learnings

Clouds so grey hang over the horizon And immense power they have Drawing you into the circle of bleak and pain Colours become colourless And so with odour Brain fuzzes with negativity All I want is to curl and sleep But the womb rejects Sleep evades and visions tumble in Pain surges forth till the coffee turns bitter Words become noise....

A colleague gave a talk on resolutions and that it is in our hands to maintain them. A beautiful example was cited. The root of a tree is the resolution. The unhealthy branches of excuses spoil the resolution. This morning as I mused ( doing this for the last 2 months) whether I ought to go for my morning walk, I remembered the talk. I sprang into action. The harsh reality of me panting and carrying my heavier body has brought me  to the present, the now. Self discipline is often associated with being dispassionate. On the contrary self discipline is self love. It means you are passionate. Passion indicates deep feeling, a feeling of depth. So self discipline is actually self love. When one loves oneself, one will inculcate god habits and self control. We are emotional beings. Feelings can empower us or enslave us. So it is up to us to nurture and respect our feelings by listening , responding, organizing them, redirecting them and limiting them. This would be healthy self discipl

Any relationship will be successful only when all involved work on it. As relationship ages many things are taken for granted. Intimacy in the relationship has to be worked upon mindfully. Small exchanges of sweet-nothings, a kiss, a hug, complimenting each other are positive strokes in a relationship. When one tends to forget, the other partner ought to take charge. Love and kindness will beget the same. 

This morning as I drove to work I heard a metallic clang and I thought I had banged my car against some stone or pillar. I did not stop to look because the lane was too narrow and traffic would have piled up if I had stopped. Also I had to be punctual to work so I carried on as if nothing had happened. Many bikers were turning and looking at my car. No one pointed or said anything. So I drove blissfully for almost a kilometer till a good samaritan pointed out that I had a puncture. Immediately I veered the car to safety. A helpful auto-rickshaw driver took me to a few shops that would repair a puncture. One soul accompanied me back in the auto. He did the needful. He was dropped off in the auto. Before leaving he gave me some helpful tips too. In the evening I got the car tyre checked and I had to spend quite an amount because the 1 km extra drive had costed my tyre!.  Sigh it has been an eventful day- punctured tyre and punctured purse. Costly ;earning. Yet I am grateful that

Alone I tread into the sacred ground With heart thumping and blood coursing With strides so purposeful  I found my space, my nourishment Books I bought of authors Far and wide in my land I will soon get into the world of  Shanta, Geeta, Chhaya and Nakul My eyes await with feverish excitement My nostrils will twirl at the fragrance of the page All I need is a corner so cosy now. My all time favourite stall is the Sahitya Academy one. I visit this stall and that of Harper Collins. Today I strolled around a bit and I was happy to seethe milling crowd, children demanding for books and the cashless transactions happening. I wonder why I go year after year. I have books on Audible, on Kindle...  well those books are for the mind or heart. These are for my soul.

The circle of acceptance is an activity I do with children and adults. It is a simple activity. Whenever we have a problem or issue in a team or between two people this is one activity that may work for you. Stand in a circle if you are a group. If you are just two or four then draw a circle or designate an invisible circle around you. Brainstorm the issues. While debating and discussing you may experience anger, irritation and hurt. Clench your palms whenever the feelings arise. Once one round of brainstorming occurs, round 2 should be of pointing out 1 positive about the other/others. Look into the eyes of the other when you say the positive. Next hold hands and step into the circle saying, this is the circle of acceptance and we are in it together. For those who are inside the circle say the same. Repeat if you have to. Adults will have inhibitions in saying aloud. At least one can say aloud and others can repeat. Look at each other when you say the positive. Be stil

How do we take feedback? ( Constructive) To parents 1. Are we listening to our children especially when they offer their point of view? Often our ego does not permit us. We brush away with statements like, 'Because I say so'/ 'just do it'. To teachers, 1. Are we willing to listen to suggestions/opinion  or take in feedback from our students? We counter question them with ,' Me? Am I so? You have not understood me' followed by a long lecture. To colleagues, 1. Are you able to act upon a suggestion or willing to listen/ understand  another person's point of view?  With a curt ( how can we be happy is it not) tone we render an apology throwing words into the air or we make the other person feel worse. I had a great time today having an open dialogue with my students of Grade 6. I am always amazed at how much they observe; how wonderfully they imitate the adults around them . It struck me how poorly we take in feedback. I witnessed a dialogue between

I enjoy opening the doors leading to a tiny sit-out area in my apartment. The whiff of fresh air, the early morning light entice me. I love sitting there and reading the newspaper while sipping a hot cup of coffee. This simple ritual gives me so much joy. Just this morning I realized that there is no particular view. My balcony looks into an all white apartment next door. Between the two apartments there is the sliver of blue sky, a tree here and there and the road to the right. Nothing much, nothing gorgeous. Yet how much happiness it gives me. I am thankful for the home I live in, the area where I live, the glimpse of the sky and the trees, the lovely coffee brewed by my mother, the few minutes of my time... There is so much to be thankful for. The view indeed.

It has been a long time since I have blogged. Happy new year to all. I am always excited about the ending of a year and the beginning of a new one. Spending time with close family and friends: I have been spending New Years' eve at my parents place with family and friends. I have never regretted the experiences too. It is cozy and worthwhile. I would not trade this for anything else. Sharing knowledge and books: Work began after a 10 day relaxing Xmas vacation. I had given a book titled ,'So good they can't ignore you' by Cal Newport to a student. I always share my book learnings/ books with my students. This time I asked the student to share the learnings. There was pin drop silence as all were listening so attentively. He gave such a fantastic talk giving the learnings ,bite-sized to his classmates. I mentioned to my colleague proudly that he outshone his teacher. The joy of reading, sharing doubled for me. We processed the learnings at the end of the class.