“When the first baby laughed for the first time, its laugh broke into a thousand pieces, and they all went skipping about, and that was the beginning of fairies.”

Sir James Matthew Barrie, a celebrated Scottish novelist and playwright, the man behind the beautifully tender and playfully innocent character ‘Peter Pan’, is considered to be one of the most renowned names of Scottish literature.

Peter Pan began its journey with the play ‘The Little White Bird’. A young guy who just doesn’t grow up, stays a kid forever and undertakes adventures after adventures in Neverland Island and ends up interacting with creatures out of the island. The character was extremely well received and went on to return in the subsequent play ‘Peter Pan – the boy who wouldn’t grow up’. This was followed by a full fledged novel adaptation named ‘Peter and Wendy’.

Barrie began his career writing for newspapers, with a few of his initial story submissions forming the basis of his first set of early novels.

Barrie’s writing style and thematics include many personal connections and metaphorical parallels of the same on a fictional level. It’s believed that the tragic incidents he witnessed early on in his childhood made irreversible damage to his younger innocent self. Ultimately the idea of not growing up as evident in the ‘Peter Pan’ series seems to have been a consequence of those emotions.

Barrie had once mentioned “To be completely human with its full range of both practical and imaginative potentialities and to grow up, these are in a sense contradictories. By growing up, by cooperating in social order, one has to curtail the imagination; by doing this one is obliged to give up so much that one becomes an unacceptably diminished person.”

Barrie’s writings were praised for being highly imaginative and capturing the youthful innocence of childhood in its purest possible form. Fantasy and adventure driven elements considerably added up to and elevated the imagination further.

Short stories like ‘The Little Minister’, ‘Two of them’, ‘A Tillyloss scandal’; novels like ‘The Little white bird’, ‘Peter and Wendy’, ‘Farewell Miss Julie Logan : A wintry tale’, and plays like ‘Peter Pan or the boy who would not grow up’ to ‘When Wendy grew up : an afterthought’; Barrie wrote across forms and mediums while doing justice to all of them simultaneously.

Barrie’s writing style was highly individualistic. Despite multiple studies and efforts made towards identifying patterns and constant aesthetics in Barrie’s writings, he still retained individuality and remained an artistic voice to reckon with.

Barrie’s work has been adapted into numerous animated films, live action films and television series. One of the all time great literary giants, Sir James Matthew Barrie has inspired generations with his innocently weaved imaginative stories.

“So come with me, where dreams are born, and time is never planned. Just think of happy things, and your heart will fly on wings, forever, in Never Never Land!”

These sweet childlike words with wisdom equivalent to that of an elderly philosopher and an artist par excellence motivates us to read more and completely immerse ourselves into the magical adventurous world. And by default they make us celebrate his writings. Rather the very art of writing and storytelling to begin with!

Presuming you are a member of this planet and you might have some dreams to follow, let the Walls be the one to hearten your dream. Fundamentally, walls are to support roofs, floors and ceilings, but the secret aspect of these walls is to metamorphose your dreams into plans.

Everybody has posters at their home, pasted on colourful walls with glue mixed with invaluable desires. Wall doesn’t mind it. If you are a fan of God, nature, animals, plants or other stuff, you put them on the walls. When you wake up, you see a quote written on a wall that motivates you to start your day and boost up your confidence to conquer your dream.

Walls are not only meant for dreams but also for delivering a stimulation of your “beautiful” dream. It gives you a thought of a dream which is your intense passion and conveys that “in passion there is no desire of wanting something out of it”. Yes, it does make sense. People with messy walls, are the true passionate souls of their dreams.

Dreams should neither be modified nor be altered. They should be an original version of your thoughts. One might get inspired by others, yet your dreams should be unique to you. You might derail from your dream but you will never forget your dream.

While you work to execute the dream, put the final version on your walls as a constant remembrance of a task yet to be done.

The power of inspiring walls cannot be emphasized more than the example of James LeBron. As a young boy his inspiration was World Star Michael Jordan. His posters adorned the young athlete’s room’s walls and motivated him to be the best in his field.

Walls don’t allow your dream to flow like a river. As the river finally ends up in the ocean, it becomes brine and becomes bitter. Instead, it tries to become the well of your dream. Just like a well gives you fresh and sweet water, walls can always bring out some invaluable ideas.

Always remember, dreams are only meant to pursue with meticulous planning and not to be grabbed at without any plans. I believe, walls don’t need appreciation, it’s their work to do. But don’t forget the quintessence of it, otherwise your dreams zips by, so grab them and put them up on the walls. They would be very happy to serve you in any case!

“Learning How to Fly” is a memoir written by A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, the former President of India, about his life and his journey from a small town in South India to becoming one of the most prominent figures in Indian politics.

The book is divided into eighteen chapters and covers different aspects of Dr. Kalam’s life, from his childhood to his days as a scientist and then as the President of India. Kalam writes in a simple and engaging style, and the book is filled with anecdotes and personal stories that make it an enjoyable read, it’s basically like a compilation of various addresses and interactions at various institutions, colleges and school with students.

One of the strengths of the book is Dr. Kalam’s ability to inspire and motivate the reader. He writes about the challenges he faced in his life and how he overcame them through hard work, determination, and a positive attitude. He emphasizes the importance of having a dream and working towards it with dedication and perseverance.

Another important theme in the book is Dr. Kalam’s love for science and technology. He describes his early fascination with aeroplanes and how he was inspired by the works of great scientists such as Sir C.V. Raman and Dr. Vikram Sarabhai. Kalam’s passion for science led him to become a scientist himself, and he writes about his experiences working on India’s missile program and other scientific projects.

Dr. Kalam also writes about his experiences as the President of India. He describes the various challenges he faced and the initiatives he took during his tenure, such as the “PURA” project which aimed to provide basic amenities and infrastructure to rural areas. Dr.Kalam’s deep concern for the welfare of the people of India is evident throughout the book, and he emphasizes the importance of a strong and inclusive society.

Dr. Kalam shares various stories and experience he had in life, and an intelligent person always learns from experience of other people. Dr. Kalam dreamt of mostly youth with need to be empowered with knowledge from books and journals. Hence the role of libraries is very important in this domain.

However, the book is not without its flaws. Some readers may find the writing style too simplistic, and the book lacks the depth and complexity of a more analytical memoir. Additionally, the book is largely focused on Dr. Kalam’s achievements and does not delve deeply into his personal struggles or failures.

To summarize, “Learning How to Fly” is an inspiring and uplifting memoir that celebrates the power of hard work, determination, and a positive attitude. Dr. Kalam’s personal stories and anecdotes make the book an enjoyable read, and his passion for science and technology is contagious. While the book may not be for everyone, it is a valuable addition to the genre of memoirs and is recommended for anyone looking for a motivational read.

A sad life is when something is amiss within a person while he lives on collecting riches.

You must have come across this phrase, ‘Follow Your Passion’, at least a million times in social media platforms, or must have heard it from school college podiums and must have read it in newspaper and magazine articles.

However, slightly contrary to popular belief, it is not something entirely to be discovered, but can be developed too.

The German word for passion is ‘Leidenschaft’ meaning “the ability to bear” (hardship) and in Hindi it’s translated as ‘Utsah’ or zeal.

So, though it is fortunate to identify your interests and passion at an early age and work towards them, the idea of passion is to be passionate about life itself.

To be passionate about everything you do, you are given to do or you are expected to do. Identify, Choose and Follow is the mantra, but not always, and in such situations, we must reverse the ‘ do what you love’ to ‘ love what we do’ and see the magic unfold.

The magic of unlocking our own potential, the magic of joy in tackling obstacles, the magic of loving every bit of the process, and watching the output emerge.

Passion is never about comfort or an easy life, it’s always about finding joy in discomfort, it’s a feeling when work is happiness, when you feel happy that night has ended and a new day has begun, with a new set of tasks waiting for you.

One – Identify your Passion

And write it down. Be conscious that these activities should be those you would love to pursue even if you are not good at these and even if you can’t earn a livelihood from these.

Second – Set a Goal

Set a measurable goal of let’s say one year or a Bachelor’s degree in getting skilled at these. Thus, find ways to learn so that your passion can pay well too.

Third – Evaluate Resources and Plan

Research about how to hone your natural inclination or inborn talent to be a professional in that field, for example – my passion was reading literature, writing poetry and teaching life science, so I evaluated my resources and decided to get trained to be a science lecturer, as I had the Best literary guidance available at my own home… Had I chosen vice versa, I could have been a Literature teacher, but I wouldn’t be able to grasp Anatomy and dissect animals at home without supervision.

Fourth – Act

After the research and planning, be quick to Act on these plans because you’d find that over the course of time, as your knowledge and understanding grows, your plans, inclinations might change, evolve. You might have started off with a passion for painting in acrylics, but while studying painting, you might discover a love for teaching and rather than becoming a painter yourself you steer to be a Professor of Acrylics!

Eh bien, voila! You are going to have a school/ college job AND a personal studio too!

But you won’t be able to find this unless you ACT, hence it’s the most important part of the entire Pursuing Your Passion phrase.

Remember, that action provides you the opportunity to fail, and start again, or start afresh …

As Marie Forleo said,

You can’t find your passion thinking about it in your head”.

But if there’s no action, you’d end up fine-tuning your plans without ever knowing if you really wanted those plans in the first place.

So, just do all things with love, with passion, with joy. Stay excited.

In today’s era of globalization and westernization, we often find ourselves neglecting our cultural heritage. As Indians, we possess a wealth of traditions and resources within our own land, yet we frequently seek them elsewhere. Sometimes it takes foreigners to come and explore our culture, embracing our lifestyle, and teaching us what we already know to make us realize the significance and magnificence of our own heritage. Have you ever wondered why this happens? The answer is quite simple: it is due to ‘unawareness.’

Lack of Awareness:

Yes, it is true that many of us lack knowledge about our own culture. We do not possess as much understanding as we should. So, how can we acquire this knowledge? Who holds the key to it? How can we overcome this state of ignorance? One possible answer to all these questions is by learning Sanskrit.

Learning Sanskrit extends far beyond the mere recitation of shlokas, mantras, religious rituals, poojas, or mythology. It encompasses a much broader scope. To truly grasp its magnanimity, we must approach Sanskrit as a language in its entirety. By doing so, we can unlock the vast treasure trove of knowledge and wisdom that this language holds.

An ocean of knowledge:

When it comes to Sanskrit texts, it is indeed an expansive ocean of knowledge. It encompasses a vast array of subjects that span various domains. From Vedas to puranas, economics to religion, medicine to physics, literature to drama, philosophy to yoga, architecture to culinary arts, astronomy to geometry, Sanskrit texts offer everything literally.

What exactly Learning Sanskrit is:

Let us begin with the fundamentals. Learning Sanskrit primarily involves understanding the language through its grammar. This journey can effectively commence at the school level. By gradually acquiring knowledge of Sanskrit grammar, learners can develop the ability to read and comprehend Sanskrit texts.

Why do we need to learn Sanskrit?

In today’s world, it is natural for us to seek strong and compelling reasons before investing our time and resources into any endeavour. We often require exciting outcomes to motivate us to pursue something. This mindset is not inherently wrong. That is precisely why it becomes crucial to comprehend the significance of learning Sanskrit and recognize its numerous benefits.

Let us now see, what learning Sanskrit offers you:

1. Knowledge – The pursuit of knowledge itself is a compelling reason to learn anything, and it should always be a primary motive. As mentioned earlier, Sanskrit texts encompass a vast array of knowledge rooted in rigorous study and logical reasoning. Our Sanskrit heritage contains a wealth of information from various fields, including sciences, arts, literature, linguistics, and philosophy. Whether one seeks scientific principles, artistic inspiration, profound philosophical insights, or linguistic intricacies, Sanskrit has something to offer.It is not surprising that foreigners are consistently drawn to these texts, motivated to learn Sanskrit and harness its knowledge to foster personal growth and contribute to the development of their countries.

   This knowledge has the power to deepen our awareness of our roots, culture, and magnificent heritage, filling us with immense pride. It will reveal the splendour of our history and the vast wisdom our land has long held. Embracing this knowledge will enable us to dispel misunderstandings and controversies that arise from those with incomplete or no knowledge.

   Apart from this there are additional benefits that come with learning Sanskrit,

2. Ease to learn other languages – It is observed that learning Sanskrit grammar makes the learning of other languages easier.
3. Clarity of speech– It is a proven fact that recitation of Sanskrit shlokas makes our speech clear and fluent.
4. Clarity of thoughts – Reading original texts serves as a powerful means to gain awareness of facts and access unadulterated, authentic knowledge.
5. Career opportunities – Sanskrit language presents abundant career opportunities in various fields, including teaching, research, oratory, and related domains.
6. Uniqueness – The field of Sanskrit remains relatively unexplored, and its inherent beauty is still unfamiliar to many. Consequently, acquiring proficiency in Sanskrit can set you apart and bestow upon you a unique identity.

In conclusion, learning Sanskrit serves as an asset for our personal development. It enriches us with a deep awareness of our glorious culture and heritage, imbuing us with profound wisdom. This understanding instils within us a deep appreciation for our land and motivates us to preserve the sanctity and purity of our heritage.

Let us not wait for others to recognize the importance of our culture. Through our own pursuit of knowledge and understanding, we can uphold the legacy and promote the richness of our heritage. By cherishing and honouring what we have, we contribute to its continued vitality and ensure that future generations can embrace and celebrate our culture with the same pride and reverence.

Why do we have day and night? Why is the sky blue in color? Does my brain sleep when I sleep? Why does mixing colors make new colors? Why do I feel woozy in my stomach when a plane takes off?

These are just some of the innumerable questions that kids ask adults day in and day out. How often do we come across hassled parents who complain to their colleagues or friends about the incessant bombardment of questions from their kids?

Well! If you are one of the parents who fall in this category consider yourself lucky. You are blessed with a curious child. It does become overwhelming to keep up with the constant barrage of questions on all topics under the sun. However, embrace your kid’s curiosity .

We all are curious by nature. We are bugged by the unknown. As adults we have greater means to seek solutions for things that we do not know. For today’s teens the internet has made everything available at a mouse’s click or a touch button on mobiles. The younger lot who still cannot use the above rely on elders or books to quench their curiosity.

We must take steps to nurture the curiosity in kids whether early learners or teens. The use of 5 senses can ensure that curiosity remains as a continuous streak in a child’s life. It has many far reaching impacts on the child’s development.

1. It makes the brain active – When the hows, whys , whens and wheres become a child’s friend, they ensure constant brain activity. It also develops one’s creative horizons. The child while yearning to satisfy his curiosity may come up with plausible reasons. Thus, the habit of building multi scenario options for a specific task gets developed automatically.
2. Persistence in tasks – The immediate effect of the above can lead to the second advantage of curiosity – a persistent child. The constant need to find answers to the questions popping up in a child’s mind leads to not giving up the quest of seeking them.<When a child tries to conjure multiple ways or answers for a question, he / she inherently becomes a relentless learner. The thought of quitting doesn’t occur to them easily. This can be very helpful in academic subjects where at times kids find it difficult to understand the concepts. This habit of continuous perusal to find answers makes them take the difficulty head on.
3. Develop social skills – A curious child never shies away from asking questions or seeking help from others. White he / she may do it in order to find a satisfying answer, it inadvertently makes them open up to people and interact. Having people skills goes a long way in building one’s character in life.
4. Curious kids are happy kids – It is self explanatory. In the process of quenching their yearning to seek an answer most kids enjoy the “Eureka” moment. This happens when they finally are able to find the answer to their questions. It brings in a sense of being elated, having done something good.
5. It develops empathy – Imaginee a child going on a journey and making new friends. The interactions lead to knowing one’s interests , likes and dislikes.A curious kid by striking a conversation helps others to open up and forget about their worries. It may be a temporary phenomenon. Yet, it makes the other person forget the worldly woes while enjoying a boisterous conversation with a kid having questions about everything. Some may find this irritating, the child nevertheless engages the other person to interact and be more aware amongst the present group.
6. A curious kid is achievement oriented – This premise stems from the fact that the child wants to know everything about the person / thing / event / phenomenon he /she is curious about.

Let’s take a small example – a child seeks to know why the sky is blue. Upon knowing he further wants to know why it is grey sometimes? Reddish at dawn and dusk? Where do the stars disappear when the sun comes up? Does the sun really set in the ocean in the evening?

The chain of never ending questions leads to knowledge increase. He doesn’t stop at the first question but tries to understand all related areas too. This further builds the trait of a single minded focus on solution seeking. This focus is what leads to great achievements.

The next question would be what role should parents play to keep the curiosity fire burning in the kids?

It can be done in the following simple ways –

1. Allow the kids to imagine and conjure.
2. Guide them towards the possible solutions, but make them choose the outcome themselves.
3. Reinforce their curious behavior by accepting to answer or embark on a journey to do it with them
4. Let them try new things and fail. Failure allows them to cancel out the negatives and reach the answers.
5. Ask them open ended questions. This helps their minds to seek answers.
6. Teach them the importance of observation, deduction and conclusion.
7. Do not enforce your thoughts and dogmas on them. Give them the freedom to form their own opinions. One can correct it later, but the child must feel that he found the answers to his questions. Do not dish it out to them on a platter.

It is said that –

Knowing the answers helps in school:

Knowing the questions helps in life.

Let your kids question you. It is these questions that would build a lifelong passion of learning.

Don’t fear curiosity . Let your child embrace it wholeheartedly.

The most beautiful musical instruments can be found in nature. The renditions are more dominated by the lower frequencies, which gives them a calming and tranquil character. When white noise is at a certain frequency, it is known as “green noise”. This noise is defined as an “ambient noise in nature.”

The homogeneous distribution of energy across the frequency range that characterises green noise makes it special. These sound profiles closely resemble the background noise found in a natural setting. Green noise is gaining immense popularity among the urban population at a very fast pace because it can be downloaded on your phones and one does not have to take a day off to be close to nature.

There are many ways in which natural music can aid our mental as well as our physical well-being:

• Enhances quality sleep: If you live in an urban area and do not have access to any natural retreat, green noise can be very helpful. It can induce sleep as it masks other unnecessary ambient sounds and helps you to relax.If you have sleep disorders or if you are not able to sleep because of anxiety, green noise can be very helpful as it promotes production of delta brain waves which are associated with deep and a sound sleep.
• Starting the day early: If you wake up when the sun rises and continue this practice for a long time, you will notice that your body changes for the better. Nature has a wonderful alarm clock for us in the form of a rooster.By waking up as early as the rooster, you will stay more active, and feel fresh during the day. However, for those residing in urban areas, petting a rooster is not possible, so playing green noise before going to bed can help you sleep on time and wake up without feeling groggy.
• Improves relaxation: Certain natural sounds like the rhythmic chirping of birds, waves crashing ashore, raindrops falling on a tin roof and so on have a deep impact on our mind.Woodland sounds are the most effective sounds as they reduce the fight-and-flight response in the body also called sympathetic response and increase the parasympathetic response which is also called the rest-digest response.
• Meditative quality: Slow moving water is another great example of green noise. There are many natural sounds that have a low pitch. Moving water, for instance, can induce sleep in a person and make him feel more at ease than any other natural sound.Whenever you go to any meditation centre, you will notice that sound of moving water is played more often than ever. Green noise has a positive impact on our autonomic nervous system which maintains our heart rate, and keeps our blood pressure stable. This will also enable you to meditate properly and concentrate on your senses in a better fashion.
• Works as an excellent mood booster: Ever since the pandemic hit us, the stress level among the general population has been on a rise. With our fast-paced lifestyles and unhealthy diet, our psychological health has taken a hit. By exposing yourself to the right kind of music, we can work on our attitudes towards life.Listening to natural sounds can divert our attention from trivial things in life, reduce our stress hormones and even frame a positive mindset.
• Allows proper psychological development: You can live a healthy life if you can get enough sleep, practise meditation, and even keep a good outlook on things. You will be able to unwind much more effectively if you take frequent brief pauses while studying and listen to the appropriate sounds.By adopting this simple habit, you will realise that you will be a different person altogether. People around you will also feel the difference and you will be a very psychologically safe as well as a secure person who cannot be perturbed easily by anything.

Nature has a direct impact on our mental and physical health. Since music is an inherent part of nature, it has proven to be helpful in generating positive emotions and enhancing our concentration. Neuroscientists have proven time and again that music can improve our behaviour and health. While taking a break from studies, you can listen to your own Spotify playlist or even download such sounds on Apple music, so that you can start the relaxation process without any delay.