which don’t happen at school. Such things will reduce stress for parents and child would be excellent human being and a good citizen too.

 

Admission to degree and professional courses is a stress both for students as well as for parents. Students are under stress twice once with the marks obtained in 10+2, and then with the admission in their choice course and the institute.

 

Marks in exam are important through the world, but everybody cannot be in 95%+ bracket: it is also a fact that all the seats and courses can’t and do not go to them. Marks are not everything, this fact has been recognized in some foreign countries and universities but not so far in India hence the students and parents are under stress of marks which spoils the game-student run after the marks not after the studies whereas it should be other way round as marks have to follow the preparation. Follow the correct path and leave the stress miles behind.  

 

Here the role of parents that comes into play. They must consider not only the marks and but also the total personality and faculties of their child, they are the best judge, professional help if sought is an added advantage and find out wherein their child has interest and can succeed: always keep plan A and plan B ready:  not to be led by desire to get the best of all but must be led what the child deserves, can get and succeed  and convince the child about the course and the institute: it is tough task but prudent parents have to do, both for their child as well as for themselves.  Don’t be led by what others are doing, their marks, finances, circumstances, interests, priorities, approach, thinking, faculties, genes, resources are different: possibly there is something else also they are hiding. Students at this age are immature, unable to understand realities of life, future of particular streams, their minds are too impressionable, these days children have too much information about what they intend to do and can argue well with all those who want to impress them, but life-the teacher and experience are different, strike a bond between desired and deserved, convince the child about the best for him so that he is relieved of the stress. Those who can excel for them careers are there in every subject and stream but everybody is not extraordinary: hence the stress and prudence of the parents to overcome that stress.

 

Subjects at 10+2, are no doubt indicative of future plan of studies: it is also fact that 9^th to 12^th class when the students are in age from of 14 to 17 are very crucial, possibility of the child developing interest in some other discipline or going astray can’t be ruled out. To select the stream not necessarily an outcome of 10+2, subjects and streams, which has become his hobby would relieve parents and students of stress as well as give him the career of his liking and strength.

 

Degree do facilitates direct entry into jobs. But fact of the matter is job-profiles have very little to do with the educational qualification except basic knowledge do comes to rescue in many situations. Success stories have novel inputs like an IIT graduation degree holder becoming a successful Police Officer of the highest repute and serving even after retirement and a just graduate rises to the level of a Secretary to Govt.

 

Fundamental qualities hard work, responsibility, devotion to duty, integrity of character, courage put one ahead of others. Admissions to high ranking institutes are not everything; people from other institutes also succeed and they are more in numbers. Do not be discouraged if got admitted in unknown institution their students also succeed many a times in unknown and excellent fields.

 

Wherever one gets admission it is the result of the labour, time spent, sacrifice made, self-denial done by the student and parents as well as hard earned money spent by parents then why to be unhappy with the results. Respect your hard work and sacrifices made and be on the road to face the world better equipped.

 

It's the teacher that makes the difference, not the classroom.

                                                                        --Michael Morpurgo