Reading is important

• Reading is important

  How many times have we heard “ Books are your best friends ” ? I am sure an infinite number of times .

  How many times have we wondered , “ How , Why ” ? Well, books are our best friends because they are always there

  for us. They inspire us to learn great things in life like a good friend. They are a treasure of knowledge and intellect to

  bring out the best in us. Once we acquire knowledge, nobody can take it away from us .

  ‘ There is no friend as loyal as a book ”, said Ernest Hemingway.

  Reading stimulates imagination because books open our minds to new perspectives and we set out on an exploratory

  sojourn. Books quench our thirst for knowledge and make us interesting individuals to talk to. Try striking a conversation

  with a well read person vs a non reader and you will see the difference .

  When was the last time you read a book or a powerful article ? Do you read the newpaper ? Do you read tweets ? Well,

  most of you would say yes to the last question. Yes, I read tweets, whatsapp messages, facebook feed . Stop! because

  that’s not what will develop your brain . Reading books, articles, magazines, newpapers will sharpen your mind because

  while reading you concentrate on the story and it stimulates your mind. It lowers your stress level because you are

  engrossed in the weave of the story where you don’t have to respond to any messages. When you read different authors,

  you are exposed to various genres of writing which may strengthen your own ability to write.
• While reading a mystery, have you ever solved the mystery yourself before finishing the book ? If you have then your

  critical and analytical skills are at work ! Have you ever refused to go out to play because you have chewed your nails

  trying to figure out what will happen next ! That’s concentration which comes with focus and while reading you are

  only focusing on the story, everything else just does not exist. You are transported into a different world.

  In today’s fast paced, tech crazy world, if you can spend one hour everyday on reading any book, it will make you calmer

  and less stressed. It will bring focus and tranquility. Even if you have never read a book in your life, you can start now .

  For example, we don’t like green tea initially, its an acquired taste, we have a cup to give company, another one for

  health benefits , then start liking it and ultimately it becomes a habit . Similarly, reading is healthy and stimulates our

  mind and soul. The more we read the more we understand the world around us.

  However, reading too is an art which many are unaware of. What is the correct way to read ? Pick up a book of your

  interest , familiarize yourself with the author, read the synopsis to understand what the author is trying to say, start with a

  positive frame of mind which tells you to enjoy the book. You may come across new words and phrases, the best way to

  increase your vocabulary is to write these down with their meanings. If a biography is inspirational then you must take

  away pearls of wisdom from it. It will guide you to follow the correct direction and path. In a work of fiction don’t

  identify with the protagonist because he/she is a fictional character. Just enjoy the fantasy created by the writer for

  relaxation of mind. In a non fiction, look for motivation and problem solving to iron out your worries. Think out of the

  box , go back and read again till it makes sense to you. If it still doesn’t make sense after re-reading then no point wasting

  time and energy on it, just get another book. When we read a newspaper, we must read it with the sole purpose of

  knowing what has happened in our country and the world today . Only the news, without dissecting what one political

  party said to the other. Media does it brilliantly ! When we read an article , we must appreciate the effort and the research
• the writer has done to assimilate facts and findings. It is not necessary to agree to the author’s viewpoint always but there

  is no harm in reviewing a different perspective because it adds to our analytical mindset. Books are a rich source of

  information and at the same time a treasure trove of knowledge . When we read, we are reading the thoughts of other

  people and learning from them, which is educative. A good way to read is by joining a book club where members discuss

  a book in an open forum. Imagine, if there are ten members in the club, it means eleven different perspectives on one

  book which challenges our thinking abilities . So the earlier one gets into the habit of reading, the better it is for the brain.

  In olden days children did not have access to libraries like we have today. So, we would go to these tiny shops who gave

  books on rent and read as many books in a day so that we could lay our hands on another book the next day before any of

  our friends could ! There was a thrill to it, reading books under the blanket in torchlight , in a boring Geography class as

  a back bencher, in long train journeys and in the rains with a cup of hot coffee. Reading started as an experiment, turned

  into a hobby and then passion. We didn’t realize when it helped us ace vocabulary, sentence formation, debating,

  dramatics etc etc because reading widened our scope and boosted our creativity, improved focus and concentration ,

  developed thinking skills and memory.

  Books make us better communicators, educate us, have the power to inspire and motivate us with stories. Children are

  very impressionable in their development so when they take up reading at an early age they hone their imaginative and

  creative skills and become better communicators.

  So, have you reached out for a book ? Try and reap the benefits !

What do you know about the blessings of being a grandmom unless you are one and the one who loves her granddaughter like her own daughter. Well, the relationship is unparalleled, the love is unending, the emotion is overwhelming and it makes life worth living . A grandchild brings back your youth , your children take away your youth . So, I would recommend that all grandparents take over the responsibility of nurturing their grandkids by spending time in instilling the right values in them. The time spent with them will make you fitter , alert and younger . Do you need anything else ?
While bringing up your own kids you are younger, impatient, irresponsible, immature and busy learning and coping with a new existence . Marriage brings a lot of responsibilities and parenthood adds to the woes . On the other hand, by the time you are a grandparent you are older, experienced, mature, patient and responsible....the qualities required to bring up a kid . So, who is better with kids ? We all know the answer . As inexperienced parents we make a rule book of do`s and dont`s and want the kids to follow it to a T . Generally kids defy the rule book bringing out the worst in parents followed by crying, shouting , screaming etc ertc . Grandparents on the other hand scoff at rule books which they themselves had also made when they were young parents because experience and maturity have taught them otherwise . In todays nuclear families it is a blessing to be staying with your kids and grandkids . I feel every moment is worth living , precious and to be cherished . 

Take a step....hold a hand

I read a beautiful and thoughtprovoking quote recently, ''Don't let someone become a priority in your life, when you are just an option in their life. Relationships are best when they are balanced.'' So beautifully written. I have read and reread it several times because this is a very common error we all make in our relationships and then get hurt. We invest so much of our time and a good portion of our lives to nurture relationships with family and friends. Later in life when we look back we realise that with most people it was just a one way street, we invested but they did not. ...
How many of us make an effort to revive friendships with family  ? Friendships with family ? Yes !!!
We don't even consider family as friends ! Friends are the family we have can be reversed to say, family are the friends we have ! We take everyone in the family for granted right from immediate to cousins and feel that nurturing is not required . People who think like this are insensitive.
Give as much love as you can to your loved ones. It will never hurt anyone , it will improve relations.
Who doesn't like to feel important, but a majority of people are so scared to praise their family members....I wonder why ? Then there is this FB generation who are so fake in their emotional outbursts, their love knows no bounds but only on FB, to show the world.
Be genuine, respect each other, look at positives in each other, love unconditionally. Life will be so beautiful....just think, can I live without this person ? What if he/she is removed from my life, what will happen ? Do it before it's too late.....

Today's women contd

Yes, they made me so proud. They did have butterflies in their stomachs when they stood on the stage to speak . It was their first time and mine too !!!! I was equally nervous but confident. After the introduction they came one by one on stage and spoke on each topic they had rehearsed so diligently. They spoke on respect for women, good parenting and good healthI was so proud of them, of each word they spoke. The feeling was the same as when your child speaks the first time on stage. The applause brought smiles to the faces of these beautiful women. Their face shone with a new confidence, pride and a sense of achievement. So proud of them.

Today's women

''Iam inspired by my English teacher because she is a good natured  independent social worker......''
' Wow ! did I hear it right ? This came from my woman student, 32 year old, a mother, lives in the slums. It is my privilege to teach these women who are called 'underprivileged'. They are so enthusiastic to learn English , so they finish  their routine house work, pick up kids from school, drop them home and come to the class. The unmarried ones come after college or home.
When I started volunteering at National Society for Clean Cities India ( NSCCI ) I did not know how far I would go with these women who did not know English. I was so inspired by the team running the NGO, so dedicated and committed, so simple. I knew this was not easy because its easy to teach kids but these were adult women whose first priority is home.
I was amazed to see their dedication, they stayed. I started teaching them functional English and they struggled but slowly gained confidence.It has been a great learning for me as well. They are not dumb, they asked questions, reasoned out why this why not that ! Everyone's reason to learn English is different, some want it for a job, some to be able to teach their kids. I feel so proud of their willingness to learn. I know they do not have time at home to study or revise but still they work hard.
On the upcoming women's day I have prepared them to speak on 3 topics, its their first time but I am nervous as I want to build their confidence. They are so excited about it. So when I asked them to write who is their inspiration a few wrote 'My English teacher'.....my eyes moistened. Over the years I have become their anchor, their teacher, their friend.

ek kavita

मेरे  मित्रों , कुछ समय पहले अपनी एक उड़ान के दौरान जो महसूस किया वो लिखा ...आप सबके साथ बाँटना चाहती हूँ .....

चारू 

बादलों से  परे आसमान और भी है 

विमान के झरोखे से देखा तो लगा 

एक आसमान बादलों के नीचे और एक ऊपर भी है 

मन हुआ हाथ से छु लूं इस रुइनुमा बादल को 

पर यह शीशा बीच में आ गया 

मन हुआ घर ले जाऊ इस बादल को 

कैद कर लूं अपने कैनवस में 

उन भीनी ओस की बूंदों के लिए 

पर फिर लगा , नहीं , इसे तो आज़ाद उड़ने की आदत है 

सूरज की किरणों में रंग बदलने की आदत है 

मेरे कमरे में यह घुल जाएगा , और 

एक ही झटके में पानी बन जाएगा 

फिर कैसे मैं इसे आसमान से अलग करूँ 

कैसे सूरज की किरणों से बेवफाई करूँ 

येही किरने तो  बादल को कभी पीला, कभी नारंगी, कभी लाल, कभी सुर्ख रंग देती हैं 

ऐसा लगता है बादल कपडे बदल रहा है 

यह बादल ही तो आसमान को दो भागों में बांटता है 

एक उसके ऊपर और एक नीचे 

मैं इसे ले गयी तो बारिश का क्या होगा 

इनकी गर्जन से आई मुस्कान का क्या होगा 

इनके बरसने से आई खुशहाली का क्या होगा 

येही सोचते सोचते लो अपनी मंजिल भी आ गयी 

और एक बात जो हमेशा सुनते आये थे वो भी समझ आ गयी 

की प्रकृति से खिलवाड़ नहीं करो , यह भगवन की देन है 

उसे सहेज कर रखो तभी वोह हमें सहेजेगी 

Relationships mean a lot !

Life has reached a stage where one feels like holding on to only those relationships which have stood the test of time. I have nurtured these by investing so much of my time , time which is more precious and valuable than money. It is such a wonderful feeling to have a small group of genuine friends than a larger group of acquaintances. Over the years one has seen joy, hurt, happiness, defeat, win, love, hate and having analysed the situation I have felt that we are what we are because of our circumstances. Each one of us was like clay, life put us through fire and moulded us into different shapes and sizes, nurtured our minds to think differently, taught us patience, wisdom ( by the way wisdom is taught by life not acquired by us as birthright !!), gave hurt so that we may value love, showed death so that we may value life. They say, 'a face tells a story"....we have stories written all over our face, just need someone to reach out and read it. 

To all my friends who are reading this....I will always be there for you !