TIME = MONEY; HAPPINESS = ZERO

 Ever since I decided to write on daily basis to improve my craft,  I search for triggers to ignite my mind. One such trigger recently came from the title of a small article in a news magazine which I adopted it here.

In fact, happiness is the underlying thread in any activity we undertake.   Instead of finding true centre of happiness, we aimlessly sail our ships which only aggravates the problem. 

The true wisdom lies in enjoying with our own being without encroaching into other's space. It is what Henry David Thoreau did when he left for Walden bank (United States) to live alone. He wrote about all his experiences in an epic book "Walden" which is a masterpiece of a journey of self-transformation. The chapter on 'Solitude' is one of the best inspiring pieces of his literature. When asked why he went to Walden bank to live alone, he contended that : "I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front , only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover, that I had not lived. "

The paradigm of happiness has now undergone a tectonic shift  and people  grab material possessions so ruthlessly which brink them to shallow lives. Those who value time with money have neglected their relations and by the time they start realizing, it is too late for them as considerable damage already happens in their lives.

The work alcoholics who treat time as money should be more cautious. The new research published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology shows that the more one treats time in terms of money, the more one loses the ability to 'experience' time and everyday happiness.

A  survey puta India ahead of so many advanced countries in terms of happiness. India ranks Number 2 with 43% 'Very Happy people' out of 24 countries in a survey conducted in February, 2012 by a French marketing company Ipsos. Indonesia tops the list at 57 %. It is time for others to learn something from India.

CREATING A BETTER FUTURE FOR CHILDREN

 

As our children grow, we worry so much about their future. Instead of allowing them to flourish on their own, we impose our own ideas on them, thereby condition their minds.

Noted Indian spiritual guru Sadhguru Jaggie Vasudev says that it is time to learn back from children. He further says that think for a moment: Who looks more happy – you, or your children ? He believes that children are consultants for happiness.

My daughters when they are taken to evening stroll, they make spirited discussions which they don't do when they are indoors. So take your children on regular walks and listen to their ideas. Robin Sharma in his much acclaimed book 'Who will cry when you Die' echoes the same point: "Children come to us more highly evolved than adults to teach us the lessons we need to learn."

The difference between your child and you is that you know a few survival tricks while he/she is still innocent and brimming with creativity.   Allow them the life they want to lead. Don't be their boss. Be a guardian and facilitator so that they feel comfortable and share their views liberally without any inhibition. If you frighten them, they will shy away from you. So be like a friend. Communication is very vital. The greatest gift you can give to your children, Robin Sharma says, is the 'gift of your time'. But how much time do we really spend with our children is a moot point.

When it comes to education, we evaluate our children through their report cards. We compare them with their peers, and question them why they are not better than their friends in studies. This mindless comparison kills their creativity. It is our duty to nurture their inherent talents so that they achieve their full potential in their area of interest.

Sam Pitroda, former adviser to the Prime Minister on Public Information, Infrastructure and Innovation, says that you cannot really teach your children. They learn the way they can. Do what you are supposed to do, and your children will get the message loud and clear. He further says that give children enough space so that they can understand the works of the world and adapt themselves to the situations.

But the present educational system helps little to blossom children.  The marks mania is eroding the educational standards. I was shocked when I read a news item in a reputed news magazine that India ranked 73 out of 74 countries in a 2009 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) study based on extensive testing of nearly 5,000 upper primary students in the educationally advanced states of Himachal Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. What is more disgusting is that eighth graders from India could barely match the Math skills of South Korean third graders.

With regard to content of text books,  the same magazine in their story reported that Class 3 Urdu-medium schoolchildren in the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh are being taught Hindustan kevazir-e-azam PV Narasimha Rao hai ( P.V. NarasimhaRao is India's Prime Minister).

Some tough decisions need to be taken to reform the education sector, otherwise children continue to be the victims of mediocrity.