Foreword
During past few months, Media, Schools, Institutions & Parents have been on overdrive gloating over stories of 'toppers', 90 per-centers & perfect 10 CGPA achievers. Celebratory mode and mood of this annual event were no different!!
Would the high profile aspirants
translate their 'high-sounding resolutions' into action? As evident from the 'Collage', similar pledges
of predecessors ended up as broken promises with appalling behavior in many
cases!! Why? This blog, I hope, answers the question!!
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| COLLAGE |
Introduction
Session on Life Centre (LC)
formed part of the Life Skills Curriculum structured to teach students in
schools and colleges. To recall the significance of Life-Skills, revealed to us
by a student of Class 6 or 7—'If the letter 'S' is deleted, Life Kills'. To
read more on how to insert 'S' in
one's life, please access HealthySexuality and Proactivity—Ability to Respond not React aka Proactive Response to Situations.
When I attended the first
session on LC conducted by my colleague, Ken McRae, I was hugely impacted
realizing how choice of LC influences the quality of life. Challenged to
think differently, students were excited
to learn something new as against listening to the stereotyped teaching of
syllabi; singularly focused on Superlative Marks & Rote Learning!!
Video
Clip, Movie 3 Idiots. Sensitively portrays two instances of
Life Skills (Proactivity) stemming from Stable
& Principle-Centered Life Centre:
- Proactive response of FARHAN to win the heart and mind of his 'Dad' to pursue photography as career.
- Powerful choice made by RAJU to hold on to his attitude instead of compromising principles. Another example of proactive response.
Reel to Real Life
Comprehensive report on increasing
suicides in IITs, AmarUjala 4 Jun 2017,
validates the narrative of Raju regarding fear factor
Excerpt:
Many may find the clip 'filmy' and too idealistic. My appeal to them, please read on ………..with an open mind!!
Significance
of the Word 'Centre'
"……..A
point, pivot, axis, etc., around which anything rotates or revolves: The sun is
the center of the solar system. The source of an influence, action, force,
etc.: the center of a problem. A point, place, person, etc., upon which
interest, emotion, etc., focuses: His family is the center of his life". Link.
Significant
point to note—Eye of a Storm, Epicenter, Nucleus, Kernel & Core are words that
describe the most crucial part of a phenomenon be it Super-Cyclone, Tsunami,
Earthquake, Tornado etc that is tracked/explored.
Quote of Swami Vivekananda on Life:
"…….Live in
the midst of the battle of life. Anyone can keep calm in a cave or when asleep.
Stand in the midst and madness of action and reach the Centre. If you have
found the Centre, you cannot be moved".
What
is Life Centre?
Whatever one is motivated to
pursue in life with passion by means fair or foul. Sachin Tendulkar attained glory
as cricketer, Lata Mangeshwar in music, Amitabh
Bachchan as film star, Tiger Woods in
golf and so on.
Little known 'Guru' of Bill
Gates, Warren Buffet, imbued with altruism donated 99 percent of his wealth and
so has 34 year old MarkZuckerberg, CEO Face Book. Nana Patekar, renowned actor, switched track
to become a revered philanthropist.
On the other hand, Tiger
Woods suffered irreparable loss & humiliation when his LC shifted from
Sports to Fun (temptations). What a heavy price to pay for choosing Dalliance
over Family Core Values!! Telling
confession clip:
Excerpt
"I
stopped living by the core values…….……….I thought that I had worked hard my
entire life and deserved to enjoy all the temptations around me. I felt I was
entitled; thanks to money and fame. ….I was wrong I was foolish. I do not get to play by
different rules. ….. I hurt my wife, kids…..and kids all around the world who
admired me….."
Story of Abraham Lincoln, Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Rosa Park, First Lady of
Civil Rights Movement in USA, demonstrate the power of LC as a driving force. What
did they have in common?—Stable Life Centre rooted in Values-Principles-Purpose of Life
On flip side are innumerable
instances of unethical conduct. To mention just three: driven by Money Power
Status, Sahara Shree SubrotoRoy is in jail and liquor baron Vijay Mallya is on the run. Illustrious Rajat Gupta, IIT &
Harvard Graduate, first foreign-born Chief Executive,
Consultancy Firm McKinsey for 10 years. He was convicted and spent two
years in US prison for breach of trust and that too at the age of 66!!!
Life Centre: Model
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| COURTESY Ms MEERA HANDA |
Fountainhead of Stable Life
Centre Hinges on
Values—Principles—Purpose of Life
Session Format
Unlike the standard teaching
method of lecture/monotonous talk, our life skills sessions were patently
different. Focus was on facilitating learning, as against teaching, in an enabling environment that encouraged
active participation. Students enjoyed Learning
thru Fun the format of interactive mode
of learning including role plays, games, individual and group activities.
Session on LC
Session normally started with a dramatized
narrative to impact and energize the students to be attentive and think logically.
Sample:
Facilitator to Students
'How many of you have experienced earthquake? When asked to recall their feelings stated instability, fear, insecure,
confused, apprehensive & so on until the tremor stopped'. Ensuing
discussion sensitized them as to the importance of choosing a stable Life Centre
like Values/Priciples/Purpose of Life. Such ice breakers invariably evinced interest in
students to learn more.
Overview
of the Game
Conceptualized and conducted
on fun-filled format, it inspired participants to share real life
experiences/feelings.
Life Centers (LC) written in
bold letters on Label size 10"x6" separately were pasted on the wall
leaving enough space for students to stand in front of each. On entering the
Classroom, students were curious to know more about the labels.
After reading aloud the LC
on labels and clarifying doubts, students were told that the Game would start thus—
'When FACILITATOR
asks what was or would be your Life Centre aS PER THE AGE SPECIFIED, YOU NEED
TO choose the LC and stand in front of that
label'.
Note:
Ages specified were 5, 10, 13 to 17, 25, around 40 and over 60,
In other words game was played in five to six rounds as per time available
Additional
Guidelines
1.
Be real while choosing the LC.
2.
Do not pressurize or cause injury
3.
No confusion/shouting
4.
Follow directions of the facilitator
5.
Ask questions freely
Observations
As facilitators, we kept
note of behavior of students including choice of LC in each round. Salient
observations:
1)
Tendency to follow the crowd
2)
Influence of peer pressure
3)
Confusion in choosing LC
4)
At 5
& 10 most chose Family
5)
Between 13 to 17—Studies, Boy/Girl Friend,
Friends, Sex, Money/Power/Status
6)
At 25—College, Career, Money, Power, Status.
7)
Around 40— Money/Power/Status, Career, Family
(mostly by girls). Some chose Boy/Girl
Friend.
8)
After 60 God/Religion was chosen unanimously
9)
Very few chose Values, Principle or Purpose
of Life
10)
In some sessions, 'Family' was omitted around
40
11)
Some chose Boy/Girl Friend, Fun after 60
Discussion
on Salient Observations
The most crucial, yet
neglected, phase of learning is 'adolescence' to untangle the emotional cobwebs
and develop Healthy Sexuality.
Interactive discussion in enabling environment allowed teenagers to resolve
doubts and assimilate understanding from individual perspective.
Excerpt
"……I always
knew what the right path was ……I never took it ……because it was too damn hard. …here's
Charlie……he has chosen the right path……made of principles that lead to character…..He
will make you proud one day….."
Discussion
Highlights would
be covered subsequently.
Lessons
Perfect recipe for unconditional
happiness — Stable Life Centre ROOTED IN PRICIPLES plus Ability to Respond NOT React to Situations. One
may cross check its validity recalling own life experiences…..
The ultimate secret of
leading blissful life— life CENTRE IMBUED WITH PURPOSE OF LIFE. More
on this later…..
To Be Contd......
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