DEFAULT SETTING OF THE MIND

 




“You cannot have a positive life and a negative mind.”

Joyce Meyer

 


This is mid-August; and in Maharashtra, the students, who have cleared their tenth and wanting to join eleventh (State Board), are yet to go to their respective junior colleges. Some have just started going; but, they are unsure about the allocation of some subjects like Maths. On the other side, students from other Boards, such as CBSE, ISC, IGCSE etc., have completed almost 50 to 75 % of their portion in their colleges and private institutes. So, the State Board students, unless they have enrolled with some private tutors like me, are at the mercy of God – Ram Bharose!

Here, I, too, have completed a significant portion of my eleventh-standard students belonging to the State Board. But, then, students are still joining; and I have to, patiently, go back to the Accountancy nursery… to teach them Debit and Credit, all over again.…

Yesterday morning, I received a call from a young man. He said, that he had just completed his graduation and wanted to enroll his younger brother for eleventh under me. I spent nearly fifteen minutes giving him information, mostly some positive pep: to assure him, that his younger brother, who was just beginning his junior college – would need fine aptitude and attitude, both. Actually, I do that with whoever wants to learn under me… Marks and rat race seldom find any place in such conversations. It is, always, about igniting love for the subject, stressing on getting hold of the concepts, urging them to stay self-motivated etc.






Last morning, I did the same thing, and requested the young man to let me know about their decision by the day end. As there was no communication from the other end, I sent this message, today morning:

“Good morning Mr. ….. Any decision?”

As there was no response despite the blue tick, a little later, I called…

The call was not taken… But, there was a quick reply:

I am busy so I can’t accept your call and I am not taking admission thank you

I have reproduced the message of this ‘elder brother’ of his younger brother as it is… Nothing is changed except my italics…

I was angry at this ‘elder brother’s’ attitude!

I wondered; “What would I contribute to his younger brother’s growth if this is how ‘education’ should be carried out?”

Our mind goes into the negative mode by its default setting… The setting has to be changed consciously to be positive…

Maybe, the man was really ‘very busy’… Maybe, he is not good with words and communicating… Maybe, it just makes no difference to him…

And, why am I reading too much between his lines?

“Thank you Mr….. So sorry for bothering you in the midst of your busy schedule. Stay blessed," I replied...






True. It doesn’t take any effort to react negatively; but, it does take some conscious effort to act positively…

 

GERALD D’CUNHA

 

Pic’s.: Pixabay 1. geralt 2. Amigos3D

 

Video: Masaka Kids of Africa

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

MUTHU KODI KAWARI HADA

Image
Pic.; Ashwin Mohta M y Hindi was always bad. It still is. One reason for this was, that they introduced Hindi for us only in 6 th standard. Or, was it in 8 th ? I don’t remember… I only remember struggling to write and read… leave alone speak! But, I loved Hindi movies, and, strangely, I could understand the dialogues and the lyrics of the songs… I used to sing those songs (of course when no one was around me!) as if I was the lyricist… One of the songs was a very funny one. ‘Muthu Kodi Kawari Hada’. It was from Mehmood’s super-hit comedy – ‘Do Phool’. I was a 15-year-old high-school boy when I had heard that song (not watched the movie). I could grasp the meaning of two words – ‘Muthu Kodi’… which meant ‘Give kiss’… But, what ‘Kawari Hada’ meant, I have no clue till date! It was just like ‘Why this kolaveri di’... Yes, why ask? Simply enjoy the beats… And, the beats are great… The rest... Who cares? Really! So, whatever bit of Hi...
Read more

SELLING MIRRORS IN THE CITY OF THE BLIND

Image
“I laugh when I hear that the fish in the water is thirsty. I laugh when I hear that people go on pilgrimage to find God.” - Kabir T here is a universal human weakness – and it dates back to the days of fallen civilizations – and it is: to place people on pedestal and trying to be smothered by them, feel loved and protected in their company… worship them as mentors, heroes,  gurus, Mahagurus and Satgurus… Make these mortals larger-than-life cut-outs, worship them as flawless, pure and give one’s all… And, then, ‘take’ everything from them blindly as divine… Give everything to them blindly… Eventually, what happens is:  one more dangerous bondage… What was supposed to free you now becomes a new prison… It’s sad to see this happen! T his room, where I am writing this Post, has no image of any deity. I have no image of any Guru or Master around me… My question is: “Am I not able to feel close to Almighty God?  How ...
Read more

"HAPPILY EVER AFTER IS NOT A FAIRY-TALE... IT IS A CHOICE"

Image
“Love doesn’t just sit there, like a stone… It has to be made, like bread; remade all the time, made new.” – Ursula K. Le Guin,  The Lathe of Heaven T welve years ago, when Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie got married, the world began to hail the couple as ‘Brangelina’. It became a fashion for couples around us to call themselves so… Norbert and Teresa renamed them as ‘Noresa’…  Amol and Vishaka baptized their relationship as ‘Amoshka’… and, Salman and Nargis became ‘Salgis’! I and my wife, too, got tempted to re-christian our matrimonial relationship as ‘Germa’... That is, Gerald and Anima, to be precise! B efore I proceed any further, let me make it very clear, here… that, I have no business to judge on the break-up of Brad Pitt and Angelina’ Jolie’s marriage. I have no inclination to go into why, how, what when etc behind it… The couple ‘chose’ to split. And, it’s their choice… Only they know how good or bad… how joyful or pain...
Read more
THE WILD, WAYSIDE FLOWERS
There is, always, something extra-ordinary in the wild, wayside flowers...