My teen's English teacher asked the class to write a few lines of the topic : We are the architect of our own happiness.
Some of the lines which he wrote and I reproduce : a person is responsible for his own deeds and actions which in the long run decide the person's own destiny.
A restless mind is like a rocking chair : it keeps a person busy but will not lead him/her anywhere. His teacher liked and praised him for the apt comparison . He was adjudged as second best.
His classmate compared people with different mentalities and outlook to an egg , a carrot and coffee beans .
All the three are put into different bowls containing boiling water. She compared the boiling water to adversities of life. When faced with unseen calamities, people react in different ways and manner. The carrot turned pulpy indicating some people crumble and fade away. The outer shell of the egg remained firm while the yolk gets cooked well indicating that some people adorn themselves with fake tough masks to conceal their internal shimmering feelings. The coffee beans do not change their physical shape but release an aroma making us inhale the pleasant fragrance , tickling our sensory organs indicating that some people stand the test of time and spread positive vibes around. The residue, the coffee concoction is potable and is an energizer. The teacher singled out her writing as the best and I do agree.
My teen praised his classmate and I as a parent , puff with pride for his trait to recognise and accept the good in others which is shrinking alarmingly to become extinct.
I was amazed at the veracity and out of box thinking capacity of the young minds to compare and conflict the unthinkable.
In hindsight , my grey cells began to wrestle in the arena of the heart , can we really be the architect of our happiness?
The ability to understand , grasp , accept and then change for the better is entirely in our hands. We can fine tune ourselves to leave our negatives thoughts outside the fence before walking into the sacred temple of our mind. A sound mind and sound body co-exist paving a path to happiness and/or contentment.
But the external forces of greed , lust , jealousy , bad influence, vices threaten to break the barrier of fence to gate-crash and defile the sacred precincts of or mind. Can anyone person face and stand tall like the rock of Gibraltar, the contaminated onslaught without succumbing to the monsters?
I conclude that it is the combination of the external and internal forces that have to be balanced to attaining happiness and contentment.
Readers , may I know your views?
Some of the lines which he wrote and I reproduce : a person is responsible for his own deeds and actions which in the long run decide the person's own destiny.
A restless mind is like a rocking chair : it keeps a person busy but will not lead him/her anywhere. His teacher liked and praised him for the apt comparison . He was adjudged as second best.
His classmate compared people with different mentalities and outlook to an egg , a carrot and coffee beans .
All the three are put into different bowls containing boiling water. She compared the boiling water to adversities of life. When faced with unseen calamities, people react in different ways and manner. The carrot turned pulpy indicating some people crumble and fade away. The outer shell of the egg remained firm while the yolk gets cooked well indicating that some people adorn themselves with fake tough masks to conceal their internal shimmering feelings. The coffee beans do not change their physical shape but release an aroma making us inhale the pleasant fragrance , tickling our sensory organs indicating that some people stand the test of time and spread positive vibes around. The residue, the coffee concoction is potable and is an energizer. The teacher singled out her writing as the best and I do agree.
My teen praised his classmate and I as a parent , puff with pride for his trait to recognise and accept the good in others which is shrinking alarmingly to become extinct.
I was amazed at the veracity and out of box thinking capacity of the young minds to compare and conflict the unthinkable.
In hindsight , my grey cells began to wrestle in the arena of the heart , can we really be the architect of our happiness?
The ability to understand , grasp , accept and then change for the better is entirely in our hands. We can fine tune ourselves to leave our negatives thoughts outside the fence before walking into the sacred temple of our mind. A sound mind and sound body co-exist paving a path to happiness and/or contentment.
But the external forces of greed , lust , jealousy , bad influence, vices threaten to break the barrier of fence to gate-crash and defile the sacred precincts of or mind. Can anyone person face and stand tall like the rock of Gibraltar, the contaminated onslaught without succumbing to the monsters?
I conclude that it is the combination of the external and internal forces that have to be balanced to attaining happiness and contentment.
Readers , may I know your views?
Amazing!! You must be a proud mama to have such an brilliant child. Wow, and the kid that won first was pretty brilliant too. ♥
ReplyDeleteKathy, I am a proud mom. I have taught my child to praise and accept the good qualities in others rather than demean and criticize them.
DeleteMy personal opinion is that it is possible to stay true to your own convictions and actually be the architects of our happiness, provided that we keep our goals at an attainable minimum and are not too ambitious.
ReplyDeleteWhile I have to agree with your point of view that not everything in life is a simple equation of cause and effect and there are way too many variables beyond our control, the fact remains that the more realistic we are about ourselves and our goals, happiness is easier to achieve.
Happiness is easier to achieve provided we do not make it complex.
DeleteKalpana this is a very insightful post. I admire your child for praising the other children. You are training him in the right direction..Brilliant child of a brilliant Mom.
ReplyDeleteThank you Ushaji. I am honoured by your praise.
ReplyDeleteA nice read.I agree with your last para
ReplyDeleteWow...I loved reading it...I admire that children are no longer running the blind's race but are slowing down once in a while to understand the basic philosophies of life.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful and praiseworthy trait your son has!! Well done, Mommy :)
ReplyDeleteYou are doing an awesome job with your little one. Hats off to both of you! :)
ReplyDeleteYou must be one happy mom today, so much he already understands. I am sure in a few years you would be at the receiving end of his teachings :)
ReplyDeleteRicha
Happy Mom :) Lovely read... and congrats to you on being a very good mom :)
ReplyDeleteawww....must feel so proud :) is so amazing to see kids think like this. loved your post :)
ReplyDelete